> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Kraken Morning Skate: All Signs Point to Montour Return, More Opening Night Updates - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-kraken-all-signs-brandon-montour-return-opening-night/ - Published: 2025-10-09T18:51:27.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:17:56.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: News, Kraken, Anaheim Ducks, Lane Lambert, Brandon Montour, Jordan Eberle, Berkly Catton, Cale Fleury, Joel Quenneville, Morning Skate [Embed from Getty Images](https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/2238669325?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com) SEATTLE, Wash. - It’s finally here. The Seattle Kraken are set to kick off the regular season against the Anaheim Ducks at Climate Pledge Arena on Thursday. And for the first time, the team plans to regularly have their morning skates at Climate Pledge Arena after previously holding them at Kraken Community Iceplex. “I like it,” Kraken captain Jordan Eberle said. “It gives you just an opportunity to play at the rink you’re going to play the night at. Try to find a way to improve anywhere, really, just try to find an edge (in) any aspect.” **Below is the projected lineup based on morning skate:** Jared McCann – Matty Beniers – Jordan Eberle Jaden Schwartz – Shane Wright – Eeli Tolvanen Mason Marchment – Chandler Stephenson – Ryan Winterton Tye Kartye – Freddy Gaudreau – Jani Nyman Vince Dunn – Adam Larsson Ryan Lindgren – Brandon Montour Josh Mahura – Jamie Oleksiak Joey Daccord Philipp Grubauer **Scratches:** Berkly Catton, Cale Fleury, Matt Murray These have been the same practice lines for the past few days, so there doesn’t appear to be any changes beyond what could be expected. Both Berkly Catton and Cale Fleury remained on the ice for extra work with assistant coaches, which along with their exclusion from the line rushes indicates they will be healthy scratches tonight. As expected, Daccord was the first goaltender off the ice Thursday morning, which also suggests he will open the season in the crease. The biggest news is that Brandon Montour is all but confirmed to be in the lineup after missing the entirety of training camp recovering from an ankle procedure and only returning to the ice on Tuesday. “I was still capable of my conditioning and training and whatnot,” Montour said on Wednesday. “It was just about the skating aspect. But I’ve been around a good amount of years now, and I know what I bring to the group and what I bring on the ice and off the ice as a leader.” The 31-year-old defenseman skated on the second pair with Ryan Lindgren, and took reps on the second power-play unit for the entirety of Wednesday’s practice as well as Thursday’s morning skate. All signs point to his inclusion in the lineup, but Kraken coach Lane Lambert maintained some gamesmanship, only going so far as to say his status is “promising.” “It’s trending in the right direction,” Lambert said. “Again, ‘Monty’s’ no different than any other player who leaves the rink in the morning, and you never know what could happen, but it certainly looks promising for us.” So barring a last-minute flare-up or change of heart, the Kraken will start the season almost entirely healthy after losing several key veterans such as McCann, Stephenson and Dunn at different points in training camp. It appears all the short-term ailments have settled, and only Kaapo Kakko (hand) and Ryker Evans (upper body) remain unavailable, each expected to miss at least several more weeks. “A couple weeks ago, we had six guys, I think – or six or seven – on the shelf. It wasn’t looking great from that standpoint, injury-wise,” Lambert said. “But again, I think they’ve done a good job getting themselves back, and you know, it’s trending in the right direction, let’s put it that way.” **The Ducks, meanwhile, are expected to play the following lineup,** [**based on Thursday’s Morning Skate**](https://x.com/ZachCav/status/1976357215595626680?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)**:** Chris Kreider – Leo Carlsson – Troy Terry Cutter Gauthier – Mason McTavish – Beckett Sennecke Frank Vatrano – Mikael Granlund – Alex Killorn Ross Johnston – Ryan Poehling – Sam Colangelo Jackson LaCombe – Radko Gudas Olen Zellweger – Jacob Trouba Pavel Mintyukov – Drew Helleson Lukas Dostal Petr Mrazek **Extras:** Nikita Nesterenko, Tim Washe Lambert referred to the Ducks as a “talented team” with youth that’s “growing up,” including four former top five draft picks aged 22 or younger – Carlsson, Gauthier, McTavish and Sennecke – filling spots in their top six. The Ducks are led by coach Joel Quenneville, who returns to an NHL bench for the first time since he resigned from the Florida Panthers on Oct. 28, 2021 after his reported inaction during the 2010 sex abuse case with the Chicago Blackhawks, shortly after [the investigation was made public](https://www.jenner.com/a/web/8kmbgFUEYWcNnvzFTa5h8H/report-to-the-chicago-blackhawks-hockey-team-october-2021.pdf?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com). “What happened to Kyle Beach was horrific and inexcusable,” Quenneville [told reporters on Wednesday.](https://x.com/ZachCav/status/1920572644715356507?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com) “I take full responsibility for not asking more questions and following up.” Quenneville won three Stanley Cups as Chicago’s head coach in 2010, 2013 and 2015, and now will look to jump-start his career by guiding an upstart Anaheim squad. It’ll be an interesting test against a division opponent for a Kraken team that projects to finish towards the bottom of the league. How they fare against the Ducks could reveal much about what they’ll be working with in what will be a tricky slate to start the season. After Thursday, seven of Seattle’s next nine games will come against teams that reached the playoffs last year, including the Montreal Canadiens twice. According to Eberle, the biggest focus will be sticking to the system that Lambert and his staff have implemented over the past few weeks. “I see us playing with some excitement, some jam,” Eberle said. “I think the biggest thing is to try to stick to our system. In order for us to win hockey games, we’re going to have to be structured. You have to play on the right side of the puck and limit our mistakes.” Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM PT (KHN, Victory+, KING 5, KONG).