SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 08: Matty Beniers #10 of the Seattle Kraken looks on before the game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Climate Pledge Arena on April 08, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
When it comes to matchups like these, it feels like everyone’s into the thick of it.
With just one week and three pre-season games to go, the spotlight glare on the Kraken roster will get brighter when they welcome the Edmonton Oilers to Climate Pledge Arena, Monday night at 7pm PT (950 KJR).
The Kraken will suit up an NHL heavy roster, sprinkled with prospects that could be ready to bust down the door with another solid performance. Up front, the Kraken will showcase forwards such as Matty Beniers, Jared McCann, Jordan Eberle, Jaden Schwartz, Andre Burakovsky, ex-Oilers Devin Shore and Kailer Yamamoto, along with experienced defensemen Adam Larsson, Justin Schultz, and Brian Dumoulin.
The kids are alright, and they’re also fit to play. Ryker Evans is back, getting his third game of experience. Shane Wright and Tye Kartye, toiling for an opening night job, will also get another crack of pre-season action.
Together, they’ll get a dose of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, traveling to Seattle as part of the playing roster and also as last season’s top two leading scorers in the league.
Evans is arguably the youngster who has seized the most intrigue in training camp. Lauded by head coach Dave Hakstol for his “outstanding” work with the puck in the front 100 feet of the ice in Thursday night’s win over Vancouver, the 21-year old defenseman has an assist in a pair of pre-season games while logging heavy minutes and power play time, controlling the point on one of the two units.
Kartye has a shorthanded goal in two games with the Kraken, looking to crack the roster after the magical debut he delivered last season in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While Wright’s hurdle is understandably higher based on the depth chart, the 20-year old center is making every case to turn “decision day” into a difficult one, logging an assist in two pre-season games while playing a significant role in dominant puck possession across the board in Thursday night’s win, while anchoring a line between Shore and Yamamoto.
While the starting job is safe and secure in the hands of Philipp Grubauer, the backup job is still technically in question. Joey Daccord took a massive stride in seizing the spot after two games with a clean sheet (two shootout goals against Calgary – which don’t count against the surface numbers – are all he’s let in). He’ll rest in favor of Chris Driedger, who was Daccord’s backup in the AHL last season after returning from ACL surgery.
Driedger is vying to fine-tune his pre-season with just one game, starting in the 5-3 win at Calgary last Monday while allowing two goals on 21 shots in the first two periods.
Monday night’s game will be the last time the Kraken touch ice at Climate Pledge Arena until the home opener, Oct. 17 against the Colorado Avalanche. Two pre-season games on the road, Wednesday against Vancouver (neutral site at Abbotsford) and Friday at Edmonton will wrap up the schedule.