The Seattle Kraken welcomed captain Mark Giordano back to practice after a stint in the COVID protocol, but it wasn’t a full group for the team Wednesday. Colin Blackwell is the latest Kraken player to enter the protocol, head coach Dave Hakstol told reporters, including Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. The team has not confirmed whether or not Blackwell has tested positive for coronavirus.
Blackwell, 28, has unfortunately played in just eight games for the Kraken this season after starting the year on injured reserve. He was activated a few weeks ago and has three points so far on the year, including an important goal in the Kraken’s win against the Edmonton Oilers last week. He was scratched in their most recent game and has been used sparingly when active, a disappointing result after his impressive 2020-21 campaign.
In 47 games for the New York Rangers, Blackwell scored 12 goals and 22 points, becoming one of the biggest surprises in the league. That ended up putting him on the Kraken's radar, and they made him their expansion selection ahead of some other interesting options. There was scuttle that a trade was involved with that selection, but it never came to pass.
Instead, Blackwell has become just another one of the depth forwards for the Kraken and someone who could potentially find himself on the trade block again in a few months. On an expiring deal that carries a cap hit of just $725K — less than the single-year league minimum — perhaps there will be another team that believes he can do more than play 10 minutes a night. For now, he’ll have to stay in the COVID protocol until cleared to return.
The Kraken have also assigned Kole Lind to the minor leagues, according to Hakstol.
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