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Josh Mahura

Seattle Kraken Sign Josh Mahura To Two-Year Contract

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The Seattle Kraken announced they’ve signed defenseman Josh Mahura to a two-year contract through the 2026-27 NHL season. The announcement indicated that Mahura will earn an AAV of $907.5K during the contract, meaning the total deal will be for $1.815MM.

Mahura recently wrapped up his first season with the Kraken. The former Anaheim Duck and Florida Panther became an unrestricted free agent last offseason after the Panthers denied an opportunity to qualify him, allowing him to sign with Seattle on the third day of the free agency period.

Still, he didn’t make the Kraken out of training camp. The team passed him through waivers on October 5th, shortly before the start of the 2024-25 season. Fortunately for the team, Mahura went through unclaimed, giving the Kraken some much-needed flexibility with his one-way contract.

Mahura only had to wait until the third game of the regular season to debut with Seattle, and he enjoyed another two extended stays on the roster after. The Kraken largely used him as a depth option, tallying nine assists in 64 games with a +5 rating while averaging 13:45 of ice time per night. It was Mahura’s highest games played total since 2022-23, when he scored four goals and 16 points in 82 games with Florida.

Seattle will enter the offseason with a largely intact defensive core, so Mahura should expect much of the same next season. He’s a quality option who can play on both sides of the blue line and can hold his own on the defensive side of the puck, as evidenced by his 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Kraken Notes: Francis, Mahura, Grubauer, Hayden

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While this season was certainly a disappointing one for the Kraken, there won’t be a big change coming in the front office.  Team CEO Tod Leiweke confirmed to reporters including Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times (Twitter link) that GM Ron Francis will return for his fifth season in 2025-26.  Seattle has missed the playoffs in three of its first four seasons which generally isn’t abnormal for an expansion franchise but the early success Vegas had increased expectations.  Their lone playoff year came in 2022-23 when they had 100 points but they managed just 76 this season despite handing out two of the bigger deals in free agency last summer to Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson.  The team projects to have more than $21MM in cap room this summer, per PuckPedia, so Francis could be a big spender once again.

More from Seattle:

  • Defenseman Josh Mahura is hoping to re-sign with the Kraken this summer, Shefte relays. The 26-year-old signed a one-year, $775K deal last year after being non-tendered by Florida back in June.  Mahura had a decent season in a limited role, playing in 64 games where he had nine assists while logging a little under 14 minutes a night.  It’s likely that his next contract should check in once again at or near the league minimum and it wouldn’t be surprising if Seattle looked to bring him back in a similar role for next season.
  • Goaltender Philipp Grubauer will play for Germany at the upcoming World Championship, Shefte notes in the same column. It was another rough year for 33-year-old, whose 3.49 GAA and .875 SV% were the worst marks of his career and saw him limited to just 26 games, plus seven more in the minors after clearing waivers.  He has two years left on his contract at a $5.9MM AAV, making him a speculative buyout candidate this summer.
  • The team announced (Twitter link) that center John Hayden was assigned to AHL Coachella Valley. He cleared waivers last week in advance of being returned to the Firebirds for their playoff run.  The 30-year-old had a goal and an assist in 20 games with Seattle and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Waiver Wire: 10/5/24

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With season-opening rosters due in just over 48 hours, it’s going to be a busy weekend on the waiver front across the NHL.  A total of 14 players are on waivers today.  The players below were first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link) unless otherwise specified.  Meanwhile, Friedman relays (Twitter link) that of the 25 players on the wire yesterday, all cleared aside from John Ludvig who was claimed by Colorado.

Anaheim Ducks

G Oscar Dansk

Colorado Avalanche

F T.J. Tynan
F Chris Wagner

Dallas Stars

D Kyle Capobianco
G Magnus Hellberg
F Cameron Hughes
F Kole Lind
D Alexander Petrovic
F Emilio Pettersen

Florida Panthers

D Matt Kiersted

Minnesota Wild (per team release)

F Ben Jones

New York Rangers

D Connor Mackey

Seattle Kraken (per team announcement)

F John Hayden
F Josh Mahura

These players will be on waivers until 1:00 PM CT on Sunday.

Kraken Sign Josh Mahura

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The Seattle Kraken have signed defenseman Josh Mahura to a one-year, league-minimum contract, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Mahura moves to Seattle after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Florida Panthers. He was left without much to base negotiations on, with lower-body injuries in December and March, in addition to healthy scratches, limiting Mahura’s year to just 30 games and nine assists. He was much more productive last year, his first year in Florida, recording a career-high 16 points in 82 games. It stands as his only full year in the NHL up to this point. In total, he’s managed 45 points across 191 games – enough to hold Mahura in the limbo of a seventh-defender for both the Florida Panthers and Anaheim Ducks since 2018.

Mahura will now look to bounce back from ailment and absence with a prove-it deal in Seattle. He’ll stand to benefit from Seattle’s departure from Brian Dumoulin, though Mahura will still need to compete with players like Ryker Evans and Jamie Oleksiak for ice time. This deal will also reunite Mahura with Brandon Montour, who he occasionally played alongside with the Panthers. Montour signed a much heftier seven-year, $50MM deal with the Kraken on July 1st.

Despite meager scoring through his first stint in the NHL, Seattle’s pass-first style could be a nice match for Mahura, as he looks to regain the strong scoring he boasted in juniors.

Panthers Recall Seven Players Ahead Of Round Two

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The Florida Panthers have built out their list of black aces, recalling seven players ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ second round. The full list of call-ups includes forwards Mackie Samoskevich, William Lockwood, Justin Sourdif, and Rasmus Asplund; defenders Matt Kiersted and Mike Benning; and goaltender Magnus Hellberg, per Colby Guy (Twitter link). The group will join Spencer Knight, who was recalled on Thursday, and defenders Uvis Balinskis, Josh Mahura, and Tobias Bjornfot as Florida’s extra players.

This roster move gives Florida a chance to flex just how deep their roster goes, with each of Samoskevich, Lockwood, and Sourdif slotting into Florida’s lineup at some point this season, and six of the seven recalls boasting NHL experience. While none of the sextet has managed much NHL scoring, their experience could prove invaluable down the stretch. Samoskevich and Asplund provide a burst of speed and technical skill, while Sourdif and Lockwood should bring grit and physicality that’s always much-needed in the postseason. Meanwhile, both Kiersted and Benning offer a rangy, off-puck defense, with Benning adding strong puck-moving skills. Both defenders will slot behind the stockier Balinskis but should provide a stout, bottom-pair impact if called upon.

Florida is in a rare spot for a playoff team, only facing one injury and one illness to forwards Sam Bennett and Ryan Lomberg respectively. Head coach Paul Maurice shared that Bennett should return to the lineup at some point during the second round, though he remains ruled out for Game 1. Steven Lorentz has stepped up in Bennett’s absence, recording two points in four postseason games. Florida could turn towards Asplund for a depth centerman role if they’re looking for a spark, though it doesn’t seem any lineup changes are incoming after the Panthers’ emphatic Round 1 win.

Injury Notes: Walman, Theodore, Martinez, Mahura

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Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde shared an update on defenseman Jake Walman’s injury, calling him day-to-day and questionable for the team’s Saturday night game. If Walman doesn’t play on Saturday, he’s likely to return when the team plays on Wednesday.

Walman has continued to perform well with the Detroit Red Wings, scoring eight points in 18 games this season – his second full year with the club. Walman has become the go-to partner for top defenseman Moritz Seider, with Walman spending 87 percent of his even-strength ice time next to the former Calder Trophy winner. They’ve accounted for an admirable 49.59 xGF% (expected goals-for percentage) and 49.8 CF% (Corsi-for percentage) when they’re on the ice togehter, speaking to their ability to control possession and scoring chances. Seider takes a small hit to both of those statistics when he plays with any other partner. Getting Walman back into the lineup helps a Red Wings lineup that hasn’t been too impacted by injuries get back to normal.

Other injury updates from around the league:

Panthers Activate Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour; Place Josh Mahura On IR

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The Panthers have activated defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour off LTIR ahead of tonight’s game against the Ducks, Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now relays.

Additionally, defenseman Josh Mahura left last night’s game against the Kings with a lower-body injury after six shifts and did not return. Now, the NHL’s media site shows that Mahura has been placed on IR and will be out of the lineup for at least seven days, as David Dwork of Local 10 Miami and The Hockey News relays.

Forward Jonah Gadjovich is also available to play for the Panthers after his conditioning loan with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers ended today, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now says. The moves result in the Panthers having a cap-compliant 23-man roster with less than $100K in cap space (CapFriendly later listed this figure as less than $500K).

Ekblad and Montour were unavailable for the beginning of the season after undergoing off-season shoulder surgeries to address injuries sustained in the Panthers’ run to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. They are now eligible to play in tonight’s contest and are expected to make their season debuts in top-four roles. Ekblad is expected to suit up alongside Gustav Forsling, who’s logged a +11 rating and is averaging nearly 24 minutes per game. Montour, meanwhile, will comprise the second pairing with offseason addition Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who seems to have new life breathed into his game and leads Panthers defensemen with ten points in 16 games.

To make room for Ekblad and Montour in the lineup, Latvian defender Uvis Balinskis will be a healthy scratch, in addition to Mahura landing on IR. Balinskis, an undrafted free agent in his first NHL season, has appeared in 14 of 16 games for the Panthers this season, notching two points and a +2 rating while averaging 13:58 per game. The team now has eight defensemen on the active roster, with Mike Reilly still hanging around the team as an oft-scratch. Offseason signings Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola, who have both averaged over 19 minutes per game this season in the absence of Ekblad and Montour, will form a shutdown third pairing with the Panthers’ defense now at near total health.

The return of the Panthers’ top two defensemen provides a boon to a team that’s treaded well in their absence, sitting second in the Atlantic Division with a 10-5-1 record. Their success is largely due to the remarkable play of their first line, comprised of captain Aleksander Barkov with Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart on his flank. Reinhart leads all Panthers in scoring and sits near the top of the league leaderboard with 13 goals and 24 points, while Rodrigues has fit in nicely with three goals and 13 points in 16 games after signing a four-year, $12MM deal in free agency last summer.

Montour is entering the final season of a three-year contract carrying a $3.5MM cap hit, one that proved to be an immense bargain last season. The 29-year-old right-shot D had one of the most notable breakout campaigns of any player in the league, recording a career-high 16 goals, 57 assists and 73 points in 80 games and finished 12th in Norris Trophy voting. Ekblad remains under contract through 2024-25 and logged over 23 minutes per night for a third consecutive season in 2022-23.

It’s a tough break for Mahura, who has seen limited ice time this season and now faces an uphill battle for a roster spot when he returns from injury. The 25-year-old had five assists and a -2 rating, playing in all 16 games, but had failed to see more than 15 minutes of ice in any single game this year. A 2016 third-round pick of the Ducks, Mahura is signed to a one-year, $925K deal and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of the season.

Florida Panthers Extend Josh Mahura

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After struggling to make an impact at the NHL level for years, Josh Mahura seems to have found a home with the Florida Panthers. The team has rewarded his play with a one-year contract extension, locking him up for 2023-24. CapFriendly reports that the one-way deal is worth $925K. General manager Bill Zito released a short statement on the young defenseman:

Josh joined our club just prior the start of the season and we felt his positive impact on our defensive group immediately. He brings consistency and energy to our blueline.

A third-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2016, it looked like Mahura would quickly climb what was (at the time) a loaded depth chart. His post-draft junior seasons went extremely well, and he showed well in the AHL immediately. But then, it just never clicked for him at the NHL. He would see seasons of 17, 11, 13, and 38 games, failing to ever really establish himself as an everyday NHL defenseman.

But this year, after the Panthers claimed him at the start of the season, he has settled in as a third-pairing regular. He has suited up 54 times, nearly matching his total from years with Anaheim, and is averaging just over 14 minutes a night. He’s not asked to do much, but he’s done his job well enough to earn the trust of the organization and some financial security with this new deal.

That’s not to say his spot is safe for this year. The Panthers could use an upgrade on the back end, which would ultimately push Mahura either further down or off the lineup card completely. Next season though, there should be minutes to go around. Radko Gudas and Marc Staal are both scheduled for unrestricted free agency, leaving room for someone like Mahura to take another step forward. At worst, he’ll serve in the same role he is this year, providing value as a low-minute defenseman that can do a little bit of everything.

Panthers Claim Josh Mahura Off Waivers

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Florida has added some extra depth on the back end as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed defenseman Josh Mahura off waivers from Anaheim.

The 24-year-old spent all of last season with the Ducks, his first full year at the NHL level.  However, his role was somewhat limited as he suited up in just 38 games (while only missing 13 due to injury).  He had three goals and four assists in those games while logging a little over 14 minutes per night.  Over parts of a four-year NHL career (all in Anaheim), Mahura has six goals and 14 helpers in 79 contests while averaging more than a hit and block per game.

Mahura is in the final season of a two-year deal that’s worth the league minimum of $750K so he’s a low-cost flyer for the Panthers.  With Lucas Carlsson and Michael Del Zotto both clearing waivers today, they’ll be sent down to make room on the roster for Mahura while team reporter Jameson Olive relays (Twitter link) that fellow blueliner Matt Kiersted is listed as day-to-day.

Arthur Kaliyev Avoids Suspension, Earns Fine

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The Department of Player Safety has decided on a punishment for Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev after he cross-checked Ducks defenseman Josh Mahura in the closing moments of last night’s 4-2 Kings victory. Kaliyev was initially given a major penalty and a game misconduct, but that was obviously not the end of the punishment as the Department of Player Safety has handed Kaliyev a fine of $2,235.42, the maximum allowable under the league’s collective bargaining agreement.  Things can get testy between the Kings and Ducks, two heated rivals, but the league has determined that Kaliyev’s actions last night went too far.

Kaliyev, 20, is a player known more for his goal-scoring prowess than his feistiness or willingness to engage in fine-worthy hockey. But last night was obviously an exception, as his tussle with Mahura has ended in a punishment directly from the Department of Player Safety. Kaliyev was charged with 15 penalty minutes on the play, nearly doubling his season total, which was 22 penalty minutes before the incident with Mahura.

Kaliyev has to consider himself lucky to avoid suspension because the Kings are in a crucial final stretch of their season. They are seeking to put themselves out of reach of the Vegas Golden Knights and finally lock up their spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs, so Kaliyev missing out on an important late-season contest would be a disappointment for the young top prospect. Kaliyev has 14 goals and 27 points in 78 games this season and has flashed a real knack for scoring. Kaliyev, the Kings, and the Department of Player Safety are all likely hoping this fine will not be a signal of things to come for the young sniper.

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