Salvation is coming for the Kraken’s top defensive pair.
Vince Dunn made his official return to the ice Tuesday morning for a thirty minute practice, the first time he’d participated with his teammates since an undisclosed ailment removed him from the lineup before taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins a week ago.
“I feel like I’m on track and ready for tomorrow,” Dunn told reporters.
No word was officially had on the nature of his ailment at the time it was assumed to have been sustained, and neither head coach Dave Hakstol nor Kraken PR confirmed anything since. Speculation was that whatever injury he had been dealing with was related to his fight with Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cole Sillinger, whom he fought the day prior in retaliation for a hit that eventually injured Matty Beniers.
Illness, the same one making the rounds in the Kraken locker room, was also suggested. But Dunn was quick to clear those rumors.
“It wasn’t the bug, and it wasn’t from my fight, either. I see a lot of people asking me… about my hand or my shoulders, you name it. It was just something that was bothering me a little bit.”
Dunn had dealt with an undisclosed ailment during the preseason, considered “day-to-day” for at least a week, missing several practices and games, although there’s no way to tell if that ailment and the one he’s just recovered from are connected.
Whatever it is, it’s over, and Dunn is likely to be back in the lineup Wednesday at home versus the Chicago Blackhawks, and his return couldn’t come a moment too soon. Each of the four games Dunn missed the Kraken have lost, outscored 15-5 and averaged control over 47.57% of the total shot quality at five-on-five.
Sounds like Matty Beniers can be expected soon as well, although not imminently given he donned a red no-contact jersey at practice, his first since sustaining an upper-body injury Jan 13. Hakstol called both him and Dunn “day-to-day;” Dunn may be a game-time decision against the Blackhawks.
“Dunner had a good day today, Matty’s still in a red jersey so, really good progress,” Hakstol said. “With Dunner, there’s a decision probably to be made there tomorrow.”
Philipp Grubauer also returned in full, and in the knick of time for his themed giveaway tomorrow night, a “Grubi Stein.” With Chris Driedger absent from practice, Grubauer was dealt a “full workload,” a necessary step in his recovery– which may be closer to completion than originally anticipated.
About an hour after practice– and an hour after Hakstol told reporters that Driedger was “off ice” because they “wanted Grubi to have the net” and there wasn’t enough time in a thirty minute practice to share the net– Kraken PR announced that Driedger had been reassigned to the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Correspondingly, Grubauer had been taken off IR.
Driedger will not have to clear waivers as he was initially recalled on emergency loan basis.
Strangely, Driedger’s gear and practice jersey were still hanging in his locker stall this morning. Whether this was a simple miscommunication between gear handlers and coaching staff or an unexpected progression in Gruabuer’s rehab it’s unclear.
Grubauer had been out of commission since sustaining a lower-body injury Dec 9 mid-game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Seemingly it was a groin issue, of which he’s accumulated a history of, but Hakstol firmly declined discussion of the topic.
“I’m certainly not going to get into the details of the injuries,” Hakstol said. “He’s had three over the last two years but he’s worked to rehab each of them individually and correct them before he’s come back.”
Oliver Bjorkstrand stood as the only absence from practice, out for “personal” reasons. The winger played the entire game Sunday versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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