Vince Dunn, a key player for the Kraken, might start practicing with his team soon but won’t play in games for about three more weeks. He got hurt during Seattle’s second match of the season on October 12 and missed the next game. After trying to play two more matches, he was injured again against the Flyers on October 17 and hasn’t played since then. Initially thought to be back soon, he was placed on long-term injured reserve, keeping him off the ice for several weeks.
The general manager, Ron Francis, mentioned that although Dunn could have returned before Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jackets, he’s expected back around November 29 when they face the Sharks. This means he’ll miss about nine games in total. Fans are probably hoping he’ll recover quickly and come back stronger than ever.
Dunn has been a crucial part of Seattle’s defense since joining from the Blues in 2021 but injuries have limited his appearances to just 63 games since last season began. In his few games this year, he scored one goal and assisted twice while averaging nearly 19 minutes per game. Despite spending big money on new players like Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour in free agency, Seattle has started with a disappointing record of 6-8-1.
Current Team Dynamics:
Ryker Evans is now covering Dunn’s position alongside Adam Larsson at left defense and doing well with eight points in fifteen games while playing over twenty minutes each match. However, their time together hasn’t been as effective as when Dunn was playing; they’ve only controlled 38.3% of expected goals compared to last year’s better performance with Dunn at nearly half (49.5%) according to MoneyPuck stats.
Seattle’s defense struggles are evident as they allow an average of 3.20 goals per game—ranking them low alongside teams like the Blackhawks at twentieth place league-wide! Some fans might wonder if these defensive issues will affect their chances of making it into postseason play this year.
Dunn signed a four-year contract worth $29.4 million back in 2023 after becoming a restricted free agent; he’s now in his second season under this deal.
What do you think? Will Vince Dunn make a strong comeback?
