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Gustav Olofsson

Kraken Reassign Gustav Olofsson, Ryker Evans Skating

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The Seattle Kraken announced that they’ve reassigned defenseman Gustav Olofsson to the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL. The 30-year-old was recalled Saturday under emergency conditions but served as a healthy scratch last night and did not see any NHL action during his brief recall.

Olofsson has not dressed in any NHL games this season and has played just four NHL contents since joining the Kraken organization back in August 2021. The Boras, Sweden native is having one of his better seasons as a professional in the AHL, posting two goals and nine assists in 34 games while continuing to operate effectively in a shutdown role for the Firebirds.

Olofsson was recalled in response to fellow defenseman Ryker Evans falling victim to an upper-body injury that sidelined him day-to-day. Evans skated today in a non-contact jersey and his status remains the same (as per Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network).

Given that he is skating in a no-contact jersey it seems likely that Evans will miss Seattle’s game tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings, which would mark three consecutive games out of the lineup for the 23-year-old. The sophomore is having a good offensive season, tallying five goals and 16 assists in 50 games. He’s also put up some good defensive numbers with 80 hits and 77 blocked shots, however, turnovers remain a cause for concern as he’s committed 48 of them this season.

Cale Fleury appears likely to assume Evans’s role in the lineup in the interim but probably won’t log the same kind of minutes, as evidenced by the 8:33 he played in last night’s loss to the Calgary Flames.

Kraken Recall Gustav Olofsson, Ryker Evans Day-To-Day

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The Seattle Kraken have recalled defenseman Gustav Olofsson under emergency conditions. The move comes in response to sophomore Ryker Evans’ suffering an upper-body injury that has him out day-to-day, per Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network. Evans missed Seattle’s Thursday win over the San Jose Sharks, making the team eligible for this recall. Olofssson is likely to serve as a depth option for the duration of his call-up, with the Kraken carrying six healthy defenders even with Evans out.

Olofsson is playing through his 12th season of pro hockey this year. Every year has been largely the same, with Olofsson earning a spot at the top of his club’s call-up list with stout, shutdown defense in the minors. He’s played NHL games in seven of the last nine years, only being held back by a season-long injury in 2018-19 and a shortened season in 2021. He has totaled 11 assists and 18 penalty minutes in 66 career NHL games over that span but is still searching for his first NHL goal. He hasn’t been much more productive in the minor leagues. Olofsson has totaled 109 points in 349 games in the AHL, with 24 points in the 2016-17 season standing as his career-high. His career has spanned tenures with the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, and Seattle Kraken – as well as stints with four different minor league clubs.

Seattle will be able to play Olofsson in upwards of 10 games, or roster him for up to a month, on emergency basis. That should be plenty of time to allow Evans to work back to full health.

Pacific Division Paper Transactions: Kerins, Brisebois, Lekkerimaki, Olofsson

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According to Ryan Pike of Flames Nation, the Calgary Flames have reassigned forward Rory Kerins to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. Pike adds that Kerins’ reassignment is a cap-related move and indicates Kerins should be back on the NHL roster by Monday.

It’s a testament to Kerins development that the Flames have no interest in keeping him with AHL Calgary. He’s gotten off to an impressive start in his NHL career with four assists in his first four games with a +4 rating averaging 13:33 of ice time per game. It shouldn’t be a surprise given Kerins has already scored 21 goals and 34 points in 34 games for the Wranglers this season.

Kerins will likely reprise his role as a full-time AHLer once forward Connor Zary is activated from the team’s injured reserve. Kerins is the only waiver-exempt forward on the roster outside of Matthew Coronato and Calgary will likely want to keep their fourth highest-scoring player on the roster. The only avenue for additional playing time at the NHL level for Kerins is if the Flames make a trade from the active roster or place one of their eight defensemen on waivers.

Other paper transactions from the Pacific Division:

  • The Vancouver Canucks are again making a cap-related transaction on one of their off-days. Vancouver announced they’ve reassigned defenseman Guillaume Brisebois and forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki to their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Lekkerimaki has been more oft-used by the club this season scoring two goals and one assist in 11 games this year averaging 13:47 of ice time per game.
  • Finishing off the list of cap-related transactions is the Seattle Kraken who have reassigned defenseman Gustav Olofsson to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds (per a team announcement). Oloffson has been in an unenviable position with the Kraken this season having been recalled on three separate occasions but has been healthy scratched for every available opportunity.

Kraken Place Two On IR, Recall Cale Fleury And Gustav Olofsson On Emergency Basis

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The Kraken have made several roster moves leading into Monday’s game against New Jersey.  The team announced (Twitter links) that goaltender Joey Daccord and center Yanni Gourde have been placed on injured reserve.  Taking their place on the active roster are defensemen Cale Fleury and Gustav Olofsson who have both been recalled from AHL Coachella Valley on an emergency basis.

Daccord has been dealing with an upper-body injury sustained just before the holiday break.  Fresh off a long-term extension signed before the season, he has lived up to the expectations of that new deal as he has a 2.51 GAA and a .912 SV% in his first 23 starts, numbers that were very close to his ones from last season (2.46 and .916, respectively).  Philipp Grubauer will continue to serve as the starter in Daccord’s absence.  His placement was retroactive to December 22nd so he has already served the minimum number of days on there, meaning he can be activated as soon as he’s cleared to return.

As for Gourde, he missed last night’s game with a lower-body injury, his second one in recent weeks.  The 33-year-old has been relatively quiet offensively when he has played, tallying six goals and 10 assists in 35 games while his playing time is down to 15:34 per game, his lowest since 2019-20 when he was still with Tampa Bay.  It’s a contract year for Gourde so the decline in production certainly isn’t coming at an opportune time, nor is the continued injury trouble.  His placement is retroactive to Saturday so he’ll be out through the rest of the week at a minimum.

It’s the fourth recall of the year for Fleury but he didn’t see much action in his first three, playing just twice.  He has played in 19 games with the Firebirds, picking up 14 points.  Fleury has 65 career NHL appearances under his belt between Montreal and Seattle and is the likelier blueliner to draw in if needed.

As for Olofsson, it’s his third recall in the last two weeks but he didn’t play in the first two.  He has 11 points in 29 games with Coachella Valley, one point shy of matching his output from last year in 22 fewer games.  Olofsson has 63 career appearances at the top level with Minnesota, Montreal, and Seattle.  It’s unclear which defensemen’s availability for Monday’s game are in question at the time, necessitating the recalls with an emergency designation.

Seattle Kraken Reassign Gustav Olofsson

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Defenseman Gustav Olofsson’s time on an NHL roster is over for now. The Seattle Kraken announced they’ve reassigned Olofsson to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

The roster move likely serves as a paper transaction given the Kraken don’t play again for a few more days. They’ll go down to six healthy defensemen on the roster but will likely want some available insurance with upcoming matchups against the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and New Jersey Devils.

Despite spending nearly a week on the active roster, Olofsson hasn’t factored into any games for the Kraken this season. His only playing time has come in AHL Coachella Valley where he’s scored two goals and 11 points in 29 contests.

Seattle’s upper management may keep Olofsson in the AHL for some time. The Firebirds are pursuing their third-straight appearance in the Calder Cup Final but have struggled this season. They’ve managed a 14-11-1-4 record through 33 games this season and sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division.

There are a few more options in Coachella Valley they could choose from. Defensemen Maxime Lajoie and Cale Fleury have NHL experience and are available to recall although the former is on a one-way contract. Whatever the case may be, the Kraken are expected to call up one of the trio over the next few days.

Kraken Recall Gustav Olofsson, Ales Stezka

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The Kraken resume their schedule tomorrow in a rivalry matchup against the Canucks. As such, they’ve added to their roster today, announcing they’ve recalled defenseman Gustav Olofsson and goaltender Ales Stezka from AHL Coachella Valley, the latter on an emergency basis. Their active roster is now full.

Olofsson, 30, is coming off his first recall of the season. The minor-league mainstay was rostered for Seattle’s pre-break back-to-back last weekend but didn’t play, sitting in the press box on both occasions. He was returned to Coachella Valley on Monday to delay the expiration of his waiver clock and decrease his paycheck, but is back on the roster as a seventh defenseman with William Borgen out of the picture after being traded to the Rangers.

The 6’3″ left-shooting Swede is in the back half of a two-year, two-way extension he signed with Seattle in 2023. Now in his third season in the Kraken organization, he’s yet to see NHL ice this season and has made only four combined major league appearances since heading to the Pacific Northwest. A 2013 Minnesota second-round pick, he hasn’t been a full-time NHLer since his days with the Wild in the late 2010s.

Olofsson has been an alternate captain with Coachella Valley in all three seasons of their existence. This season, he ranks third among team defenders in scoring with 11 points (2 G, 9 A) in 27 games, nearly surpassing last season’s total. He has 29 points in 98 games as a Firebird since arriving there in 2022.

Stezka’s summons indicates that either one of Joey Daccord or Philipp Grubauer will be unavailable for tomorrow’s game. The 27-year-old is Seattle’s bonafide No. 3 option after they lost Chris Driedger to the Panthers in free agency, and while he dressed for a pair of games as the Kraken’s backup last month, he’s yet to make his NHL debut. An undrafted free agent signing out of Czechia in 2023, Stezka has a 2.94 GAA, .906 SV%, and a 6-9-6 record in 18 showings with Coachella Valley this season.

Kraken Reassign Ben Meyers, Gustav Olofsson

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Dec. 23: After being rostered for their back-to-back over the weekend, the Kraken returned Meyers and Olofsson to Coachella Valley this morning, per a team announcement. Olofsson didn’t play during his recall, while Meyers posted a -1 rating in 8:52 of ice time in last night’s loss.

Dec. 21: Seattle has added some reinforcements to its roster in advance of their game tonight against Vegas.  The team announced (Twitter link) that forward Ben Meyers and defenseman Gustav Olofsson have been recalled from AHL Coachella Valley.

This is the second recall of the season for Meyers who got into three games with the Kraken back in November but was held off the scoresheet while averaging just under eight minutes a night.  The 26-year-old has been productive with the Firebirds, collecting nine goals and ten assists in 22 games with them.  Signed to a one-year, one-way contract in unrestricted free agency this summer, Meyers could be heading back there next year unless he gets into ten more NHL games this season which would then make him a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

As for Olofsson, it’s his first time up with Seattle in 2024-25.  The 30-year-old has played in 27 games with Coachella Valley this season, picking up four goals and seven assists, putting him one point shy of his total from last year in barely half as many games.  Olofsson has 63 career NHL contests over parts of seven seasons, four of which have come with the Kraken over the past two years.

Seattle had two open roster spots following the recent demotion of Mitchell Stephens so no further moves were needed to bring Meyers and Olofsson onto the active roster.

Waiver Wire: 10/1/24

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28 players hit the waiver wire Tuesday, per PuckPedia. It’s a sharp increase from yesterday’s 12 names as more veterans are assigned to the minors later in camp. All of yesterday’s waived players cleared, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. Today’s waiver placements are as follows:

Anaheim Ducks

F Carson Meyer

Buffalo Sabres

F Joshua Dunne
F Mason Jobst
F Brett Murray
D Colton Poolman
D Jack Rathbone
G Felix Sandström

Calgary Flames

D Ilya Solovyov

Edmonton Oilers

G Collin Delia
D Ben Gleason
D Philip Kemp
F Lane Pederson

Los Angeles Kings

D Jacob Moverare

Minnesota Wild

F Reese Johnson

New York Rangers

F Anton Blidh
G Louis Domingue
D Casey Fitzgerald
D Brandon Scanlin

Seattle Kraken

F Brandon Biro
F Max McCormick
F Ben Meyers
D Gustav Olofsson
F Mitchell Stephens
G Ales Stezka

Vancouver Canucks

F Phillip Di Giuseppe
G Jiří Patera
F Nathan Smith
D Christian Wolanin

Seattle Kraken Recall Cale Fleury, Reassign Gustav Olofsson

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In a minor tweak to their blue line, the Seattle Kraken have made a change at the bottom of their defensive core. The organization announced they have recalled defenseman Cale Fleury on an emergency basis, and have reassigned Gustav Olofsson to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

For the second year in a row, Olofsson has spent much of the season at the AHL level, receiving his first call-up of the year on March 26th. Managing three games for the Kraken last year, Olofsson has only suited up in one for Seattle this season, registering zero points in 14:57 of ice time.

At the AHL level, Olofsson has not been much of an offensive threat either, only scoring 14 points in 61 games for the Firebirds since joining the Kraken organization. Fleury, on the other hand, has been much more productive at Coachella Valley, scoring six goals and 32 points over 60 games this year alone.

Nevertheless, Fleury has not played for the Kraken yet this season after tallying one assist in 12 games for the team last year. Now, the former 87th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft will have the opportunity to play bottom-pairing minutes for Seattle moving forward.

Seattle Kraken Recall Defenseman Gustav Olofsson

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The Seattle Kraken have recalled defenseman Gustav Olofsson from the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL on an emergency basis. The 29-year-old has yet to dress this season for the Kraken but did get into three contests for the team last season in which he was held scoreless.

After earning two NHL recalls last year, Olofsson signed a two-year two-way extension with the Kraken last June and has spent the entirety of this season in the AHL dressing in 41 contests registering a goal and seven assists while posting a +15.

A native of Boras, Sweden, Olofsson was originally drafted in the second round of the 2013 NHL entry draft by the Minnesota Wild. He spent five seasons in the Wild organization dressing in 56 NHL games before spending three seasons in the Montreal Canadiens system and then eventually signing with the Kraken in 2021-22.

Since signing with Seattle, Olofsson has seen limited NHL action but has been a key component to the Firebirds AHL success, including dressing in 26 playoff games as Coachella Valley came within a goal of winning the Calder Cup last season.

If Olofsson can see NHL action during his recall he will still be in search of his first NHL goal as he has 11 career assists in 62 career NHL games.

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