Young netminder Nikke Kokko gets a recall as Grubauer's injury opens the door.
Philipp Grubauer is out day-to-day after sustaining a lower body injury in Winnipeg. The veteran goaltender left the game during the second period, replaced by Joey Daccord. With Matt Murray away from the team and Grubauer injured, the Kraken have recalled goaltender Nikke Kokko from Coachella Valley to back Daccord.
Kokko was drafted by the Kraken in 2022 during the second round (58th overall). He made a splash in rookie and training camps in 2024 which led to his placement in Coachella Valley for the 2024-25 season. There, he played in 33 regular season games with a .913 save percentage and 2.25 goals against average. He made his NHL debut against the St. Louis Blues on February 25th, 2025. At just under 21 years old, he was the youngest goaltender to debut that year.
For the 2025-26 season Kokko returned to the Valley. Despite injury, he has led the Firebirds through 34 regular season starts posting a .903 save percentage and 3.10 goals against average and helped ensure their return to the playoffs for the fourth-consecutive season.
It is not expected that Kokko will play in tonight's bout against Las Vegas. Whether he will see ice time during his stay in Seattle is unclear. With the Kraken realistically out of playoff contention, giving the rookie netminder a second run at NHL-level play may be in the cards.
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