Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz to miss four to six weeks after hand surgery

The Seattle Kraken announced Thursday that forward Jaden Schwartz will have hand surgery and is expected to be out of the lineup for four to six weeks.

It’s a tough blow in a tough season for the expansion Kraken, who’ve dealt with big absences and poor results. They’re already without forward Brandon Tanev, who’s out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

Schwartz is one of Seattle’s top point producers, notching six goals and 14 assists through 26 games. He’s second on the team in points behind Jordan Eberle (22).

A four-to-six-week timeline puts Schwartz on track to return sometime in February. With Seattle already well out of the playoff picture, there’s no use in rushing Schwartz back. He’s signed through the 2025-26 season with a cap hit of $5.5M.