Veteran winger Jaden Schwartz rejoined the Seattle Kraken today for practice in a non-contact jersey.
The 33-year-old last played on Nov. 26 against the Dallas Stars before exiting with a lower-body injury. He was initially handed a six-week timeline, and he recently passed the one-month mark.
Prior to his injury, Schwartz was leading the team with eight goals and 15 points in 23 games. Since his injury, he's been overtaken by Jordan Eberle, Eeli Tolvanen, Chandler Stephenson, Matty Beniers, Vince Dunn and Brandon Montour.
Schwartz is currently on the sideline with Montour and Matt Murray. Vince Dunn recently returned to action after sustaining an upper-body injury.
The current Kraken roster is as close to full health as they've been. When Schwartz returns, the Kraken will need to make multiple decisions. For tonight's game against the Nashville Predators, the Kraken will healthy scratch Tye Kartye and play a fourth line of Ryan Winteron, Ben Meyers and Jacob Melanson.
When Schwartz returns, Meyers and Melanson could both be sent down to the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds. But that's a decision for another day. Schwartz still needs to practice in a regular practice jersey before he can be cleared for game action.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.