> ## 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. # Ryan Winterton Building Chemistry, Carving Out Role on Kraken Fourth Line - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-kraken-ryan-winterton-carving-out-role/ - Published: 2025-10-28T02:27:11.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:17:36.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: News, Features, Kraken, Ryan Winterton, Lane Lambert, Tye Kartye, Ben Meyers, Frederick Gaudreau, Shane Wright, Jaden Schwartz, Kaapo Kakko, Jared McCann, Jani Nyman [Embed from Getty Images](https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/2243472794?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com) SEATTLE, Wash. - The biggest thing Ryan Winterton learned on his first extended NHL road trip: Pack a bigger suitcase. The Seattle Kraken forward had joined the team for a handful of road games last season, including a three-game stint on the East Coast in December 2024, but Seattle’s six-game road trip over the past two weeks was the first one of that magnitude Winterton had been on since earning a full-time NHL role in training camp. “I packed a carry-on, but I noticed that probably wasn’t enough,” Winterton told the Emerald City Spectrum on Monday. “So I went shopping a couple of times, but I made do. … Other than that, just (learned) kind of the grind of being away for two weeks, pretty much playing every other night. It was a fun road trip. Good to be on the road with the guys and get to know them a bit better.” While the team went 2-2-2 on the trip with a mixed bag of results before returning to Climate Pledge Arena for a 3-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, Winterton is starting to carve out his role. After bouncing around between different line combinations in the bottom six through the early portion of the season, Winterton has started to establish chemistry with Tye Kartye and Freddy Gaudreau’s understudy Ben Meyers on the fourth line. Winterton even connected with Kartye for his first point and the latter’s first goal of the season in Saturday’s win. With the Kraken leading 1-0 in the second period, Meyers tied with Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm along the boards. After winning the puck, he dished it off to Winterton, who turned up ice through two Oilers skaters into the neutral zone. Using his speed to pull ahead and staying balanced through contact, Winterton cruised into Edmonton’s zone and attracted the attention of two defenders as Kartye trailed behind unmarked. Winterton quickly dished it back from the top of the right circle, and Kartye took advantage of his space to score from the high slot at 6:35 of the second period. After the game, Kraken coach Lane Lambert compared that line to “a dog on a bone,” and was excited to see them get rewarded on the score sheet. He reiterated their importance to the team after practice on Monday. “They hound the puck and create turnovers,” Lambert said. “They’re very good on the forecheck, so it gives us an element that we desperately need.” In addition to teaming up for a goal on Saturday, the Kartye-Meyers-Winterton line created four scoring chances at 5-on-5 and only allowed one from Edmonton, according to Natural Stat Trick. That followed up a 5-1 ratio in last Thursday’s 3-0 win against the Winnipeg Jets, during which they outshot their opponents 7-1 at 5-on-5 as well. It’s only two games, but given the absences of Jared McCann (lower body) and Kaapo Kakko (hand) from the top six, the Kraken can use all the secondary scoring potential it can get. “I think we’re a fast line,” Winterton said. “We can kind of make plays. I think your average fourth (lines), sometimes it’s just kind of dump-and-chase, but I think we want to be a little more than that. Obviously, we got to set up the other lines and make sure the puck’s not going in our net, but that being said, trying to make plays when we get to the O-zone and sustain some time.” Kakko appears trending closer to returning. He practiced in a regular jersey on Monday, rotating reps on the third line with Jaden Schwartz, Shane Wright and Jani Nyman. Even when he does come back, Winterton and Co. have given Lambert good reason to keep his hands off that combination. “He’s been really good,” Kartye said after Saturday’s win. “He’s really easy to play with. Obviously you saw on the goal, his speed is something that he uses a lot. With me getting on the forecheck and creating pucks in play down there, he’s doing a really good job, so he should be happy.” The quality of play isn’t the only thing Winterton is happy about. Compared to his final stint in Seattle last season — four games in April at the tail-end of a losing season — the vibes in and around the team are much better following their franchise-best 5-2-2 start. Winterton said the team is buying into Lambert’s staff, and the Kraken will look to keep it rolling on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, which pulled off a 5-4 overtime win against Seattle on October 14 to kick off the Kraken’s six-game road trip. “Both times have been awesome,” Winterton said, referring to his stint last year and the start of this season. “But you can kind of feel the vibe is a little bit better this time around, and just playing better hockey.”