Early look · NHL 2026-27

Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights: game preview

SeattleKraken2026-27: 2-2-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 34-37-11 · 79 pts · 27that

VegasGolden Knights2026-27: 3-1-0 · 6 pts · 2025-26: 39-26-17 · 95 pts · 13th

Puck drop9 Jan · 10:00 PM ET

VenueT-Mobile Arena

All-time meetings20 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Sixteen points apart last season

Seattle finished last season 27th in the league on 79 points. Vegas finished 13th on 95, and the 2025-26 season series went SEA 3-1-0.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 21

Across 20 completed games, Vegas lead the head-to-head 13-3-3.

All-time record13-3-3Vegas's record in the series

Meetings played20This is number 21

2025-26 seriesSEA 3-1-0

Last 53-2Seattle

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

6 OctVGK 6 – SEA 228–27VGK 2/3 · SEA 1/5VGK

15 Apr 2026SEA 1 – VGK 423–26SEA 0/0 · VGK 0/2VGK

9 Apr 2026VGK 3 – SEA 4 SO35–33VGK 1/1 · SEA 1/1SEA

31 Jan 2026SEA 3 – VGK 222–29SEA 1/2 · VGK 1/2SEA

11 Oct 2025VGK 1 – SEA 2 OT27–22VGK 1/3 · SEA 1/3SEA

Head-to-head finder

The table on each meeting night

DateSeattleVegas

11 Oct 20252-0-0 · 4 pts5th1-0-2 · 4 pts10th

31 Jan 202623-19-9 · 55 pts23rd25-14-12 · 62 pts11th

9 Apr 202633-34-11 · 77 pts28th36-26-17 · 89 pts18th

15 Apr 202634-36-11 · 79 pts27th39-26-17 · 95 pts13th

6 Oct2-2-0 · 4 pts16th3-1-0 · 6 pts3rd

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 11 Oct 2025, Seattle were 5th in the league and Vegas 10th. By 6 Oct it was 16th and 3rd.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Vegas out-attempted Seattle 316 to 264

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Seattle Kraken

264 att · 127 on goal · 11 G · 8.7%

Crease16 att · 1 G

Slot88 att · 5 G

Wing113 att · 5 G

Point40 att · 0 G

Neutral zone7 att · 0 G

Vegas Golden Knights

316 att · 145 on goal · 16 G · 11.0%

Crease30 att · 7 G

Slot112 att · 6 G

Wing119 att · 3 G

Point45 att · 0 G

Neutral zone10 att · 0 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Vegas have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

SeattleVegas

2.60xG for per game3.79

3.14xG against per game2.09

45.3%xG share64.4%

+4.6FinishingGoals minus expected goals+1.8

+1.6GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed−1.6

This season: 4 games for Seattle, 4 for Vegas. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Seattle

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2725.0%

Power play · 2025-2619.5% · 20th

Power play · last 5 meetings4/11 · 36.4%

Penalty kill · 2026-2772.7%

Penalty kill · 2025-2672.2% · 31st

Faceoffs · 2026-2749.6% · 121/244

Drawn · 2026-2712 (3.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings11 (2.20/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2711 (2.75/gm)

PP goals · last meetings4

Vegas

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2731.3%

Power play · 2025-2624.6% · 6th

Power play · last 5 meetings5/11 · 45.5%

Penalty kill · 2026-2783.3%

Penalty kill · 2025-2681.4% · 7th

Faceoffs · 2026-2753.0% · 122/230

Drawn · 2026-2716 (4.00/gm)

Drawn · last meetings11 (2.20/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2712 (3.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings5

Skaters

Jack Eichel has 10 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

In the last meetings

See all: In the last meetings →

PlayerGPGAPSOG

9Jack Eichel5191017

48Tomas Hertl52578

61Mark Stone532511

29Vince Dunn505510

19Jared McCann440414

93Mitch Marner521312

Reilly Smith32136

84Kaapo Kakko41234

7Jordan Eberle50339

4Rasmus Andersson40338

Head-to-head finder

Jack Eichel vs Seattle · game by game

See all: Jack Eichel vs Seattle · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

6 Octaway134218:20

15 Apr 2026home022419:45

9 Apr 2026away011321:19

31 Jan 2026home022521:59

11 Oct 2025away011321:28

Last 5 meetings10 P1 G, 9 A · 17 SOG

Next best7 PTomas Hertl, VGK

2026-27 season10 P4 GP · 2 G

Blank vs SEA0 of 5A point in every meeting

Full game log

Goaltending

Joey Daccord has started most of these meetings

Joey Daccord played 4 of the last 5 meetings with Vegas, with a .902 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Seattle

Expected starter after their game on 8 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Vegas

Expected starter after their game on 7 Jan: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Joey Daccord

See all: Joey Daccord →

SEA · 2-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 6 Jan

SV% · 2026-27.9113 GP · 2.64 GAA · 2025-26 .897

vs Vegas.9024 app · 112 SA · 11 GA

GSAx · 2026-27+1.03 starts · most on the roster

vs VGKVenueSAGASV%

6 Octhome215.762

9 Apr 2026home353.914

31 Jan 2026away292.931

11 Oct 2025home271.963

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Philipp Grubauer .906 (2 GP)

Full game log

Vegas crease

VGK · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 6 Jan

Carter Hart.8903 GP · 2-1-0 · GSAx −1.1

Adin Hill.9001 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx −0.5

Two goalies used against Seattle

#vs SEAAppsSAGASV%

79Carter Hart2503.940

33Adin Hill2555.909

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

6 Oct8 · VGK 6–2 SEA

15 Apr 20265 · SEA 1–4 VGK

9 Apr 20267 · VGK 3–4 SEA

31 Jan 20265 · SEA 3–2 VGK

11 Oct 20253 · VGK 1–2 SEA

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Seattle3.752.752.763.21

Vegas4.252.503.233.05

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.2Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings5.6Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

6 on the injury lists

Seattle · injuries

Jacob MelansonUpper BodyIRReturn17 Oct

Jake O'BrienLower BodyIRReturn24 Oct

Ryan LindgrenUpper BodyDay-to-dayReturn9 Oct

Vegas · injuries

Lukas CormierUndisclosedIRReturn22 Oct

Raphael LavoieUndisclosedOutReturn8 Oct

Victor OlofssonUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

3 Oct · SEA

Activated RW/C Mackie Samoskevich from injured reserve. Placed RW Jacob Melanson on injured reserve.

27 Sep · SEA

Placed C Jake O'Brien and RW Mackie Samoskevich on injured reserve.

21 Sep · SEA

Placed F Jon-Randall Avon, F John Hayden, F Logan Morrison and G Victor Ostman on waivers.

30 Sep · VGK

Signed C William Karlsson to a two-year contract.

29 Sep · VGK

Placed C Jakub Cormier, RW Matyas Hemmerling and C Jakub Uchacz on the injured non-roster list.

23 Sep · VGK

Placed D Jaycob Megna, D Adam Ginning, D Joe Fleming, C Jakub Demek and D Jeremy Davies on waivers.

Injury report

Seattle · 2026 draft

See all: Seattle · 2026 draft →

#7Chase ReidRound 1 · Sault Ste. MarieD

#38Casey MutrynRound 2 · Usa U-18RW

#99Viktor FedorovRound 4 · Torpedo-gorky NnC

#131Finn KearnsRound 5 · St. Andrews CollegeD

Full draft

Vegas · 2026 draft

See all: Vegas · 2026 draft →

#29Juho PiiparinenRound 1 · TapparaD

#63ForfeitedRound 2 ·

#92Benjamin WilmottRound 3 · BarrieC

#95Sean BurickRound 3 · PentictonD

Full draft

Saturday 9 January · the full slate

See all: Saturday 9 January · the full slate →

VGKThis game 10:00 PM ET

NYRat

SJS

Scores

Updated after every final

Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights: game preview

Sixteen points apart last season

Meeting number 21

Last 5 meetings

The table on each meeting night

Vegas out-attempted Seattle 316 to 264

Seattle Kraken

Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Seattle

Vegas

Jack Eichel has 10 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Jack Eichel vs Seattle · game by game

Joey Daccord has started most of these meetings

Joey Daccord

Vegas crease

Scoring rates point to about 6.2 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

6 on the injury lists

Seattle · injuries

Vegas · injuries

Latest moves

Seattle · 2026 draft

Vegas · 2026 draft

Saturday 9 January · the full slate