If Vince Dunn could impart wisdom on his younger self, he’d advise him to remember to stop and smell the roses. A bigger role and more responsibility await him down the line, but they’ll only add to the fun.
“The older you get, the more guys in the locker room are going to look upon you,” the 28-year-old said Saturday morning.
“Not just guys in the locker room but maybe guys that are in the minors or juniors, drafted overseas with us, or even just people in the community watching us. Every day, I try to carry myself as a good human being more than anything, and I think when I get to the rink, letting that be the fun part of everything and enjoying myself every time this year, every day with my teammates.”
Puck drop against the Edmonton Oilers is mere hours away, wherein the defenseman will skate in his 500th NHL game. Drafted 56th overall in 2015 by the St Louis Blues, Dunn’s in the midst of his eighth season of a career finding early success– winning the Stanley Cup in 2019– but characterized largely by immense growth.
“It’s a big accomplishment for me. I learned a lot as a player and as a person over the 500 games. It’s a lot of time with a lot of different people that have impacted my life in a great way. I couldn’t be happier with the way my game has transitioned.”
Although he doesn’t wear a letter, a duty left to injured captain Jordan Eberle, and alternates Yanni Gourde, Matty Beniers, Adam Larsson, and Jaden Schwartz, Dunn’s got a keen sense of the locker room as an unofficial leader. Things are “positive” among the team despite fumbling a comeback win against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
Against Edmonton Saturday night– their first meeting with the Oilers this season– Seattle will seek to improve their defensive game to put themselves in a better position to win. Limiting deficits headed into the third period is crucial.
“Puck play is what’s most important,” Dunn assessed. “We know [the Oilers] like a transition game, so as much as we can slow that down and possess the puck away from them, that gives us the best chance.”
They’ll attempt to improve to a 2-0-1 record this homestand without Joey Daccord, set to miss his fourth-straight game. According to Dan Bylsma, the starter is finally making strides in his recovery from an upper-body injury sustained in Colorado Dec. 22. He took the ice at optional morning skate Saturday but his status is unchanged from the day-to-day designation granted two days ago.
Yanni Gourde and Jaden Schwartz missed practice on Friday due to maintenance. Although both skated Saturday morning, the Kraken have since recalled center Ben Meyers from Coachella Valley. There will be game-time lineup decisions versus Edmonton.