One: Seattle returns home looking to keep rolling
The Kraken return to Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday after earning seven of a possible 10 points on a five-game road trip. Seattle finished the trip with a 3-1-1 record, including a 6-3 victory over Detroit on Oct. 9, and will look to carry that momentum into its return home.
Seattle has established itself as one of the NHL’s more productive offensive teams early in the season, entering Tuesday tied for fourth in the league with 3.78 goals per game. The Kraken also have 11 skaters with multiple goals this season, the second-most in the NHL behind Vegas.
That scoring depth has allowed Seattle to find contributions throughout its lineup rather than relying on a single line to carry the offense. The Kraken will look to continue that trend against a Detroit team they have already beaten once this season.
Two: Kaapo Kakko continues to find his offensive rhythm
Kaapo Kakko has emerged as one of Seattle’s early-season offensive leaders, entering Tuesday’s matchup tied for the team lead with eight points (two goals, six assists) through nine games. He recorded two assists in Saturday’s game against Florida, giving him six points (one goal, five assists) over his last six contests.
The multi-point performance against the Panthers was Kakko’s third of the season, tying him with Berkly Catton for the team lead. It also marked the most points Kakko has recorded through the first nine games of a season in his NHL career.
Kakko also registered an assist in Seattle’s 6-3 win over Detroit earlier this month. With his playmaking ability helping fuel the Kraken’s offensive depth, Tuesday’s rematch presents another opportunity for the forward to build on his strong start.
Three: Freddy Gaudreau and the Kraken’s depth make an impact
Frederick Gaudreau has been another important contributor to Seattle’s early-season success. He scored against Florida on Saturday and has recorded points in back-to-back games, totaling six points (four goals, two assists) over his last five contests.
Gaudreau leads the Kraken with five goals through nine games this season, while his seven total points rank among the team’s leaders. He also won nine of 13 faceoffs against Florida, a 69.2% success rate that led all skaters in the game.
His recent production has helped highlight the value of Seattle’s depth, particularly as the team looks to sustain its offensive pace throughout the season. The Kraken have already shown they can generate scoring from multiple lines, and Gaudreau’s recent run gives them another option to watch against Detroit.
Seattle defeated the Red Wings 6-3 in the teams’ first meeting on Oct. 9, with five Kraken skaters recording multi-point games and Philipp Grubauer making 37 saves on 40 shots. The Kraken will look to build on that performance Tuesday as they return home and begin the next stretch of their schedule.
Projected lines (not official):
McCann – Beniers – Samoskevich
McMann – Stephenson – Eberle
Kakko – Catton – Wright
Meyers – Gaudreau – Winterton
Dunn – Larsson
Evans – Fleury
Ottavainen – Mahura
Grubauer
