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Ales Stezka Signs Three-Year Deal With Czechia’s HC Kometa Brno

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After spending the last two seasons with the Kraken, goaltender Ales Stezka is headed back to his native Czechia. The Extraliga’s HC Kometa Brno announced a three-year contract for the netminder on Wednesday.

Stezka, 28, was set to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He was a fourth-round pick of the Wild back in 2015 but never signed with them, spending his entire professional career in Czechia until landing an entry-level contract with Seattle in 2023.

The 6’4″ netminder spent his first season on the West Coast as the No. 4 option on the depth chart and the backup in AHL Coachella Valley to veteran Chris Driedger, logging a strong 2.48 GAA, .914 SV%, two shutouts, and an 18-6-2 record in 27 appearances. While he could have been a UFA last summer as well, the Kraken liked what they saw and wanted to keep him around for another season, especially since they didn’t plan to re-sign Driedger. He accepted a rather rich two-way extension for 2024-25 as a result, paying him a $300K minors salary.

2024-25 wasn’t as smooth a campaign for Coachella Valley as a whole, particularly in the goaltending department. Stezka’s numbers regressed to a 3.07 GAA, .899 SV%, and 9-12-9 record in 26 games as he lost the starter’s crease to 21-year-old Niklas Kokko. He still got his first NHL start, though, and spent a couple of weeks on the roster while veteran Philipp Grubauer was sent to the minors in an effort to jumpstart his game. He allowed three goals on 23 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Lightning on Feb. 23, which will likely stand as his lone career NHL appearance when all is said and done.

With some other young goalies in the Seattle system looking for more AHL time next season, there wasn’t a logical fit for Stezka moving forward. He’ll return to the Extraliga, where he was named the league’s best goalie in 2022-23 following a 2.14 GAA and .924 SV% with HC Vítkovice in 39 games, instead of pursuing another NHL contract. He has a career 2.45 GAA, .913 SV%, six shutouts, and a 49-42-0 record in 92 games in the top Czech league.

Free Agent Focus: Seattle Kraken

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Free agency is less than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Kraken.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Kaapo Kakko – After joining the Kraken in a mid-season trade from the New York Rangers, Kakko seems to have found his stride in Seattle. While he recorded just 14 points in 30 games with the Rangers, he flourished in 40 games with the Kraken, scoring 10 goals and totaling 30 points. That level of production over 82 games would equate to a 50-point season. Given that the former second-overall pick is still just 24 years old, he may be finally finding his footing in the league. A continued partnership appears to make good sense for both parties.

F Tye Kartye – If the Kraken and new head coach Lane Lambert prioritize bottom-six forwards with a physical presence, bringing Kartye back into the fold would be a logical move. While the forward saw his offensive numbers slightly dip from his rookie campaign, Kartye finished second on the team with 175 hits despite skating in just 63 games. The 24-year-old put up 11 goals and 20 points during the 2023-24 season, showcasing some offensive upside.

D Ryker Evans – While there weren’t many positives for the Kraken during the 2024-25 season, the emergence of Evans as a bona fide NHLer was one of them. Frequently paired with veteran Brandon Montour, Evans posted solid numbers in his first full NHL season, registering 25 points, 123 hits, and 106 blocked shots. His hit total ranked first among the team’s defensemen and third overall, while his blocked shots also finished third. A long-term deal could pair Evans and Montour for years to come.

Other RFAs: D Cale Fleury, D Peetro Seppala

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Michael Eyssimont – Acquired by the Kraken as a part of the Yanni Gourde trade, Eyssimont made a moderate impact in Seattle. In 20 games, he contributed four goals and six points while averaging 10:26 of ice time per game. Eyssimont, 28, has skated in over 200 NHL games and will provide whichever team he lands with a reliable bottom-six depth piece. However, he was simply a secondary addition to the first-round picks Seattle received the Gourde deal. A veteran of four NHL seasons, Eyssimont has already played for four different franchises and could add a fifth when free agency begins. He represents the team’s only non-roster player set for unrestricted free agency.

Other UFAs: F Brandon Biro, F Luke Henman (Group6), D Gustav Olofsson, D Maxime Lajoie, D Nikolas Brouillard, G Ales Stezka

Projected Cap Space

With minimal players set to hit free agency, the Kraken, president of hockey ops Ron Francis and GM Jason Botterill find themselves with plenty of spending room. According to PuckPedia, Seattle has nearly $20MM in cap space. While some of that will likely go towards retaining restricted free agents like Kakko and Evans, Botterill and company should still have plenty of wiggle room to make a splash in free agency if they choose to do so. Now that the team has finalized its coaching staff, they can turn their attention to the future of the roster. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently said on his 32 Thoughts podcast that he feels the Kraken could play a factor in outbidding other teams for restricted free agents.

“I think Seattle is really eager to take a step this year. They have a lot of cap room, a lot of draft picks, and a lot of flexibility. I don’t know how Jason Botterill or Ron Francis feel about offer sheets, but it was pointed out to me that Seattle has the flexibility to go down that route if they wanted to. So, that’s another team people should be watching,” he said.

Seattle Kraken Announce Assistant Coaching Hires

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The Seattle Kraken are no longer one of the few remaining teams with numerous vacancies on their coaching staff. The Kraken announced they’ve hired Aaron Schneekloth and Chris Taylor as assistant coaches, and Colin Zulianello as the team’s new goaltending coach.

Schneekloth’s hiring comes with little surprise, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman linked him to the Kraken’s assistant coaching vacancy a few days ago. Schneekloth was serving as the head coach of the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, taking over as the main bench boss upon Greg Cronin’s departure after the 2022-23 campaign. He coached the Eagles to an 83-46-10-5 record over two years, guiding the team to become regular season champions of the Pacific Division and advancing to the Division Finals in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Unlike Schneekloth, Taylor won’t be a rookie coach at the NHL level. After spending eight years as the assistant coach and head coach of the AHL’s Rochester Americans, Taylor was hired by the New Jersey Devils as an assistant coach ahead of the 2020-21 season under then-head coach, Lindy Ruff. Taylor survived New Jersey’s transition from Ruff to Travis Green, and then from Green to Sheldon Keefe.

Ultimately, the Kraken decided to hire their next goaltending coach from within the organization. Zulianello has been in the same role for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds for the last three years. He had plenty of experience with Seattle’s current starting netminder, Joey Daccord, from the 2022-23 season, and aided in the Firebirds allowing fewer than 200 goals against in two out of his three years as the team’s goaltending coach.

Kraken Linked To Aaron Schneekloth For Assistant Coach Vacancy

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The Kraken are aiming to hire AHL Colorado head coach Aaron Schneekloth to fill one of their assistant coach vacancies, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on Sunday’s 32 Thoughts podcast.

Schneekloth, 46, has a 12-year coaching career spent exclusively with the Colorado Eagles club, dating back to their days as the ECHL affiliate of the Jets and Flames from 2013-14 to 2015-16. He started as an assistant coach but was promoted to head coach when the Eagles affiliated with the Avs beginning in 2016-17. He stayed on staff when the Eagles were promoted from the ECHL to the AHL for the 2018-19 season to accommodate the NHL’s expansion to Vegas, but was demoted back to an assistant role under Greg Cronin, whom the Avs hired that offseason to serve as their new minor-league bench boss.

When Cronin left Colorado in the 2023 offseason to accept the Ducks’ head coaching position, the Avs offered the internal promotion to Schneekloth. The Eagles have remained one of the AHL’s premier clubs under his watch, posting an 83-46-15 record over the last two seasons. They won the Pacific Division regular-season title for the first time since their promotion from the ECHL. However, they were eliminated in the Calder Cup Playoffs by the Abbotsford Canucks in the Division Final.

Under Schneekloth, the Eagles also won back-to-back Kelly Cups during his two seasons at the helm in the ECHL. The Calgary native has been with the organization since his playing days as a defenseman, first joining them in 2006 when they played in the now-defunct Central Hockey League. He never reached the NHL level and only got a cup of coffee in the AHL early in his career but was an elite offensive presence in the lower-level minors, including two seasons over a point per game for the Eagles and a 20-goal, 62-point campaign in 72 games in their first season in the ECHL en route to being named the league’s Defenseman of the Year. He also won a Central Hockey League championship with the Eagles in 2007 and an NCAA national title with North Dakota in 2000.

Seattle has two assistant coach vacancies they’re looking to fill. After installing Lane Lambert as their new head coach, they announced Dave Lowry and, later, Bob Woods, would not be returning to Lambert’s staff. Goalie coach Steve Briere was fired alongside Lowry as well, so only assistant coach Jessica Campbell is returning from last year’s coaching group.

Kraken Fire Assistant Coach Bob Woods

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As the Seattle Kraken continue to retool their coaching staff, the team announced today that they have relieved assistant coach Bob Woods of his duties after just one season with the organization.

General manager Jason Botterill said, “As Lane Lambert continues to evaluate the coaching staff, we have made the decision to relieve Bob Woods of his duties. We appreciate all of Bob’s hard work and dedication to the Kraken and wish him luck going forward.”

Woods was hired by the team last July to serve as a veteran support for then-head coach Dan Bylsma. However, following a disappointing season in which the Kraken finished with a 35–41–6 record, placing seventh in the Pacific Division, Bylsma was fired. In his place, the Kraken recently hired Lane Lambert, who will likely seek to add a coach who shares his defensive philosophies.

Woods, who was added to Bylsma’s staff last year to help coach the defensive unit, has a history of success working with notable defensemen such as John Carlson, Ryan Suter, and Jared Spurgeon over his coaching career. However, Seattle’s defense struggled last season, allowing 265 goals, one of the highest totals in the Western Conference.

Woods began his coaching career in 1998 as a player/coach in the ECHL, and also spent time coaching in the AHL, where he won the 2009 Calder Cup as head coach of the Hershey Bears. As an assistant in the NHL, Woods has spent time with the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, and Minnesota Wild, in addition to his year with the Kraken.

Kraken Fire Coaches Dave Lowry And Steve Briere

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New Seattle Kraken head coach Lane Lambert is taking time to reevaluate the team’s coaching staff. As such, the Kraken have relieved assistant coach Dave Lowry and goalie coach Steve Briere of their duties with the club. It appears Seattle will retain Jessica Campbell and Bob Woods as assistant coaches, and will move forward looking to fill only two vacancies behind the bench. Both Lowry and Briere joined the Kraken in the 2022-23 season.

Briere moved to Seattle after serving seven seasons as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ goalie coach. He oversaw the most consistent stretch in Toronto’s net in recent memory, presiding over Frederik Andersen in all four of his full seasons as the Leafs’ starter. Andersen fell to injury and only played 24 games in the 2020-21 campaign, opening the door for Jack Campbell to win over the starting role. But after a breakout performance in his spot starts, Campbell quickly began to cede starts to Petr Mrazek, Erik Kallgren, and Joseph Woll in the 2021-22 season. The Maple Leafs let both Campbell and Briere walk to free agency in the following summer.

Briere has since supported Joey Daccord’s takeover of Seattle’s starting role. The Kraken were led by Martin Jones and Philipp Grubauer in Briere’s first season, but Daccord was able to overcome both veterans last year. He cemented his role with multiple strong performances, and finished the year with a stout 19-18-11 record and .916 save percentage. His save percentage slipped to a .906 this year, but he grew his record to 27-23-5, while appearing in seven games. Now, Daccord will look to play his first 60-game season under the guidance of a new coach.

Lowry’s path to Seattle was much less linear. He was once a prominent NHL winger who earned 19 seasons in the league on the back of hefty and physical hockey. En route to a career that spanned 1,084 games, Lowry spent time with the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks, and ultimately ended his career with the Calgary Flames. He stuck around Calgary in the years after retiring, and wound up as the head coach of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen in the 2008-09 season. In what was his first notable head coaching role, Lowry took a Hitmen roster led by Martin Jones to the WHL Championship, only to lose out to the Kelowna Rockets.

The run to a championship series earned Lowry a reunion with the Flames in the following year. He spent the next three seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Calgary, only to return to the WHL as the head coach of the Victoria Royals in 2012-13. Lowry was again a playoff mainstay in Victoria, though he wasn’t able to push the roster past the second round of the playoffs. He spent five years in Victoria, only to return to the NHL in 2017 for two seasons as an assistant with the Los Angeles Kings. Again finding little success, Lowry returned to the WHL to coach the 2019-20 Brandon Wheat Kings team that ultimately missed the postseason. He’s been back in the NHL ever since that missed performance.

Now, Lowry once again finds himself looking for new work. He’ll seemingly have NHL and WHL roles to choose from moving forward, with little more than personal preference guiding his preference for one league or the other. Lowry has been a prominent NHL name since the 1985 season, and should find ample work wherever he moves to next.

Photo courtesy of Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports

Biro Expected To Sign In KHL

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  • Pending Kraken UFA forward Brandon Biro is expected to sign with KHL Vityaz, relays Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express. The 27-year-old signed with Seattle in free agency last summer after seeing just five NHL games with Buffalo.  However, Biro didn’t see any time at the top level this season, instead collecting just six goals and 28 assists in 54 games with AHL Coachella Valley.

Kraken Sign Ben Meyers To One-Year Extension

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The Seattle Kraken have announced a one-year extension for forward Ben Meyers. The contract will be one-way and carry a league-minimum salary of $775K. This deal is identical to Meyers’ last two contracts. He was previously set to expire as a Group-Six unrestricted free agent this season, with arbitration eligibility.

Meyers found a strong stride in the minor leagues this season. He led the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds in scoring with 51 points in 57 games – a hardy improvement over the 25 points he scored in 32 games last season. Meyers also appeared in eight games with Seattle this year, but didn’t record any scoring. The stint with the Kraken nonetheless continued his search for a hardy NHL role, which has spanned three clubs and four seasons. He signed his first pro deal with the Colorado Avalanche at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, and joined the NHL ranks part-time in the 2022-23 season. But despite strong scoring in the minors – 24 points in 30 games – and 39 games at the NHL level, Meyers was only able to contribute four goals to the Avalanche’s effort.

Colorado continued to supply Meyers opportunity through 2023-24, but he wasn’t able to stick as more than a top-end minor-leaguer. That prompted a move to the Anaheim Ducks partway through the year, where he added two assists in 14 more NHL games. In total, Meyers has appeared in 75 NHL games through his career, but only managed eight points.

The winds could soon be shifting, though – evidenced by his starring role with the Firebirds this season. Seattle seems confident that he’ll be an impact player somewhere throughout the organization, and reward him with a one-way deal as a result. Next season will mark a chance for Meyers to return to the star role in Coachella Valley, and hopefully find his first score as a member of the Kraken.

Kraken Sign Kaden Hammell To Entry-Level Contract

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With today being the signing deadline for several prospects across the NHL, the Kraken got in a signing just before the 4 PM CT deadline.  Seattle has signed defenseman Kaden Hammell to a three-year, entry-level contract, relays Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle (Twitter link).

The 20-year-old was drafted in the fifth round back in 2023, going 148th overall.  Hammell was not a big point producer throughout the bulk of his WHL career but he saved his best performance for last.  He played in 59 regular season games with Everett this season, notching 10 goals and 28 assists before following that up with 13 points in as many outings in the playoffs which might have been enough to get this contract.

Hammell is eligible to return to junior for an overage season where he’d likely play a top role with the Silvertips.  Alternatively, Seattle could elect to start him in the minors, either with AHL Coachella Valley or ECHL Kansas City, allowing him to get a start on his professional career.  With the Kraken signing Andrei Loshko back in April, they didn’t lose the rights to any prospects at today’s deadline.

Luke Richardson Had Interest In Kraken Head Coaching Role

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