Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz leaves Tuesday’s game with lower-body injury

Seattle Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz left Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks after sustaining a lower-body injury, the club announced Tuesday night.

Schwartz, 31, took his last shift just 46 seconds into the third period of Tuesday’s game at the United Center in Chicago and left the ice 34 seconds later after blocking a shot with his foot.

In total, Schwartz logged just 9:33 of ice time against the Blackhawks on Tuesday. He took one shot on goal and finished the game with a minus-one rating.

The Kraken lost Tuesday’s game against the Blackhawks by a 4–3 score, falling to 8–10–5 to kick off the 2023–24 season. Matty Beniers, Alex Wennberg, and Tye Kartye scored for Seattle; Boris Katchouk, Jason Dickinson, Tyler Johnson, and MacKenzie Entwistle tallied for Chicago.

In 23 games with the Kraken to start the 2023–24 season, Schwartz ranks second on the team with eight goals and third with 15 points. He also has eight penalty minutes.

The Kraken originally signed Schwartz to a five-year contract worth $5.5 million per season as an unrestricted free agent in 2021. Schwartz joined the Kraken in their infancy and is one of a selection of players remaining from their inaugural season.

The St. Louis Blues originally selected Schwartz in the first round (No. 14 overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. The 5’10” forward settled in as a winger at the NHL level after making his debut with the Blues in the 2011–12 season.

Schwartz topped out with 28 goals and 63 points in 75 games with the Blues in the 2014–15 regular season. His best playoff performance came in 2019, when he managed 12 goals and 20 points in 26 games to propel the Blues to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship.

Through 691 career NHL games with the Blues and Kraken, Schwartz has racked up 191 goals and 463 points. He’s added 31 goals and 64 points in 102 playoff contests.