Kraken’s Kaapo Kakko placed on IR; Freddy Gaudreau activated

Seattle Kraken forward Kaapo Kakko was placed on injured reserve Saturday, while his teammate Freddy Gaudreau has been activated off IR, according to Seattle-based sports platform Circling Seattle Sports.

Kakko was injured during the Kraken’s Thursday matchup against the Winnipeg Jets with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the game, the winger scored his first goal of the season.

On Saturday, head coach Lane Lambert said Kakko would be out week-to-week.

It’s the second time just this season that Kakko has been out with an injury, as he missed the first chunk of the regular season with a broken hand suffered in the preseason. 

Kakko, 24, was traded to the Kraken by the New York Rangers last December. In 49 games with Seattle, the 2019 No. 2 overall pick scored 10 goals and recorded 20 assists for 30 points.

In 79 total regular-season games in 2024-25, Kakko, a native of Turku, Finland, scored 14 goals and 30 assists for 44 points.

Through seven NHL seasons, Kakko, the 2019 No. 2 overall pick, has 72 goals and 90 assists for 162 points in 386 career regular-season games with the Kraken and Rangers.

As for Gaudreau, he’s been out with an upper-body injury since the Kraken’s Oct. 16 matchup against the Ottawa Senators.

In four games this season, Gaudreau has one assist. He was acquired by the Kraken last June in a trade with the Minnesota Wild.

The 32-year-old scored 18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points in 82 regular-season games with the Wild last season. In six playoff games, he was held scoreless. 

Now in his ninth NHL season, Gaudreau, a native of Bromont, Que., has 61 goals and 92 assists for 153 points in 414 career regular-season games with the Kraken, Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators.