Kraken announce positive Brandon Montour update ahead of bout with Oilers

The Seattle Kraken appear to be set to welcome back a key blueliner to their lineup Saturday against Edmonton. The team announced (Twitter link) that Brandon Montour has returned to the team after stepping away last weekend on a leave of absence to attend to a family matter. To make room for him on the roster, forward Jared McCann has been placed on injured reserve.

Brandon Montour was performing well before leave

Montour had gotten off to a strong start before his leave, notching four assists in his first four games of the season while logging nearly 23 minutes a night of playing time. That usage was in line with how he was deployed in 2024-25 in his first season in Seattle, one that saw him record 18 goals and 23 assists in 81 appearances while averaging 22:59 per night.  That was a particularly strong showing in the first season of a seven-year, $50MM contract signed last summer.

The Kraken only had six blueliners on their active roster which is why it made sense for McCann to be the corresponding move instead of another defender. With Montour returning, Cale Fleury will likely lose his spot in the lineup.

As for McCann, he has missed the last week with a lower-body injury. Assuming that Seattle has back-dated that placement, he’ll be eligible to be activated at any time. He had also gotten off to a strong start to the season before the injury, picking up three goals and an assist in his first outings, producing at largely the same rate he has offensively over the past several seasons.