Former waiver claim Tye Kartye makes Kraken pay in triumphant Seattle return

Sometimes, all a player needs is a change of scenery. For Tye Kartye, that change came when the Seattle Kraken placed him on waivers, opening the door for the New York Rangers to give the gritty forward a fresh opportunity.

And on Saturday night, Kartye made sure his former team got a firsthand look at what it had let go. Returning to Seattle for the first time since joining the Blueshirts, Kartye scored his first career power-play goal, helping the Rangers to a four-goal lead before surviving a furious Kraken comeback in a 4–3 victory.

Yet, beyond the goal and the two points, Saturday’s showing offered another glimpse into how a player once deemed expendable in Seattle is beginning to carve out a meaningful role on Broadway.

From the Waiver Wire to Broadway

Kartye didn’t take the express lane to Broadway. After going undrafted, the Kingston, Ontario native signed with Seattle in 2022 and quickly made a name for himself in the AHL, earning Rookie of the Year honors following a 57-point campaign with the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

However, translating that offensive success to the NHL proved to be a different animal. That’s where Chris Drury came calling. The Rangers president and general manager claimed Kartye on February 27, hoping his physicality, relentless forechecking and penalty-killing ability could provide some much-needed energy to New York’s lineup.

What initially seemed like a depth acquisition has turned into a diamond in the rough. After recording 14 points in 24 games to close out last season, Kartye entered the 2026–27 campaign with an opportunity to expand his role. Through his first 17 games, Kartye had already accumulated 12 points, earning himself a spot alongside captain J.T. Miller and Gabe Perreault in the Rangers’ top six.

Once primarily utilized as a penalty killer, Kartye has worked his way onto the second power-play unit while becoming one of Mike Sullivan’s more trusted two-way forwards. And when you break down his game, it’s easy to see why. Kartye isn’t necessarily the guy who’s going to dangle through three defenders or quarterback an offensive possession. That’s not his bread and butter.

Instead, he’s the guy hunting down loose pucks, winning battles along the wall, finishing checks and getting his nose dirty in the high-danger areas. Alongside Miller and Perreault, that complementary skill set becomes particularly valuable. Miller can drive play, protect the puck, and create offense, while Perreault brings the vision, creativity, and playmaking instincts to make defenders pay.

Meanwhile, Kartye is the guy helping make those opportunities possible. Whether it’s forcing a turnover on the forecheck, retrieving a loose puck below the goal line, or creating traffic around the crease, his willingness to do the dirty work gives his more offensively gifted linemates additional room to operate.

For Sullivan, it’s not just the offensive production that’s caught his attention. The Rangers bench boss has repeatedly praised Kartye’s work ethic, puck pursuit and defensive awareness, emphasizing how naturally his game fits the identity New York is trying to establish. Kartye entered Saturday averaging a career-high 16:08 of ice time, having surpassed the 20-minute mark in each of his previous two appearances. Not too shabby for a player who was available to every NHL team on the waiver wire just eight months ago.

A Homecoming to Remember

There’s something poetic about scoring against the team that decided it no longer needed you. And for Kartye, Saturday’s return to Climate Pledge Arena certainly didn’t disappoint. The Rangers wasted little time making themselves comfortable in Seattle, with Gabe Perreault opening the scoring just 95 seconds into the contest.

Then it was Kartye’s turn to join the fun. After Miller won the draw, Kartye appeared to double New York’s advantage with a power-play goal against his former club. One problem. The officials waved it off after determining he had used a distinct kicking motion. Well, so much for that revenge moment. Fortunately, Kartye had another trick up his sleeve. Later in the period, the former Kraken forward got himself to the dirty area and redirected an Adam Fox point shot past Joey Daccord, officially recording his first career power-play goal.

The Rangers weren’t finished. Jaroslav Chmelař subsequently buried a Noah Laba rebound for his first goal of the season, extending New York’s lead to three and chasing Daccord just 12 minutes into the contest.

In a fitting touch, Kartye also received a warm reception from the Seattle faithful during a tribute later in the opening period. Despite how things ended between the two sides, it reminded everyone that his time in Seattle hadn’t gone unappreciated.

Meanwhile, the Blueshirts continued buzzing. In the second period, Alexis Lafrenière launched a beautiful rush through the middle before Mika Zibanejad connected with Pavel Dorofeyev, who finished a slick passing sequence with a backhand.

From Cruise Control to Survival Mode

After spending the opening 40 minutes getting thoroughly outplayed, Seattle came out for the third period in an entirely different gear.

Former Blueshirt Kaapo Kakko got the comeback started, wrapping the puck around the net and beating Joonas Korpisalo to get Seattle on the board. Then came Jordan Eberle. The Kraken captain found himself on the receiving end of a backdoor power-play opportunity and made no mistake, cutting New York’s advantage in half.

Suddenly, what had looked like a comfortable Saturday night stroll was turning into an absolute dogfight. And Seattle wasn’t about to take its foot off the gas. The Kraken kept the Rangers in their defensive zone, winning puck battles, sustaining pressure, and forcing New York to spend shift after shift chasing the play. With 4:58 remaining, Vince Dunn hammered a one-timer off the post and in, trimming the Blueshirts’ once-commanding four-goal cushion to 4-3.

The aggressive forecheck that had caused the Kraken so many problems earlier in the evening had practically disappeared. Clean breakouts became a struggle, offensive-zone possessions were few and far between, and the Blueshirts couldn’t establish sustained pressure as they were outshot 15-3 in the final stanza.

Fortunately for New York, a late Berkly Catton holding penalty provided some much-needed breathing room. A couple of timely blocked shots from Fox and Marcus Pettersson helped the Rangers weather the final storm and escape with a 4–3 victory. Korpisalo stopped 25 of 28 shots to earn his first victory in his Rangers debut.

The Blueshirts secured their third straight win and their second road win of the season, continuing to build momentum despite a final frame Sullivan and company would prefer to forget. And while the third-period collapse exposed lingering concerns about New York’s ability to protect leads and manage momentum, it couldn’t completely overshadow an impressive offensive showing through the opening 40 minutes. Especially for Kartye.

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