Yanni Gourde May Return Earlier Than Expected

According to Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis, Yanni Gourde's recovery is "ahead of schedule" and could make his debut for the team before December. The 29-year-old center had shoulder surgery after last season.

Ron Francis says Yanni Gourde is “ahead of schedule”. Original estimates had been early December #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/IOMXcX5JLJ
— Alison (@AlisonL) September 23, 2021

If Gourde is able to come back earlier, this would be huge for the Kraken. At this point in time, he is one of their top forwards and arguably their top center.

In 56 games this past season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he scored 17 goals and recorded 36 points while playing third-line minutes. It will be intriguing to see what he provides in a bigger role with Seattle this season. During the 2017-18 season, he had a 64-point campaign in 82 games, so he does have the potential to produce a lot of offense at the NHL level.

Nonetheless, it's great that the Kraken were able to add the back-to-back Stanley Cup champ. He should provide solid leadership to them once he officially arrives.