Kraken Sign, Reassign Gustav Olofsson
March 3: Olofsson has cleared waivers, per Friedman. The team confirmed he’s been sent back to Coachella Valley
March 2: The Seattle Kraken have continued their run of new contracts by signing defenseman Gustav Olofsson to a one-year, $775K contract. Olofsson is currently playing in the first year of a two-year, AHL contract signed with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in July 2025. This deal will bump him back up to an NHL, two-way contract – mirroring the contract details of his last deal with the Kraken: a two-year, two-way, league-minimum contract signed in 2023. Olofsson’s last NHL contract paid him $350K in minor-league salary. He will earn a bump in pay – up to $460K – in minor-league salary on this deal per PuckPedia.
With his promotion from an AHL deal to an NHL deal, the 31-year-old Olofsson will have to clear NHL waivers. He has been placed on the waiver wire per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Olofsson has served as an alternate captain with Coachella Valley for the last four seasons. Unlike in previous years, he has found a new scoring touch this season, racking up 16 points in 29 games played – third-most on the Firebirds defense behind Tyson Jugnauth and Ty Nelson. A chunk of that scoring has come over Olofsson’s last eight games, where he’s racked up five points, 10 penalty minutes, and a plus-five.
Seattle has not recalled Olofsson since the 2023-24 season. Prior to his time in Seattle, Olofsson earned extended looks in the NHL with the Minnesota Wild, including 41 games in the 2017-18 season. In total, Olofsson has racked up no goals and 11 assists in 63 games and six seasons in the NHL. His role has often been focused on the defensive side of the puck, where his long reach and big frame help close off opponents breaking into the zone. The Kraken will ensure a bit more defensive depth with this move, though it’s not likely to change Olofsson’s role in the Coachella Valley lineup for the foreseeable future.
Kraken Not Planning To Trade Tolvanen, Pending UFAs
The Seattle Kraken are “not planning” to trade winger Eeli Tolvanen or their other pending UFA players before the trade deadline unless it is an “overpayment,” according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Per Pagnotta, the Kraken are “focused on making the playoffs and adding.” Sharks Hockey Digest’s Max Miller added to Pagnotta’s report, writing that Tolvanen and his representatives are expecting to begin talks with Seattle on a contract extension this week.
Tolvanen is not the only notable pending UFA player on Seattle’s roster. Included in that group alongside Tolvanen are three notable veterans: winger Jaden Schwartz, defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, and captain Jordan Eberle.
Together with Tolvanen they form a quartet of players who would each likely receive considerable interest on the trade market, but based on Pagnotta’s report, that isn’t a path the Kraken are willing to go down.
Through 59 games this season, Seattle has amassed a 28-22-9 record with a -6 goal differential, good for 65 points and the Western Conference’s second Wild Card spot. They are three points ahead of their closest rival, the San Jose Sharks, who have 62 points and a game in hand. They are also just one point behind the Edmonton Oilers for third place in the Pacific Division, and hold two games in hand there. In other words – the Kraken have multiple routes they can take to reach the playoffs.
With that said, their form since returning from the Olympic break has been mixed. They dropped games against the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues by a combined 9-2 score, but managed a win over the struggling Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. In order to stand the best chance of not only making it to the playoffs, but also surviving beyond the first round if they do, they may need to reinforce their roster with additional veteran talent.
Pagnotta reports that the Kraken are interested in doing so, which matches up with what has been previously reported. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted on the 32 Thoughts podcast Friday that the Kraken offered north of $14MM AAV to try to sway Artemi Panarin to choose Seattle. He elected to be dealt to the Los Angeles Kings instead. But the Kraken’s pursuit of a difference-making scoring forward has persisted, including to the point where they would be willing to deal 2022 No. 4 pick Shane Wright.
Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that the Kraken “are serious about getting a player that can electrify them offensively,” and pointed to a sense of pressure that exists in Seattle to get the organization back in the playoffs for the first time since 2022-23. He even referenced the NBA’s stated interest in considering expansion cities – of which Seattle would be a strong contender – as a factor contributing to the importance of the Kraken finding a way back to the playoffs this season.
Whether the Kraken are best served retaining four pending UFAs for a stretch run that could end up concluding in a first-round matchup against the juggernaut Colorado Avalanche is a matter of debate. There are business considerations, as Friedman suggested, that the team may be wrestling with, and the reality of the NHL playoffs is that an element of randomness is guaranteed. The Kraken have pulled off an upset before, after all. So it’s not entirely unreasonable for the Kraken to bet on, and invest in, their current team.
But for a team that has largely lacked star power in its brief existence as an NHL franchise, is investing significant hockey assets in this capable, but flawed, 2025-26 Kraken team the most sensible long-term decision? That will be the question the Kraken’s hockey operations leaders will have to interrogate this week, and it will be interesting to see what path president of hockey operations Ron Francis and GM Jason Botterill elect to take.
Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Kraken Sign Ryden Evers
March 1st is the first day of the league year that teams can officially sign players to future deals that begin the following season. Seattle is among the teams that had a deal ready as the team announced that they’ve signed center Ryden Evers to a three-year, entry-level contract. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry a $1.075MM AAV and will break down as follows:
2026-27: $922.5K NHL salary, $102.5K signing bonus, $85K AHL salary
2027-28: $967.5K NHL salary, $107.5K signing bonus, $85K AHL salary
2028-29: $1.0125MM NHL salary, $112.5K signing bonus, $85K AHL salary
Evers was not drafted and was expected to play at Clarkson University next season, having committed to play there a little over two months ago. However, he evidently had a change of heart when the Kraken put this deal on the table.
Evers has spent the last two seasons with the Penticton Vees, playing in two separate leagues. The Vees were in the BCHL in 2024-25 and he finished 13th in league scoring with 24 goals and 36 assists in 54 games. This season, that team is part of the WHL and Evers has been a bit more productive, tallying 31 goals and 38 helpers in 60 games, good for 17th in league scoring.
It would be surprising to see an undrafted free agent make the jump to the NHL right away next season so Evers is likely ticketed for AHL Coachella Valley. Seattle has some strong organizational depth down the middle so he should get a chance to slowly acclimated to what will be his third straight year of playing in a different league in 2026-27.
Trade Deadline Primer: Seattle Kraken
With the Olympic break now over, the trade deadline is almost a week away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with teams in the fight for a playoff spot, next up are the Kraken.
Coming into the season, expectations weren’t particularly high for Seattle. They were coming off missing the playoffs and didn’t do much to shake up their roster. However, a significant improvement defensively under new head coach Lane Lambert has them squarely in the race for a playoff spot. But with some prominent veterans on expiring contracts, will they run the risk of letting them walk in free agency to bolster their playoff hopes or weaken those postseason odds to ensure they get a good return for some of those players?
Record
27-22-9, 4th in the Pacific (55.5% playoff probability, per MoneyPuck)
Deadline Status
Wild Card, could buy, sell, or some of each
Deadline Cap Space
$22.07MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: SEA 1st, TB 1st, SEA 2nd, ANA 4th, NYR 4th, SEA 4th, SEA 6th, NJ 7th, SEA 7th
2027: SEA 1st, TB 1st, CBJ 2nd, SEA 2nd, WPG 2nd, SEA 3rd, SEA 4th, SEA 5th, SEA 6th, SEA 7th
Trade Chips
Let’s talk about the veterans first. Up front, captain Jordan Eberle has already reached the 20-goal mark for the ninth time in his career and leads Seattle in scoring with 38 points. The captain has a full no-trade clause but his $4.75MM cap charge for a second-line winger is quite reasonable while he has a solid track record in the playoffs with a point-per-game average that’s rather close to his regular season averages.
Forward Jaden Schwartz has been a capable top-six player in recent years but, like many Kraken players this season, his output is down a bit in 2025-26. Still, with his track record and ability to play center in a pinch, there would be a market for his services, even at a $5.75MM cap charge. That said, his injury history might limit his potential return compared to another UFA winger in Eeli Tolvanen. Tolvanen brings a lot of physicality to the table with a bit of an offensive punch, although it’s highly unlikely he gets back to the 20-goal mark this season as he did a year ago. For teams looking to add some grit to their third line, his $3.475MM price tag will be appealing. Also worth noting is that Tolvanen doesn’t have any trade protection in his contract.
Perhaps their most appealing rental player is on the back end, however. Two elements that playoff-bound teams are consistently looking to add are grit and size to their blueline. Jamie Oleksiak brings both of those to the table. While he’s only a third-pairing player at five-on-five, he can log heavy penalty killing minutes, block plenty of shots, and play in late-game situations. His $4.6MM AAV for that role is on the high side but it stands to reason that Seattle would retain the maximum of 50% to maximize their return; a $2.3MM cap charge is much more affordable for contenders. Even though he’s having a bit of a down year, Oleksiak’s market will be strong if he’s put in play.
Over the last couple of months, center Shane Wright’s name has come up in a discussion of players who are believed to be available. The fourth overall pick in 2022 is a regular third-liner for the second straight season, although his offensive numbers are down from his rookie campaign when he potted 19 goals and 44 points in 79 games. Given the high demand for centers and the fact he’s easily affordable on the salary cap given that he’s on his entry-level deal, the Kraken would be well-positioned to command a quality return should they opt to trade from their center depth.
If Seattle opts to be a light buyer, one prospect to keep an eye on is Logan Morrison. A prolific scorer in junior, he’s having a strong season with AHL Coachella Valley, checking in at just under a point per game. Still, his NHL opportunity has been limited to just four games last season. He’s in his final year of waiver exemption and there could be a few teams that would have interest in giving him an NHL look down the stretch.
Team Needs
Offensive Firepower: While Seattle is much-improved defensively this season, it has come at the expense of some scoring as they’ve gone from a mid-pack team to one barely ahead of the bottom five in scoring. No player has hit 40 points yet (though Jared McCann would easily be there had he been healthy all season) and only Eberle has reached 20 goals. While the Kraken have a by-committee approach offensively, a legitimate top-six addition could go a long way toward bolstering their playoff odds, should GM Jason Botterill decide to be a buyer.
Penalty Killing Help: For all of the improved defensive play (and goaltending), one goal prevention area that still needs work is the penalty kill. They’re down nearly 6% from last season, checking in at just 71.4%, narrowly better than Vancouver who sits dead last. They’ve yet to score at four-on-five and generate the fewest shot attempts of any team in the league and the sit-back approach hasn’t quite worked. Given the importance of special teams in the playoffs, upgrading a player or two on the penalty kill – even if it’s their fourth-line or third-pairing options – could be enough of an improvement to see some legitimate improvement on that front.
Photo courtesy of Brett Holmes-Imagn Images.
Rangers Claim Tye Kartye From Kraken
1:45 p.m.: The Rangers announced that winger Brennan Othmann, not Morrow, is the roster casualty for Kartye. Othmann heads to Hartford after scoring once in 11 games on his most recent call-up.
1:03 p.m.: The Rangers have claimed winger Tye Kartye off waivers from the Kraken, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. New York does not have an open roster spot and will need to make a corresponding move.
Kartye, 24, was an undrafted free agent signed by the Kraken in 2022. He ended up on waivers yesterday after slowly slipping out of regular fourth-line deployment over the past two years. The OHL Sault Ste. Marie product is in his third NHL season but has been limited to eight points and a -6 rating through 40 games, serving as a healthy scratch in 10 of Seattle’s final 13 games before the Olympic break. He’s two years removed from a rookie season that saw him notch 11 goals and 20 points in 77 games for the Kraken, though.
With another year left on his contract at a $1.25MM cap hit, he’ll now look for more opportunity to contribute in the Rangers’ patchwork bottom-six forward group. He has a career 20-21–41 scoring line with a -21 rating in 180 career appearances. He’s primarily played left wing in his pro career, but has some versatility down the middle if needed. He’ll add another element of physical depth, averaging 2.79 hits per game for his career, while contributing a bit of scoring upside in Manhattan.
The Rangers are carrying eight defensemen, so it stands to reason that the waiver-exempt Scott Morrow, who was a healthy scratch in yesterday’s overtime loss to the Flyers, will be on his way to AHL Hartford to make room for Kartye on the active roster.
Kraken Could Make Jamie Oleksiak Available
The Kraken have at least mulled the possibility of flipping pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Jamie Oleksiak ahead of next week’s deadline, as evidenced by his placement on TSN’s latest Trade Bait board released today. Oleksiak briefly appeared in trade speculation at this time last season, too, but ultimately remained in Seattle, armed with a 16-team no-trade list.
Seattle’s in a tough spot in the standings. They’re hanging onto the last wild-card spot in the West by two points. They’re in a rather crowded group, though, with only six points of separation between fifth place in the conference (Oilers, 66) and 10th (Kings, 60). They’re not in a clear position to be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, but will likely do a little bit of both with long-term success in mind.
What’s clearer, though, is the lack of fit for Oleksiak in Seattle past this season. He’s already been forced to play a decent chunk of time on his off side due to Seattle’s excess of lefties. Of their group, Oleksiak is the only one on an expiring deal. Vince Dunn and Ryker Evans are signed through next year, while Ryan Lindgren is under contract through 2028-29.
The Kraken have strong enough playoff odds (55.8%, per MoneyPuck) that they could justify keeping Oleksiak down the stretch as an in-house rental before letting him walk in July. But even if they make the playoffs, their lowly offense will likely keep them from going anywhere. It would make sense, if there’s any interest, for Seattle to subtract Oleksiak from a position of relative strength if they can help convert his trade value into landing an impact forward.
Seattle would likely have to retain up to half of Oleksiak’s $4.6MM cap hit to make him of true interest to anyone, but that’s something they’re in a position to do with over $20MM in space by deadline day. That’s more because of his deployment, the 33-year-old is now more of a natural bottom-pairing fit after being a top-four option for several years, but he’s still provided some positive value outside of his desirable 6’7″, 252-lb frame. The Ontario-born big man has nine points and a +6 rating in 56 outings this season while featuring on the Kraken’s second penalty-killing unit. His possession numbers aren’t near the top of Seattle’s leaderboard, but don’t paint him as a liability, either, especially in primarily defensive-zone deployment. He also carries a low injury risk for a player of his size and playstyle; he hasn’t missed a contest due to an injury since November 2022.
Still, Oleksiak’s remaining trade protection is expansive enough to cause some problems. That’s just over half the league he can block a move to, but with his new club likely only being a temporary stop on his way toward free agency this summer, he may be willing to waive that protection for the right situation.
Kraken Place Tye Kartye On Waivers
The Kraken announced that they’ve placed winger Tye Kartye on waivers. He was designated as a non-roster player yesterday to make room for Berkly Catton and Ben Meyers to come off injured reserve, so today’s move offers an explanation for that. He’ll be heading to AHL Coachella Valley tomorrow if he clears.
Kartye, 24, has largely fallen off Seattle’s long-term radar since emerging as an unlikely rookie presence in 2023. The undrafted free agent made his NHL debut in that year’s postseason and racked up three goals and five points in 10 games for Seattle off the bench as the Kraken forced the Stars to seven games in the second round.
His first regular season was full of promise as well. The 5’11”, 202-lb lefty immediately locked down a regular spot – even seeing some top-nine deployment up with Matty Beniers – and hit double-digit goals and 20 points in 77 games. He finished at a respectable 10.1% clip while ranking 10th on the team in shots on goal and leading the Kraken with 229 hits.
Since flashing that potential as a top-nine power forward with some much-needed physical juice, he hasn’t been able to keep up the offensive juice to justify receiving that ice time. Last season, his production fell to six goals and 14 points with a -14 rating in 63 games, becoming a semi-frequent healthy scratch in the process. His ice time dipped below 10 minutes per game as his shot generation nearly halved, although he still held up his end of the bargain in the hits department.
This year has been more of the same from the Ontario native. Through 40 games, he’s posted three goals and eight points with 98 hits. He plays a penalty-killing role when dressed, but that was becoming increasingly rare. He’d played in three straight prior to the break but was scratched for 10 consecutive games before that.
With another season left after this one at a $1.25MM cap hit, Kartye will still incur a $100K charge for the Kraken if he clears and is assigned to Coachella Valley. As Seattle leans into giving more ice time to younger names like Catton, Jacob Melanson, and Ryan Winterton, Kartye could be in line for his first non-conditioning assignment to the AHL since his first pro season back in 2022-23. He had 28 goals and 57 points in 72 games as a rookie that year.
Canucks Listening On Jake DeBrusk
Canucks winger Evander Kane is a known piece of trade bait after his struggles producing at home in Vancouver, especially given his pending free-agent status, but he’s not the only ‘Nucks winger on the market this spring. Vancouver is also listening to offers on Jake DeBrusk after being informed he is willing to waive his no-movement clause, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.
It’s not at all surprising that the Canucks would listen to offers for DeBrusk, given the way their season has played out and considering their bevy of other bloated long-term commitments. The Canucks signed DeBrusk to a seven-year, $38.5MM contract with a $5.5MM cap hit in free agency in 2024 after he spent the first seven years of his career with the Bruins. DeBrusk was two years removed from a 50-point showing and had hit 25 goals three times in Boston, so he was viewed as an important piece to help replace a Vancouver middle six that had lost Elias Lindholm and Ilya Mikheyev that summer.
Things have gone quite poorly in Vancouver since his arrival, though. Their offense, which scored 3.40 goals per game in their Pacific Division-winning 2023-24 campaign, dropped to 2.84 GF/G last season and further to 2.54 this year. They’re in a seven-point hole in last place in the league coming out of the break and have no hope of re-entering the playoff picture. They’ll want to sell off as much as possible to accelerate the rebuild that began with the Quinn Hughes trade earlier this season, but without any high-end pending UFAs to dangle, moving largely consistent producers with control like DeBrusk has to be a consideration.
While DeBrusk’s 13 goals in 57 games this season are one of the worst per-game outputs of his career, his overall point production – adding 15 assists for 28 points – has been enough to rank third on Vancouver in scoring behind Elias Pettersson and Filip Hronek. He’s also been brought down by a terrible 8.3% finishing rate, nearly half of last year’s mark and well below his career average. Averaging north of 17 minutes per game, he’s generating shot attempts at a career-best rate, although his usually above-water possession metrics leave something to be desired.
All that said, DeBrusk is ripe for an increase in production with a change of scenery. At a $5.5MM cap hit, his career average of 24 goals and 46 points per 82 games becomes attractive in a rising cap environment, especially as he’s cost-controlled for five more seasons with gradually relaxing trade protection. Producers with similar recent offensive track records, like Michael Bunting and Anders Lee, are projected to earn as much or more on the open market this summer.
Considering teams are facing what now looks to be a historically weak UFA class this summer, next week’s deadline could be a chance for clubs to do early bidding to address future holes in their roster. DeBrusk will be of interest to many in need of short and long-term top-nine help. Among the teams to have placed exploratory calls on DeBrusk are the Kraken and Red Wings, plus the Bruins exploring a reunion with him, per Pagnotta, but all of those conversations still appear to be in their early stages.
Kraken Activate Berkly Catton And Ben Meyers
The Kraken welcomed back a pair of forwards to their lineup tonight against Dallas. The team announced (Twitter link) that forwards Berkly Catton and Ben Meyers have been activated off injured reserve.
Catton is in his first NHL season and it has been one with multiple starts and stops between injuries and early-season game management while they decided on if they’d keep him up for the full year. The 20-year-old was a prolific point producer in junior but prime offensive minutes have been harder to come by this season as he has just 11 points in 40 games while logging just 12:23 of playing time per game.
Catton had been dealing with an upper-body sustained late last month against Toronto. However, thanks to the Olympic break, he wound up only missing three games despite being sidelined for a month. While he would have been eligible for a short-term AHL conditioning stint coming off an injury – he’s not eligible to play there otherwise this season – that won’t be the route that Seattle takes.
As for Meyers, it has been a good week for him. Not only has he been cleared to return from his lower-body injury that cost him more than a month, but he also signed a two-year extension just yesterday. The 27-year-old has 11 points in 31 games this season after having just eight over his first 75 appearances, spanning four years.
Seattle had one open spot prior to these moves. To create the other spot, winger Tye Kartye was designated as a non-roster player. There is no word on what has happened for him to be placed there or when he might return. The 24-year-old has eight points and 98 hits in 40 games so far this season.
Kraken Sign Ryan Winterton To Two-Year Extension
It has been an eventful evening for the Seattle Kraken, announcing that Ryan Winterton has been signed to a two-year contract extension worth $1.125MM per season. The forward would have become a restricted free agent after the season, now with a nice increase from his current $828k entry level deal. Winterton’s contract news came out tonight along with teammate Ben Meyers‘ extension.
A third round selection of Seattle in their inaugural 2021 draft class, Winterton has emerged as a nice find with a strong bottom six potential. Standing at 6’2″, the 22-year-old recorded at least 35 points in each of his two AHL seasons, now breaking through as a regular in the lineup. Across 54 games so far, the Ontario native has 15 points, missing just two contests to this point.
Back in August, Winterton was listed as the Kraken’s ninth-best prospect by Steven Ellis of The Fourth Period. A franchise whose efforts to build a contender immediately proved ineffective, with shuffling behind the bench, Seattle has finally started to assemble a formidable next wave of young players; Winterton helping round out the group with a high floor outlook.
Winterton’s development is still a work in progress, as his possession metrics at even strength remain below average, but he’s shown real improvement from last season’s -11 in just 12 games, now into the positives across his 54 games. Serving as a penalty killer in the team’s bottom six, he offers enough speed and puck skills to carve out a role under Head Coach Lane Lambert.
Now locked up until after the 2027-28 season, where he’ll still remain under team control, Winterton is expected to grow further over the next two seasons on his way to becoming a fixture of Seattle’s lineup.