The Kraken have signed center prospect Oscar Fisker Mølgaard to his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Friday. It carries a cap hit of $950K, the maximum for a rookie deal.
Mølgaard, 19, was a second-round pick of Seattle in last year’s draft. Taken 52nd overall, he was the middle of three second-round selections the Kraken owned in the 2023 draft, joining left winger Carson Rehkopf (50th overall) and right-shot defenseman Lukas Dragicevic (57th overall).
The Danish pivot has a good shot to cap off a well-rounded two-way game. Standing at 6’0″ and 168 lbs, he has some room to grow into his frame before he’s ready for NHL action. But he has spent most of the past two seasons in a top-level professional league, suiting up for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League.
In 50 games with HV71 this season, Mølgaard had nine goals and 21 points with a -4 rating and was extremely disciplined, logging only 6 PIMs. He finished seventh on the team in scoring and added three assists in their seven-game relegation series win over IK Oskarshamn, helping them stay up in the SHL for the third year in a row.
Mølgaard has also been a fixture on the Danish national junior team, appearing at all the IIHF U18 and U20 events he’s been eligible for since 2022. He also made his senior national team debut this year at the World Championship, scoring a goal and three assists in seven games as the Danes finished seventh in Group A and avoided relegation to next year’s Division IA tournament.
Since he played in the SHL during his draft year, he’s subject to the transfer agreement the NHL has with Swedish leagues. As he was not drafted in the first round, the Kraken must offer him back to HV71 next season before assigning him to their AHL affiliate. He’ll likely challenge for a top-six role on HV71 next season, so they’ll likely gladly take him back on loan.
And, since his 20th birthday doesn’t fall until 2025, the first year of his entry-level deal will slide if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games next season. In that likely event, he’ll receive his first-year signing bonuses but nothing else. His contract will then begin in earnest in the 2025-26 season, keeping him under his rookie deal through the 2027-28 campaign. He will be a restricted free agent upon expiry.
Molgaard could be the ‘Newman’ of the Kraken someday.
“Hello Molgaaaaaard” (Beniers, cast as Jerry).
“Hello Jerry” (Molgaard).