Kraken Blueline Woes
First of all, for the sake of the fans, Seattle Hockey Insider will stop messing with the hockey gods by mentioning how intact the Kraken defense corps has remained this season. One day after mentioning it the first time, Jamie Oleksiak went down for four games. Now, one day after mentioning it a second time, it appears Justin Schultz may miss some time.
Schultz left the game Sunday evening against the Florida Panthers midway through the 3rd-period after getting hit from behind into the corner boards by Ryan Lomberg, who was given a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct. Schultz hit the glass face first.
Schultz also suffered a head injury last season while playing for the Washington Capitals when he took a puck to the face.
The Kraken summoned defenseman Gustav Olofsson from the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League on Monday. The left-shot D-man filled in for one game during Oleksiak’s absence back on November 13th against the Winnipeg Jets at Climate Pledge Arena. He played 10:14, had two shots on goal, and was on the ice for a Kraken even strength goal.
For the other three games during that mid-November stint, Cale Fleury filled in for Oleksiak. He also filled in for the ‘Big Rig’ Sunday evening in Florida as the Kraken beat the Panthers 5-2. Oleksiak served the first game of a three-game suspension for a hit-to-the-head that will run through the rest of this Seattle road trip to Tampa Bay and Carolina.
Fleury, a righty, has played in four Kraken games this season with no points and four shots on goal. He’s averaged 12-and-a-half minutes a night on ice.
Fleury hasn’t played for Coachella Valley this season, he’s been riding shotgun as the Kraken’s extra D-man all season. He’s a healthy scratch when not pressed into service.
Olafsson has five assists in 15 games for the Firebirds of the AHL this season.
