While attempting to option him down to the AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds and snip a bit of money off their salary cap, the Kraken lost large, left-shot defenseman Jaycob Megna to a waiver claim by the Chicago Blackhawks.
What Megna will likely see in the Windy City that he didn’t experience here in Seattle is ice time. After playing in a total of six NHL games last season for the Kraken, he found himself in perpetual reserve mode in 2023-’24.
It’s a low cost add for the Hawks, a $762,000 cap hit for a 31-year-old who becomes Chicago’s 8th-defensemen at the moment. That’ll change. The club presently has four entry-level D-men on their active roster, all waiver-exempt. At least a couple of them could use a bit of seasoning in the American League as the franchise goes through it rebuild.
That means a potential opportunity for Megna.
“‘Megs’ is a great teammate, a great pro, he’s worked extremely hard,” Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol said of Megna on Wednesday. “You could talk to anyone from our staff, support staff, all the way through his teammates and everyone would say the exact same thing. He’ll have the opportunity to go and play.”
Schwartz’s Kraken Return
With veteran forward Jaden Schwartz and his $5.5-million cap hit slated to return to the line-up this week, the Kraken needed to play around a bit with their salary arrangements. They might play their home game on Thursday night against the Ottawa Senators with just six D-men on the active roster, but it’s highly unlikely you’ll see that when the club hits the road on its upcoming six-game trip.
When rookie D-man Ryker Evans pops back up to the NHL, with Schwartz back in the line-up on Thursday at home or to start the roadie, it’ll likely be forward Devin Shore as the odd-man out. Like Megna, Shore could be placed on and plucked off waivers.
The maneuvers could vary slightly, but the aforementioned gives the Kraken their best chance to win, and that’s what it’s all about. A franchise record nine-game unbeaten streak (in regulation), 7-0-and-2 and counting, is at stake.
Veteran center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare remains on injured reserve and was seen hobbling around the Kraken facility with one crutch on Wednesday, down from the two he used during the Winter Classic festivities.
Earlier Kraken:
— The Peaks And Valleys Of Kraken’s Justin Schultz
— Goalie Expert On Kraken’s Joey Daccord And Winning
— VIDEO: The Jaden Schwartz (#17) Collection From Practice On Wednesday …
