The Need to Knows:
- The Time: 1:30 pm PT
- The Place: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA
- Place to Watch: ESPN, ESPN+
- Place to Listen: Kraken Audio Network on KJR 93.3fm
Know Your Enemy
- There’s no official word on who the Kraken can expect to face in net, but odds are Jordan Binnington will get the nod. Binnington, 3-1-0 against Seattle all-time, is coming off a respectable 2.84 GAA and .913 SV% season, and will seek to start the year off hot. The starter’s job probably isn’t up for grabs as long as he’s around, but backup Joel Hofer is expected to post competitive numbers after his 15-start, 2.65 GAA and .914 SV% 2023-24 season.
- Brandon Saad, Oskar Sundqvist, and Torey Krug are to begin the season on the IR, although Saad won’t be there for too long– he didn’t travel to Seattle due to the imminent birth of his third child. St Louis may be without Sunqvist (ACL) and Krug (ankle) for longer.
- Dylan Holloway, newly acquired by the Blues as the result of a dramatic offer sheet debacle over the offseason, is projected to start the season on the first line, alongside Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours.
- St Louis head coach Drew Bannister became the 27th coach in Blues history on May 7, a title he previously held only as interim.
Game Preview
Seattle’s finally opening the season at home for the first time in franchise history, and the Kraken are hell-bent on making sure they don’t repeat last year’s devastatingly slow start.
On paper, not much has changed between then and now. Offseason acquisitions Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson bring much-needed offensive gusto to the lineup, and Shane Wright officially made the team out of training camp to steal the last open roster spot. Otherwise, Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord will be splitting the workload to start the season, the top line consists of Jared McCann, Matty Beniers, and Jordan Eberle once again, and the defensive corps is showing signs of another strong season.
But that doesn’t mean things aren’t progressing, especially offensively. Seattle averaged 2.33 goals per preseason game last year, and averaged 3 per preseason game recently, made possible in part by an increased net-front presence. Although Dan Bylsma– debuting this afternoon as the second head coach in franchise history– stressed throughout training camp that the opening night team wouldn’t be a finished product, the “culture shift” and steady increase in offense are there.
There is no indication as of Monday night regarding who will start in net for Seattle, and nobody will begin the season on the IR.