One of the biggest names selected by the Seattle Kraken in Wednesday's expansion draft will miss the beginning of next season with an injury.
Yanni Gourde, the depth centre who helped the Tampa Bay Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cups, had shoulder surgery this week and will be unavailable for the start of the season, general manager Ron Francis announced.
Gourde, 29, is expected to centre one of the Kraken's top two lines next season and is coming off a 17-goal, 36-point campaign with the Lightning. He added six goals and seven points in 23 playoff games.
The Kraken selected 30 players in the expansion draft Wednesday, headlined by Jordan Eberle and Mark Giordano. The team holds the No. 2 pick in Friday's NHL Draft and will play their home opener Oct. 23 against the Vancouver Canucks.
