With the Seattle Kraken down two key defensemen, Gustav Olofsson has been recalled from the minor leagues. This will be his second recall of the season, after previously seeing a week of NHL action in November.
Jamie Oleksiak is still serving his three-game suspension for a check to the head of Alexander Alexeyev, and will miss Tuesday’s match against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Thursday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The more concerning absence is that of Justin Schultz, who was forced from Sunday’s game against the Florida Panthers after a hit from Ryan Lomberg. There has been no word yet from the Department of Player Safety on whether Lomberg will receive a hearing for the hit, which resulted in a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
If Schultz is out for any length of time, Olofsson could get a chance to see meaningful NHL action for the first time in several years. The 28-year-old defenseman suited up once earlier this season but has just four NHL appearances since 2017-18, when he played 41 games for the Minnesota Wild. A minor league veteran at this point, he has five points in 15 games for the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
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