The Seattle Kraken face the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, in the second half of a back-to-back series before the Christmas break. Coming off a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, the Kraken will be without key defensemen Vince Dunn and Brandon Montour due to injuries. Both teams aim to build momentum in a tight Pacific Division race.
The Seattle Kraken (14-14-6) travel to Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles for a 7:00 p.m. PT matchup against the Kings (15-11-9) on December 23, 2025. This game marks the second leg of back-to-backs for both squads, with the Kraken fresh off a 3-1 win against the Ducks on Monday, where Jordan Eberle scored twice. The Kings, meanwhile, fell 3-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, with former Kraken forward Mason Marchment netting two goals in his new team's victory.
Injuries continue to challenge the Kraken's defense. Vince Dunn exited Monday's game early after a hard hit from Ducks forward Ross Johnston, with no penalty called; coach Lane Lambert ruled him out with an upper-body injury. This follows the announcement that Brandon Montour will miss four weeks after hand surgery. Other sidelined Kraken include Jared McCann, Berkly Catton, Jaden Schwartz, and Matt Murray. Cale Fleury is expected to draw back into the lineup for the first time since October 23, having recorded one assist in four games this season.
Kaapo Kakko has emerged as a player to watch, tallying two assists in the Ducks win and seven points in 18 games despite earlier injuries. He centers the first line with Matty Beniers and Eberle. Shane Wright highlighted the team's resilience: "We are just finding ways to win... Now we’re on the other side of it, winning games. It’s about finding ways to win."
The Kings struggle at home with a 4-7-4 record and have gone 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, including power-play woes. Adrian Kempe leads them with 13 goals. Darcy Kuemper is out with an upper-body injury, leaving Anton Forsberg and Phoenix Copley in net.
Projected Kraken lines include Kakko-Beniers-Eberle, Tolvanen-Stephenson-Gaudreau, Nyman-Wright-Winterton, and Kartye-Meyers-Melanson, with pairs of Lindgren-Larsson, Fleury-Oleksiak, and Evans-Mahura. Joey Daccord is expected to start in goal. Kings projections feature Moore-Kopitar-Kempe and Fiala-Byfield-Laferriere. The Kraken won the season series opener 3-2 in overtime. Following the break, Seattle hosts the Philadelphia Flyers on December 28.
