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Welcome to Squid Words, the regular roundup of all the links and news about our favorite cephalopod-based hockey team. We are less than one week out from opening night, which means this week is filled with predictions of how the Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season will shake out.
What’s Kraken
- Seattle should compete for a playoff spot in a weak Pacific Division [Yahoo! Sports]
- Dom Luszczyszyn’s model predicts the Kraken will finish 10th overall in the NHL [The Athletic ($)]
- Evolving Hockey also pegs Seattle as the 10th best team and 2nd in the Pacific Division [Evolving Hockey]
- Micah Blake McCurdy’s model drops Seattle to 12th overall and 3rd in the Pacific [Hockey Viz]
- Kraken forward Yanni Gourde ditched his red no-contact practice jersey at Monday’s practice
So … Yanni Gourde is practicing in a regular sweater for the first time all camp. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/IDDQXVtfdZ
— Ryan S. Clark (@ryan_s_clark) October 4, 2021
- Seattle placed forwards Alex True and Carsen Twarynski on waivers. Both went unclaimed and are expected to land with the Kraken’s American Hockey League affiliate Charlotte Checkers [NHL.com]
- Kraken forward Riley Sheahan is hosting a podcast discussing the importance of mental health and speaking up when you’re not okay [Seattle Times] [Subscribe]
- Kraken fans finished the American national anthem themselves after a technical issue cut off the microphone prior to Friday’s preseason game against the Edmonton Oilers
Pretty awesome moment before the @EdmontonOilers & @SeattleKraken game in Everett.
— Tony Brar (@TonyBrarOTV) October 2, 2021
Mic cut out during the American national anthem. The Kraken fans decided to help out.#SeaKraken #Oilers pic.twitter.com/qaHlBGR5pa
- Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer was in the stands at the Seattle Mariners’ season finale on Sunday:
Grubi knows what’s up. #SeaUsRise https://t.co/ka8OpADASQ pic.twitter.com/bYiJKKAmZH
— Rebecca Mooney (@RebeccaBMoloney) October 3, 2021
Around the NHL
- Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner accused teams of medical malpractice on Twitter:
Is it common for work places to give out benzodiazepines to employees when they travel and ambien ? Should that not be done by doctors or psychiatrist? Asking for a friend this doesn’t happen in Vegas to be clear. But I know many other teams. I also been in on teams that do?
— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) October 3, 2021
- Emily Kaplan reported that the league is attempting to interview Lehner to get more details surrounding Lehner’s allegations. [ESPN]
- The Vancouver Canucks agreed to terms with restricted free agents Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson [Sportsnet]
- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel tested positive for COVID-19 [Pensburgh]
- Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom will likely miss the team’s season opener as he rehabs from a hip injury [Washington Post]
- Several players on the Chicago Steel of the USHL payed homage to Brandon Tanev on team picture day:
laughing my ass off at the Chicago steel players recreating brandon tanev's headshot pic.twitter.com/C6Z7eIa7mh
— scOObert dOObert (@brockbowser) October 1, 2021