Seattle Kraken forward Yanni Gourde will be sidelined for four months after undergoing shoulder surgery Monday, his agent, Paul Corbeil, confirmed to The Athletic's Joe Smith.
Gourde was Seattle's selection from the Tampa Bay Lightning in Wednesday's expansion draft. He established himself as a key contributor in winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Lightning and was among the more prominent names the Kraken selected.
The 29-year-old center had 36 points in 56 games this past season and performed a key checking role throughout the playoffs. Gourde played 310 games with the Lightning from 2015-21 before joining the NHL's 32nd franchise.
The Kraken will open their inaugural season Oct. 13. Gourde's recovery timeline projects that he'll be available in mid-November.
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