It's down to brass tacks for the Seattle Kraken. Everyone left in training camp has a realistic chance to start the season in the NHL. The final players who were in Seattle for other purposes -- though they may not have chosen to see it that way -- were cut Tuesday in a last large wave.
Entering Wednesday's last preseason game, there are 24 players left, trimmed from 60. That includes 10 forwards, five defensemen and two goaltenders that ended the season in Seattle last year. Then there are the two big free-agent signings, Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson, who were paid a lot to play a lot.
Shane Wright looks like the third third-line center, the only open spot as it stands. Ryan Winterton and John Hayden are looking for any falling crumbs at forward and Josh Mahura and Cale Fleury are doing the same on defense. Wright and Winterton are Kraken draft picks, the rest are experienced minor-leaguers. Teams can generally head into opening night with a 23-man roster, but the Kraken are over the salary cap and need to cut three of those five to be compliant.
It's all gone according to plan so far. A last-second trade and/or captain announcement would shake up the final week.
On Wednesday, the Kraken host the Edmonton Oilers in their last quasi-competitive game before the season opener Oct. 8. They are 1-4 in the preseason. There still could and should be extra oomph missing from Wednesday's effort. The L.A. Kings will be without defenseman Drew Doughty for at least a month after he fractured his ankle in preseason action. He had surgery and went on long-term injured reserve this week. No one wants September consequences to linger like that.
But this will be close to a fair assessment. Add or subtract a few players and this is the roster they're riding with.
Forwards Jacob Melanson and Eduard Sale, plus defenseman Ville Ottavainen, were reassigned to Coachella Valley of the American Hockey League outright on Tuesday. All three scored in a preseason game.
Sale, 19, was the Kraken's 2023 first-round draft pick and is still eligible to return to juniors. The Brno native left Czechia and played last season in the Ontario Hockey League, but it was a bumpy ride. He could still be reassigned, but Coachella Valley could wind up being a welcome change of scenery, full of increasingly familiar faces.
"Today's he's getting reassigned, but it is an indication of how well he's doing and how well he's showing," Kraken coach Dan Bylsma said. "(He's) getting a chance to go to CV and show it at the American Hockey League level."
Training camp in Coachella Valley is underway under first-year head coach Derek Laxdal, who replaces newly promoted Bylsma.
Forwards Brandon Biro, Max McCormick, Ben Meyers and Mitchell Stephens, defenseman Gustav Olofsson and goaltender Ales Stezka were placed on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to the Firebirds. Out of the group, Ben Meyers was the standout performer in training camp and particularly the preseason games. Meyers is a new addition to the organization and signed a one-year, one-way, league-minimum deal this summer after spotty NHL action with the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks.
Meyers set up Ottavainen's goal in Monday's 4-3 overtime preseason loss to the Calgary Flames. All told, he appeared in four of five Kraken preseason games and had at least a point in each (two goals, three assists). Meyers and several of the others reassigned Tuesday will be in the mix for a midseason recall.
Meyers looked perfectly at home with various Kraken linemates and in another, more competitive training camp, might have earned consideration for opening night. But there's simply no room for him, or anyone else besides Shane Wright unless the Kraken make a trade or Tye Kartye's "maintenance day" Tuesday winds up being more serious. Kartye missed practice and Bylsma confirmed he was dealing with an unspecified injury.
Winger Kartye played 15:28 against the Flames and well into the third period. He didn't appear to miss a shift.