Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Kraken Rumors

Shane Wright Signs Entry-Level Contract

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Seattle Kraken have signed their top draft choice, Shane Wright, to a three-year entry-level contract. The young forward was selected fourth overall earlier this month.

Wright has a lot to prove after falling out of the top three, an unexpected result for not only him but most of the hockey world. He’ll now get a chance to become one of the first franchise icons in Seattle, if he can live up to the expectations that have been on him since he was in minor hockey.

For the Kraken, the idea of slotting in Wright and Matty Beniers down the middle for the next decade is extremely appealing, though there may be a steep learning curve this season with the youngsters in the lineup every night.

That is of course assuming Wright makes the Kraken. As an 18-year-old, he can’t be assigned to the minor leagues, meaning it’s either Seattle or Kingston for the young forward.

Seattle Kraken Sign Andre Burakovsky

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Seattle Kraken are getting a big free agent name yet again, signing winger Andre Burakovsky to a five-year deal worth a total of $27.5MM.

It’s an interesting move for the Kraken, who seem to be set on surrounding some of their elite young players with enough talent to be competitive. Burakovsky can potentially join a player like Matthew Beniers in his first full season, giving him a skilled winger that can contribute at both ends of the rink. The 27-year-old had 22 goals and 61 points this season, career-highs in both categories.

Still, even with that strong performance, there has still been criticism of inconsistency levied at the Austrian forward. Burakovsky can go through stretches where he seems extremely ineffective, only to then take over a game completely the next night. Standing 6’3″ with good speed and hands, there has always seemed to be no limit on what he could become at the NHL level.

Perhaps his time in Colorado has truly unlocked that potential and the Kraken are getting a player who has scored at an impeccable rate over the last three seasons. Since joining the Avalanche in 2019, Burakovsky has 150 points in 191 games, numbers that Seattle would obviously welcome with open arms.

A five-year deal carries plenty of risk though, especially if he reverts to the player that had just 25 points in 76 games for the Washington Capitals in 2018-19. Burakovsky is now tied for the highest-paid forward on the Kraken, and signed as long as anyone else on the roster.

Seattle Kraken Sign Andrew Poturalski

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Seattle Kraken are signing one of the AHL’s best, getting forward Andrew Poturalski on a two-year, one-way deal, per his agency Bartlett Hockey. Poturalski is coming off of a Calder Cup championship with the Chicago Wolves.

The 28-year-old undrafted forward may have only four NHL games to his name, but make no mistake: this is one of the deadliest scorers the AHL has to offer. Forming a lethal partnership with Stefan Noesen, Poturalski scored 28 goals and 101 points in just 71 games and topped that regular-season brilliance off with 23 points in 19 playoff games. This year wasn’t a fluke, either, as Poturalski has been a highly productive player for the majority of his AHL career.

By signing in Seattle, Poturalski has secured a starring role on the AHL’s newest team, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. In signing Poturalski, the Firebirds have made a major splash and signed the player who is likely to lead them in scoring. Coach Dan Bylsma now has a top-of-the-lineup scoring threat and this signing is indicative of the Kraken organization’s desire to give their AHL affiliate all the tools they need to have a strong first season.

Justin Schultz Expected To Sign With Seattle Kraken

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Former Washington Capitals defenseman Justin Schultz is expected to head to the Seattle Kraken on a two-year deal worth roughly $3MM per season, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

It had been long rumored that the Kraken would be after an offensive defenseman who could help them on their powerplay and help them in transition. Schultz is exactly that, having made his career around his offensive abilities since breaking into the league in 2012-13. Schultz’s offensive production isn’t what it once was, with his 23 points in 74 games representing a sharp decline from his 27 points in 46 games last season.

But even with that in mind, one has to remember that the kind of profile Schultz brings isn’t exactly easily found on the market. Defense-first, crease-clearing defensemen are more common on the open market than ones with fifty-point seasons on their resumes, so Schultz is perhaps the most suitable option for the Kraken if they did not want to dip into the deep end of the market and acquire a player like John Klingberg.

The biggest risk with this signing, though, is in Schultz’s health. Schultz has struggled to play consistently in recent years, and has not been able to cross even the 70 games played mark since 2016-17. At a $3MM price tag, the Kraken will not only need Schultz to be productive, they’ll also need him to be healthy. That’s a major risk to take for a player who just turned 32 years old. Kraken GM Ron Francis entered this offseason with a clear mandate: improve the Kraken offensively. Schultz is his first choice in that quest, and it’s a big swing. Time will tell if it works out.

Seattle Kraken Re-Sign Alexander True

at CDT | by 3 Comments

One of the NHL’s few Danish players is sticking around, as the Seattle Kraken have re-signed forward Alexander True to a two-way, one-year contract extension with a $750,000 cap hit, per the team.

True was Seattle’s selection from the San Jose Sharks in last year’s expansion draft. Joining the Sharks as an undrafted free agent, he quickly worked his way up the organizational ranks but hasn’t transitioned into an NHL role yet. It was more of the same this year, with True going without a point in eight games with Seattle, but having a strong campaign with AHL Charlotte. He led the team with 42 points in 60 games, also going point-per-game in the playoffs (seven in seven).

Given the team’s expected activity in free agency and the amount of forwards under contract, the two-way deal is likely an indication that True is slated to be a key player for the inaugural edition of the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. There’s still some upside for the soon-to-be 25-year-old, but a decent NHL showing needs to come sooner rather than later.

Seattle Kraken Expected To Re-Sign Karson Kuhlman

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Seattle Kraken appear to be bringing back a familiar face by signing Karson Kuhlman to a one-year standard contract worth $825K, according to CapFriendly. The deal will carry Kuhlamn through 2022-23 and leave him a UFA after the season. Kuhlman was among the Kraken players who did not come to the team via the expansion draft, and was instead claimed on waivers in January from the Boston Bruins.

After another solid season, Kuhlman, an energy-type player appeared to earn another look from a Kraken team that is still building searching for its identity. The forward put up three goals and seven assists in 44 games between Boston and Seattle in 2021-22, but eight of those 10 points came in just 25 games with the Kraken. Now the forward should have a chance to make an impact in training camp to try and earn regular minutes for Seattle, or if not, as a quality depth piece for 2022-23.

Kuhlman began his amateur career as a member of the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL before attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he played much the same role as he does now. After his college career, the undrafted free agent signed with the Bruins, joining the Providence Bruins for two games to round out 2017-18. He would have a solid season for Providence the following year while also making his NHL debut with Boston the same year. The 26-year-old spent the rest of his career with Boston, occasionally making stops in Providence before this season’s waiver claim that sent him out to Seattle.

Seattle Kraken Select Shane Wright Fourth Overall

at CDT | by 9 Comments

When the Seattle Kraken arrived in Montreal, they probably didn’t think they would be making this pick. Shane Wright is the fourth-overall selection and will join the NHL’s newest franchise.

Captain of the Kingston Frontenacs, Wright is coming off a season in which he scored 32 goals and 94 points in 63 games, an impressive total considering he started slow after missing the entire 2020-21 campaign when the OHL canceled the season because of COVID-19 restrictions.

It was in late 2018 that Wright applied for CHL exceptional status, which would allow him to enter the major junior league a year early. He wouldn’t turn 15 for another month, and wouldn’t be granted the status for another three, but there was already a momentum growing for the young center from Burlington, Ontario.

When he was just 13, top NHL player agents had lined up to advise him through the process, knowing that there was a potential star in the making. By the time he made his OHL debut in the 2019-20 season, he was already the odds-on favorite for the top spot in 2022, and he didn’t disappoint. As a rookie, he not only scored 39 goals in 58 games, snapping the puck past goaltenders from all angles but Wright was also named an alternate captain for Kingston, the youngest in team history.

The scene was set for him to follow in the footsteps of other exceptional players, including Connor McDavid, John Tavares, and Aaron Ekblad, who had all been taken at the top of their respective drafts as well. When he was granted the status, he was still comparing himself to Mathew Barzal, focusing on the offensive abilities of the New York Islanders star. Today, he says he would rather model his game after Patrice Bergeron, with defensive ability and the “details” of the game ranking just as importantly.

Having dropped to Seattle, general manager Ron Francis will happily snap up the top prospect and give him the chance to pair with Matty Beniers down the middle to prove those three teams wrong.

Coachella Valley Hires Jessica Campbell

at CDT | by 14 Comments

Campbell and Bylsma will take the reins of a new AHL franchise in its first year, one that still has plenty of spots to fill. Because they are so new to the league, the Seattle Kraken have yet to populate the system with many draft picks and actually have just 23 players signed to NHL contracts in the entire organization. That’s obviously not enough to give the Firebirds a fighting chance, meaning plenty of work will be needed by Ron Francis and company in the coming weeks and months.

Seattle Kraken Hire Steve Briere

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

During the 2021-22 season there was no team with a worse save percentage than the Seattle Kraken. The team has made a move to try and address that though not with an on-ice change. Instead, the team has hired goaltending coach Steve Briere, who had previously parted ways with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Briere, 45, has spent the last seven seasons with Toronto, working most notably with Frederik Andersen during his time there. A disciple of famously successful goalie coach Mitch Korn, who is currently with the New York Islanders, Briere had an up-and-down tenure with the Maple Leafs, his first role in the NHL.

Notably, he goes to a situation in Seattle that should be relatively comfortable. Head coach Dave Hakstol worked alongside Briere in Toronto for a time, serving as an assistant on Mike Babcock’s staff. The two obviously have a good enough relationship to continue it with the Kraken, where they’ll try to improve on that .880 save percentage from year one.

Among the reasons why the Kraken didn’t perform up to many expectations was the goaltending issue, as a career-.920 netminder Philipp Grubauer posted a brutal .889 save percentage, and backup Chris Driedger failed to do much better. The system, the defense, or bad luck could be partly to blame but there is also a good amount of responsibility to be heaped on the goaltenders themselves, and the coaching staff that was tasked with preparing them.

Briere will try to change that next season, after a dreadful first campaign in Seattle.

Kraken Re-Sign Gustav Olofsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Kraken have taken care of one of their pending free agents, announcing the re-signing of defenseman Gustav Olofsson to a one-year, two-way deal.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal pays $750K in the NHL and $275K in the minors, a small raise from the $200K AHL salary he had this past season.

The 27-year-old signed with Seattle as a Group Six UFA last summer after spending the previous three seasons in Montreal’s system.  Olofsson was brought in to give the Kraken some recallable depth in case injuries arise although he was never called upon.  Instead, he played in 41 games with AHL Charlotte, picking up two goals and seven assists.

Olofsson will need to pass through waivers to return to the minors next season where Seattle’s new AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, will debut.  Having cleared on the wire in each of the last four seasons, that should happen once again in training camp.  With 59 career NHL appearances under his belt between Montreal and Minnesota, Olofsson will be a useful depth piece once again.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top