Maybe just temporary, but re-freeze has stalled, reversed in several regions, likely due to warmer SSTs, due to longer melt season because of warmest year on record globally. Thin ice from recent re-freeze has half melted and old ice from this summer has broken up more and reduced since Sept. 16 -- Beaufort, Fram Laptev, and Siberian Sea. Glimpses show possibly the same along CAB but not clear.
This shows the arm towards Siberian Sea, Sept. 12 and Sept. 24 (same thing going on in the other places mentioned.)
Sept. 16 on top
Sept. 24 on bottom.