Overview

• Seattle announced the timeline Saturday, which projects Kakko to miss the Oct. 9 opener against the Ducks and likely be sidelined until mid-November.
• Kakko left Wednesday’s game after the slash and did not return, with video of the sequence circulating in team-focused coverage.
• The winger revived his production after a December trade from the Rangers, posting 30 points in 49 games while earning a top-six role.
• He signed a three-year, $13.575 million deal in July that gives the team cost certainty as it navigates his early-season absence.
• Seattle has the cap space to avoid immediate LTIR use, though eligibility exists, and other camp injuries to Jared McCann, Chandler Stephenson, and Brandon Montour increase short-term lineup pressure.