Kraken vs. Oilers Preseason Preview

Just the Facts:

The Time: 7:00 pm PT

The Place: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA

Place to Watch: ROOT Northwest

Place to Listen: KJR 93.3fm

The Seattle Kraken play the Oilers in their third and final preseason home game tonight. As with all preseason games, it’s not about how the team performed as a whole but rather individual performances as the Kraken figure out who is and isn’t going to make the roster. So when you look at the following lineup, you might notice some names missing. “Where are Yanni Gourde, Brandon Tanev, and Vince Dunn?”

They’re getting the night off. This is the roster for tonight’s game. Names where I’ve placed an X next to them are the players that are pretty much locks to make the roster. The rest are fighting it out for a roster spot, and those who don’t will be sent down to Coachella Valley.

Some players look pretty close to making the roster, like Tye Kartye. Others, like Andrew Poturalski, don’t have any real chance. The players I think to watch especially are:

• Shane Wright: Last year’s #4 overall pick looked overwhelmed and like, well, a rookie. He, along with Beniers, is the future of the franchise. In the game against Vancouver, I thought he was excellent.
• Tye Kartye: Last year’s playoff sensation continues where he left off with his physical style and cannon shot and is a strong candidate to make the NHL roster when the regular season starts on October 10th.
• Ryker Evans: He’s a talented defenseman who needed a couple of years to develop his game, and it looks like he’s got an NHL-ready game as is. It will be tough to make the roster this year because of the way the numbers break down for defensemen, but he’s their best D-man prospect and was also great against Vancouver.
• Chris Driedger: Philipp Grubauer is firmly established as the starter, but the backup job is being fought between Driedger and Joey Daccord. Daccord has had the advantage in camp and preseason, and I think, at this point, he’s the clear frontrunner. Counting tonight’s game, the Kraken have three preseason games remaining, so Driedger still has some opportunity to win the job.
• Kailer Yamamoto: The Spokane, WA native is a recent signee from Edmonton. He’s undersized but makes up for it with his tenacity. He’s a candidate for the fourth line. I would expect a decent chance we see a Shane Wright/Tye Kartye/Kailer Yamamoto at some point, which would be a real fun line to watch.

On Edmonton’s side, all you need to know about this preseason game is that their two superstars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, are expected to be in the lineup.