The Seattle Kraken (17-14-7) face off against the Vancouver Canucks (16-20-3) in a Pacific Division clash as both teams aim to kick off the new year with a win. The Kraken are riding a hot streak, holding a playoff spot with strong recent performances, while the Canucks are struggling at the bottom of the division but have shown flashes of competitiveness. This Northwest rivalry often produces high-energy games, and with injuries impacting both sides, depth players could decide the outcome. The Kraken enter as underdogs, but their form suggests they could pull off an upset on the road.
Venue Location
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia. This 18,910-capacity venue has been the Canucks’ home since 1995 and is known for its passionate fans during divisional matchups.
Puckdrop is scheduled for 10:30 PM ET. The game will be available on ESPN+ nationally, with local broadcasts on Sportsnet Pacific for Canucks fans and ROOT Sports Northwest for Kraken viewers.
Injury Report
Injuries are a major storyline, with the Canucks hit harder in their forward group and the Kraken dealing with absences in net and on defense. These could force lineup changes, potentially exposing weaknesses in special teams and depth scoring.
Seattle Kraken:
Matt Murray (G): Out – Lower body (expected to miss about six weeks; placed on IR).
Brandon Montour (D): Out – Hand (on IR since December 21).
Vancouver Canucks:
Conor Garland (RW): Out – Undisclosed (expected to miss at least a week).
Marco Rossi (C): Out – Lower body (expected to miss at least a week).
Teddy Blueger (C): IR – Undisclosed (expected return around January 10).
Filip Chytil (C): IR – Upper body (expected return around January 17).
Derek Forbort (D): LTIR – Undisclosed (expected return around March 30).
The Canucks’ forward injuries could hinder their offensive push, while the Kraken will rely on Joey Daccord in goal without Murray.
Player Matchups
This game highlights battles between emerging stars and veteran leaders, with the Kraken’s balanced attack facing the Canucks’ defensive core. Key matchups could swing momentum, especially in the neutral zone and on the power play.
Matty Beniers (Kraken, C) vs. Quinn Hughes (Canucks, D): Beniers, fresh off a two-goal game, leads Seattle with his speed and playmaking (recently scoring twice against Nashville). Hughes, Vancouver’s top defenseman, will aim to neutralize him with elite puck-moving skills.
Jordan Eberle (Kraken, RW) vs. Filip Hronek (Canucks, D): Eberle paces the Kraken with 14 goals and 25 points, thriving on the rush. Hronek, a key shutdown defender for Vancouver, must contain Eberle’s scoring threat to limit Seattle’s top line.
Chandler Stephenson (Kraken, C) vs. Elias Pettersson (Canucks, C): Stephenson anchors Seattle’s second line with strong two-way play. Pettersson, Vancouver’s leading active scorer against Seattle historically, brings creativity but has been inconsistent this season.
Other Notables: Eeli Tolvanen (Kraken, LW) leads Seattle in assists (18) and could exploit Vancouver’s injury-weakened forwards. For the Canucks, J.T. Miller’s physicality will test Kraken defensemen like Vince Dunn.
The Kraken boast better defensive efficiency (allowing 2.8 goals per game), while the Canucks struggle with consistency, ranking near the bottom in goals against.
Recent Team Forms
The Kraken are surging, while the Canucks have been inconsistent but competitive in close games.
Seattle Kraken: Seattle is 5-1-0 in their last six games, including a 4-1 win over Nashville on January 1 where they scored three early goals. This extends their points streak to six, with strong goaltending from Daccord (recent shutout tendencies) and offensive contributions from Beniers. They went 4-1 in December’s final stretch, showing improved special teams.
Vancouver Canucks: Vancouver is 3-2-0 in their last five, but ended 2025 on a down note with a 6-3 loss to Philadelphia on December 31. Prior wins included tight victories over Columbus and Colorado, but defensive lapses have plagued them. They’re 2-3 in their last five at home, relying on Pettersson and Miller for scoring amid injuries.
| Last 5 Games | Seattle Kraken | Vancouver Canucks |
| Most Recent | W 4-1 vs NSH (1/1) | L 6-3 vs PHI (12/31) |
| W 3-2 vs VAN (12/28) | W 4-3 vs CBJ (12/29) | |
| L 4-3 OT @ EDM (12/26) | L 5-4 OT vs COL (12/27) | |
| W 5-2 vs CGY (12/23) | W 3-2 @ SEA (12/25) | |
| W 4-1 @ VGK (12/21) | L 4-1 vs EDM (12/23) | |
| Record | 4-0-1 | 2-2-1 |
Series History
The all-time series is tight, with the Canucks holding a slight edge at 9-7-1 over 17 meetings since the Kraken entered the league in 2021. However, Seattle has won 4 of the last 7, including a 3-2 victory in Vancouver on December 28, 2025. The Kraken are 4-3 straight up in their last seven visits to Rogers Arena. Vancouver’s last win over Seattle was a 3-2 road triumph on December 25, 2025. Games average 5.8 goals, often going under the total.
Betting Trends
Puck Line: Seattle is 4-3 ATS in their last seven at Vancouver.
Over/Under: The under has hit in 6 of the last 8 meetings and 4 of Seattle’s last 5 road games.
Other Trends: Kraken are 5-1 straight up in their last six overall but 2-3 ATS as underdogs. Canucks are 3-2 in their last five but 13-9 ATS at home. Seattle is 4-1 in their last five games decided by one goal.
Game Odds
Seattle Kraken 5.5
Vancouver Canucks – 162
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, January 1, 2026
