Seattle Kraken’s Jordan Eberle injured by skate blade; Shane Wright, Ryan Winterton called up from AHL

As reported by Seattle Times journalist Geoff Baker, Jordan Eberle suffered a “deep” cut from a skate blade during practice, resulting in the emergency recall of center Shane Wright on Wednesday. Forward Ryan Winterton was also called up due to another injury, with the player’s identity still unknown.

“They’re doing an MRI to see if it got the tendon, so I don’t know enough yet,” Kraken GM Ron Francis said about Eberle’s injury, according to Baker. “It wasn’t gushing but it was a deep cut, so they’ve taken him to a hospital and they’re doing an MRI.

“I think we dodged a bullet,” Francis said. “But he’s going to be pretty sore tomorrow.”

Eberle, 33, has four points in 13 games for the Kraken. He’s coming off one of the best seasons of his career, a 63-point run, last year, but has struggled to produce early on.

Drafted fourth overall by the Kraken in 2022, Wright is the team’s top prospect. He had two points in eight games with the Kraken last year after starting the season with the big club. But he found himself in the press box more often than not, which eventually allowed Seattle to send him down to the AHL for a conditioning stint. He looked good there, but after one game back with the Kraken, he was lent to Canada’s world junior team, where he helped the squad win gold. Wright put up good numbers with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, but had a quiet playoff run en route to a first-round exit.

Wright would help the Firebirds on the team’s playoff run, falling short to Hershey. Wright has been one of Coachella Valley’s top performers with four points in six games this year, so the call-up is well deserved. If the Kraken elect to send Wright back to the AHL, he could return for a second crack at the world juniors with Canada, likely in a leadership role.

Winterton, 20, was taken 67th overall back in 2021. This is his first NHL call up after turning pro this season, putting up five points in seven games with the Firebirds. He had 36 points in 34 games with London last year and 46 points as an OHL sophomore with Hamilton the year before. A hard-working, two-way forward, Winterton offers some good scoring depth to a Kraken team that could use the extra help.

The Kraken will play against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday before hosting the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday evening. The team currently boasts a 4-6-3 record in 13 games, good for fifth in the Pacific Division.