Injury Bug Hasn't Stopped Biting Kraken All Season

For the Seattle Kraken, the injures that started in Vegas on opening night unfortunately didn't stay in Vegas.

In the 2nd period of that season opener Oct. 10, Seattle's Brandon Tanev was hit up high and illegally by the Golden Knights' Brett Howden (above photo). As Tanev spun to the ice, his leg twisted in ways legs aren't supposed to. He wouldn't return to the Kraken lineup for 14 games.

When the Kraken rematch with Vegas Thursday at T-Mobile Arena, the availability of defenseman Jamie Oleksiak will be a game-time decision, along with forward Jaden Schwartz. Oleksiak went down in pain blocking a shot during Seattle's 6-2 loss Monday against Buffalo.

For sure the Kraken will again be without first-pair defenseman Vince Dunn for a seventh straight game. Dunn hasn't played since being illegally boarded head first by Martin Pospisil in Calgary Mar. 4.

Dunn, Schwartz and possibly Oleksiak are the latest casualties of a season-long epidemic, which has prevented the Kraken from icing a fully healthy lineup for more than a handful of games all season.

What started with Tanev continued with...

• Andre Burakovsky (Oct. 21)
• Jordan Eberle (Nov. 8)
• Philipp Grubauer (Nov. 21)
• Tanev again (Nov. 24)
• Oliver Bjorkstrand (Nov. 24)
• Schwartz (Nov. 28)
• Burakovsky again (Dec. 8)
• Grubauer again (Dec. 9)
• Justin Schultz (Dec. 9)
• Jared McCann (Dec. 18)
• Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (Dec. 19)
• Matty Beniers (Jan 13)
• Burakovsky a third time (Jan. 13)
• Vince Dunn (Jan. 15)
• Schultz again (Feb. 12)
• Brian Dumouolin (Feb 13)
• Burakovsky a fourth time (Feb. 28)
• Dunn a second time (Mar. 6)
• Schwartz a second time (Mar. 9)

That's not even counting the illness which swept through the team in January, leaving players who remained in the lineup queasy and far from their best.

When the postmortem is done on what killed the Kraken's playoff chances in 2023-24, non-stop injuries will be what medical examiners call the "underlying cause."