One: Marchment, Gaudreau Make Debuts on Road
CALGARY – Two veteran players added to the Kraken roster in summer trades by general manager Jason Botterill are in the projected lineup when the Kraken fly to Calgary Tuesday mid-day to meet the division rival Flames for a 6 p.m. puck. Mason Marchment is manning the left wing on a forward line centered by Chandler Stephenson with Eeli Tolvanen on the right side. The other veteran newcomer forward, Freddy Gaudreau, will work between Tye Kartye and Ryan Winterton.
In their debuts, both players will undoubtedly showcase the physicality and all-zones hustle common to their games. Marchment has looked sharp on his shots and net-front presence in early camp practices, something to look for against Calgary. He has scored 22 goals in each of the last two seasons.
Among other attributes, Gaudreau is an elite penalty killer, and it will be worth watching who he pairs with up front when Seattle is shorthanded. Gaudreau led Minnesota forwards in PK time on ice last season. He will play center on Tuesday, but prides himself on being versatile, which means he can easily move to wing on a team that is both strong and multiple at the center position.
Two: All-in Approach for Lineups This Week
With three road games in four nights, the Kraken will ice a nearly entirely different lineup than they did on Sunday. Nineteen-year-old Berkly Catton is an exception, getting a second straight game at center, this time between AHL Coachella Valley standout Jacob Melanson at right wing and AHL rookie-to-be Carson Rehkopf on the left side. NHL-tested Mitchell Stephens is between 2022 second-rounder David Goyette (AHL rookie last year) and Jon-Randall Avon, who was acquired from Philadelphia in exchange for forward Tucker Robertson.
The defense pairs feature Ryker Evans left of Cale Fleury, a star pairing for the AHL Firebirds in their Western Conference championship inaugural season. Kraken depth-defenseman Josh Mahura will pair with AHLer Ville Ottavainen (4th round, 2021), while Caden Price (Botterill loved his two rookie-game performances) plays with former WHL Everett star D-man Kaden Hammell.
Philipp Grubauer is the projected starter in goal with free agent signee and two-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray on the out-and-back trip, signaling he likely makes his Kraken debut as well.
Three: Know the Foe: Calgary’s Third Game
The Flames and Edmonton Oilers decided to play split-squad games in split cities on Sunday, with both arenas hosting a matchup. The teams, of course, split the victories. Calgary won at Edmonton, 3-2, fueled by goals from former Philadelphia Flyers forwards (picked up in 2024-25 midseason trade) Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost. Both forwards are looking to make the trade fare better this season after combining for just six goals in 63 combined games for Calgary.
Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who came over with defenseman MacKenzie Weegar in a trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to subsequently win back-to-back Cups in Florida, notched 28 goals last season after a less productive first year in Alberta. He did not play Sunday, but he will be in the lineup Tuesday with Frost at center and 22-year-old right winger Matt Coronato (24 goals last year in his first full NHL season). Most Calgary observers think Nazam Kadri will be the first-line pivot between those two goal scorers when the regular season commences.
Former Everett Silvertips star Dustin Wolf gets the nod in goal after winning the No. 1 job and placing second in rookie of the year voting. He signed a seven-year, $52.5 million contract over the summer, leveraging a 29-16-8 record and .910 save percentage that kept Calgary in the playoff mix. Calgary (eliminated) and St. Louis (second wild-card) both compiled 96 points but the Blues had one more regulation win than the Flames.
Projected Kraken lines/pairings (not official):
Marchment-Stephenson-Tolvanen
Rehkopf-Catton-Winterton
Kartye-Gaudreau-Melanson
Avon-Stephens-Goyette
Evans-Fleury
Mahura-Ottavainen
Price-Hammell
Grubauer
Murray