Update (1:07 p.m. ET, Tuesday): Official data now lists Philipp Grubauer as Seattle’s probable starting goalie against Philadelphia, replacing Joey Daccord in that projected role. Dan Vladar remains the probable starter for the Flyers.
The Seattle Kraken visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET. This Kraken vs Flyers preview now centers on a goalie matchup that shifted hours before the game: Seattle has scored at a top-three rate in the NHL, while Philadelphia has dropped its first seven games to open a season, a franchise record. The Flyers fell 4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, their fifth straight loss, while the Kraken capped their own five-game stretch with a 5-3 win at Washington on Sunday.
Kraken Vs Flyers Game Information
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 13
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, NBC Sports Phil, KONG, KING 5, KHN, Prime Video (Local)
- Series: First meeting of the 2026-27 season
Can The Flyers Snap A Franchise-Worst Losing Streak?
Philadelphia enters at 0-5-2 and has not won since the season opener, a stretch that has already set a franchise record for consecutive losses to start a campaign, according to ESPN. The Flyers enter Tuesday’s game on a four-game in six nights schedule, according to NHL.com.
Dan Vladar is listed as Philadelphia’s probable starter for the Kraken matchup, the same projection in place before Seattle’s update. Vladar made 27 saves in the Flyers’ 5-1 loss to Boston on Saturday, according to ESPN’s recap of that game. Official data lists Philadelphia’s season totals at eight goals on a 5.7% shooting percentage through seven games, against a 4.00 goals-against average and an .890 team save percentage.
How Hot Has Seattle’s Offense Been?
The Kraken sit at 4-2-0 and have scored 26 goals through their first six games. Seattle’s season totals show a 16.6% shooting percentage, well above Philadelphia’s mark, and a 2.83 goals-against average that reflects a defense allowing far fewer scoring chances than the Flyers have faced. Jared McCann leads the team with seven points on five assists, while Frederick Gaudreau paces Seattle in goals with four.
Seattle is in the middle of an Eastern Conference road trip, with Tuesday’s game marking its third stop, according to NHL.com. The Kraken’s recent form includes a 6-3 win over Detroit detailed further in Total Apex Sports’ Kraken vs Red Wings recap.
Who Starts In Goal And Who Is Injured?
The probable starter update is the headline change for this matchup. Official data now lists Philipp Grubauer as Seattle’s probable starting goalie, moving ahead of Joey Daccord in the projected role for Tuesday. Grubauer stopped 37 of 40 shots in Friday’s 6-3 win over the Red Wings and carries a 1-1-0 record with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage over three appearances this season, according to CBS Sports. Daccord still holds the starting job in Seattle overall, but CBS Sports notes Grubauer is creating a true timeshare between the pipes.
On the injury front, the Kraken remain without forward Jacob Melanson (chest, injured reserve), defenseman Ryan Lindgren (upper body, injured reserve) and center Jake O’Brien (lower body, injured reserve), none of whom are listed to play Tuesday. Melanson’s situation was detailed in Total Apex Sports’ report on his injury absence.
Philadelphia’s injury list includes defenseman Cam York (upper body, day-to-day), winger Travis Konecny (lower body, injured reserve) and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body, injured reserve), along with winger Nikita Grebenkin (back, injured reserve) on a longer-term absence with a return date well into the new year.
What Is The Key Matchup?
Seattle’s power play has converted at a 4-for-roughly-15 clip through its season totals of four power-play goals, testing a Flyers penalty kill that has already allowed 28 goals in seven games. Philadelphia’s own power play has produced just two goals this season. With Grubauer now the probable option in net for Seattle rather than Daccord, the goaltending matchup against Vladar becomes the clearest new storyline entering puck drop.
What To Watch
Seattle is navigating a demanding road stretch that NHL.com describes as its third game on this Eastern Conference trip, while Philadelphia faces its own grind of four games in six nights. Kraken forward Chandler Stephenson described the early-season approach before this trip, saying, “The beginning of the year is always kind of weird. Teams are still figuring it out.
You’re still figuring it out. You’re just kind of waiting for the games to get harder, and every 10-15 games they do. So, I think we’re happy with how things are right now.
Obviously, still just working on things. You’re trying to, I guess, make everything as perfect as you can early on,” according to NHL.com.
For Philadelphia, the question remains whether a lineup already missing key contributors to injury can find its first win before the losing streak grows further. Seattle sits fourth in the Pacific Division at eight points, while Philadelphia is last in the Metropolitan Division at two points. The probable starter change puts added attention on how Grubauer performs behind Seattle’s depth, a storyline Total Apex Sports covered in its Kraken vs Red Wings preview.
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