Kraken’s Jacob Melanson Out For Extended Period

Already on the injured reserve with an upper-body injury, Seattle Kraken forward Jacob Melanson will be out much longer than expected. Earlier today, the Kraken revealed that Melanson has been diagnosed with an anterior mediastinum hematoma with a vascular pseudoaneurysm.

For those of you who haven’t brushed up on your Latin or Greek in some time, essentially, Melanson has a collection of blood behind his chest cavity. The danger behind it is that if he were to return before it was completely healed, the physical aspect of hockey could cause it to rupture, which could be life-threatening.

Obviously, it’s a devastating situation for Melanson after registering his rookie season in the NHL last year. The former fifth-round pick scored two goals and five points in 36 games for the Kraken, averaging 9:22 of ice time per game. Melanson also delivered a whopping 188 hits in that stretch, finishing with the most on the team.

Although he posted pedestrian offensive production, Melanson had seemingly carved out a consistent role in Seattle’s bottom six. A few weeks before training camp started, the Kraken signed Melanson to a three-year, $4.35MM ($1.45MM AAV) contract through the 2028-29 season.

Still, there’s no fear that it’s a career-ending ailment for Melanson. In their update, Seattle mentioned that Melanson will have a “gradual progression to return to hockey.” Unfortunately, with something as serious as this, his recovery timeline is completely unknown.