Kraken forward out multiple weeks with lower-body injury

The Seattle Kraken have announced that forward Brandon Tanev will miss the next four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. This injury was suffered in Seattle’s October 10th matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Tanev appeared in 10 minutes of that game, before taking an illegal check to the head from Vegas’ Brett Howden. Howden received a two-game suspension for this hit.

This is difficult news for Tanev, who was heavily limited during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, playing fewer than 35 games in each year. His 2020-21 season was cut short with upper-body injuries and a bout with COVID-19, and an ACL tear ended his 2021-22 campaign.

But despite past injuries, Tanev was able to appear in all 82 games for the Kraken last season. He tallied 16 goals and 35 points in that span, both career-highs. He also added 44 penalty minutes in those games, while playing in just over 14 minutes of ice time. Tanev was a stout member of Seattle’s roster, even earning a top-30 nomination for the 2023 Selke Award. This was the third time that Tanev has received Selke votes in his nine-year NHL career, speaking to the value he brings to an NHL lineup.

Seattle has yet to make any roster moves in response to Tanev’s long-term injury designation. Tye Kartye has served as the fill-in since Tanev’s injury, representing the first two games that he’s played during an NHL regular season. Kartye appeared in 10 postseason games with the Kraken this Spring, netting five points. He has yet to score this season but seems to be the team’s current go-to in Tanev’s absence.