Venue: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
Puck drop: 9:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. MT)
Broadcast: Sportsnet West (Flames market), Prime Video / KONG (Kraken options), ESPN+ (streaming)
This is the season opener for both Pacific Division teams and the Flames’ final home opener at the historic Saddledome before their new arena opens next season. Both clubs enter at 0-0-0 looking to set an early tone.
Projected Lineups / Current Rosters
Kraken projected lineup
Forwards:
Jared McCann – Matty Beniers – Kaapo Kakko
Bobby McMann – Chandler Stephenson – Jordan Eberle
Shane Wright – Berkly Catton – Ryan Winterton
Jacob Melanson – Frederick Gaudreau – Curtis Douglas Defense:
Vince Dunn – Adam Larsson
Ryker Evans – Brandon Montour
Additional options include Ryan Lindgren, Josh Mahura Goaltenders: Joey Daccord (expected) / backup options
Flames projected lineup:
Forwards:
Matvei Gridin – Morgan Frost – Matt Coronato
Samuel Honzek – Mikael Backlund – Joel Farabee
Connor Zary – Ryan Strome – Yegor Sharangovich
Maxim Tsyplakov – Martin Pospisil – Adam Klapka (or Brennan Othmann) Defense:
Kevin Bahl – Simon Nemec
Jake Middleton – Zayne Parekh
Supporting options include Zach Whitecloud, others Goaltenders: Dustin Wolf (expected starter) / Devin Cooley Rosters reflect opening-night groups with some depth adjustments.
Injury Reports
Kraken:
Jake O’Brien (lower body) – out / IR (expected return around Oct. 6)
Mackie Samoskevich (upper body) – out / IR (possible return as early as Oct. 3)
Flames:
Jonathan Huberdeau (hip) – out / IR (recovering from surgery; expected return around mid-October, ~Oct. 10)
Henry Mews (knee) – out (short-term, possible return soon)
Additional longer-term notes in some reports for other players (e.g., Yan Kuznetsov, Joel Hanley listed as season-ending in prior contexts, but primary absences are Huberdeau-focused).
Calgary is missing a key veteran forward; Seattle is without a couple of younger depth pieces.
Recent Team Forms
Kraken: Finished with modest numbers last season (around 2.73 GF/GP, lower half of the league in scoring; weak PK). Jordan Eberle led with 55 points; Matty Beniers and others form a young core. Preseason was solid (3-1-0 in some reports), including a comeback win over a young Flames group. They open on a challenging early road stretch.
Flames: Struggled last season (near bottom of the Pacific, ~34-39-9 range). Young roster with prospects stepping up (Coronato, Gridin, Parekh, etc.). Dustin Wolf is the clear No. 1 in net. Home opener energy at the Saddledome in its final season provides motivation. Preseason mixed, including losses to Seattle.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Matty Beniers / Jared McCann / Kaapo Kakko vs. Flames top defense (Bahl-Nemec or Middleton-Parekh): Beniers’ playmaking and McCann’s scoring against Calgary’s young blue line.
Bobby McMann / Chandler Stephenson / Jordan Eberle vs. Mikael Backlund’s checking group or Frost line: Experience and secondary scoring.
Matt Coronato / Morgan Frost / Matvei Gridin vs. Vince Dunn / Adam Larsson: Young Flames skill testing Seattle’s top pair.
Goaltending: Joey Daccord vs. Dustin Wolf. Both capable of stealing games; Wolf has established himself as the franchise cornerstone.
Special teams and transition: Kraken’s weak PK last season is a concern; Flames looking to generate from their young forwards. Physicality and board battles in a low-to-mid event game.
Blue-line impact: Dunn and Montour driving offense for Seattle against Calgary’s developing defense corps.
Series History
These Pacific Division rivals have a competitive recent history. Seattle has held edges in some recent meetings and road success at times, but Calgary is strong at the Saddledome. Preseason included a Kraken shootout win and other competitive results. Overall series is relatively even in the expansion era for the Kraken.
Betting Trends
Low-scoring potential given both teams’ offensive limitations last season. Calgary stronger at home; Seattle struggled on the road in samples. Early-season openers and injuries (especially Huberdeau) add variance.
Game Odds
Seattle Kraken 6
Calgary Flames – 108
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, September 30, 2026
