Edmonton @ Seattle Preview: Kraken Kick Off Homestand Facing Stanley Cup Contenders

Seattle, WA - The Kraken begin their final March homestand Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers, closing out the regular-season series. Seattle is 0-3 against Edmonton this season, losing 5-4 on March 22 and 4-2 on January 27 and 4. The Kraken are 2-11-1 all-time vs. the Oilers, including 1-6-0 at home.

Five Kraken players are on multi-game point streaks heading into Thursday’s contest: Jaden Schwartz (3 points; 2G/1A), Vince Dunn (2A), Matty Beniers (2A), Jared McCann (3A), and Andre Burakovsky (2 points; 1G/1A).

Injury Report:

Chandler Stephenson (SEA) is likely out for two more games and is listed day-to-day with no further updates since sustaining an upper-body injury during the Kraken’s game in Minnesota earlier this month.

Two of Edmonton’s top players, Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, are scratched for Thursday after both sustained upper-body injuries this week. Draisaitl leads Oilers players in points with 101 for the season.

Milestones: Several Kraken Players Nearing Career Highs

Kaapo Kakko is one point shy of tying his career high of 40, set in 2022-23, and five goals away from matching his career high of 18 from that season.

Adam Larsson is two goals shy of tying his career high of 8, a mark he's reached twice with Seattle.

Brandon Montour needs just one more goal to set a new career high of 17.

Kraken vs. Edmonton: Key Matchups

Schwartz leads Kraken skaters with 18 goals, 18 assists, and 36 points in 34 career games vs. Edmonton, also leading the team in power-play goals (4) and game-winners (2). McCann leads Seattle with 49 points this season and ranks second on the team in goals (6) and points (13) in 24 career games against the Oilers.

In Net:

Joey Daccord is 0-6-1 with a 3.82 GAA and .874 SV% in eight career games vs. Edmonton. Philipp Grubauer is 3-5-0 with a 4.22 GAA and .847 SV% in nine career games against the Oilers.

Players to Watch:

Matty Beniers, Jani Nyman and Kaapo Kakko - This new line has contributed to several goals and increased the pressure on the net. During the Kraken’s game against Calgary, several attempts on goal were made by Nyman, but they hit the post. Collectively, they have 83 points for the season.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied his fourth career hat-trick in Edmonton’s 5-4 win over Seattle on March 22nd, adding nine points (4G/5A) in his last five games. Nugent-Hopkins has 18 points (5G/13A) in 13 career games against Seattle.

Following this matchup, Seattle faces the Dallas Stars in back-to-back games on March 29 and 31. With 66 points and 10 games remaining, a playoff run seems unlikely as the Kraken face two Stanley Cup contenders this week.

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