Seattle Kraken Claim Magnus Hellberg
After a short vacation in Ottawa, Magnus Hellberg is a Seattle Kraken once more. The veteran goaltender has been reclaimed by Seattle off waivers today. Mike Reilly and Nikita Zaitsev, who were on waivers with him, both cleared.
Hellberg, 31, returned from five years in the KHL last season to play one game for the Detroit Red Wings and show he was ready for an NHL job. After signing a one-way contract with Seattle in early July, he ended up on waivers as the season began. With the Senators dealing with an injury to Cam Talbot, they snagged the 6’6″ netminder but gave him just a single start. Hellberg posted a .935 save percentage in his one game, winning it.
Given the injuries to Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger, it always made a lot of sense for the Kraken to bring Hellberg back. The team has been relying heavily on Martin Jones through the first part of the year, who, to his credit, has posted a 7-3-1 record and .907 save percentage. Joey Daccord, the backup by default, has seen just a single appearance since Grubauer went down.
The Kraken have actually been excellent of late, winning their last five to take second place in the Pacific Division. That is despite the below-average goaltending they’ve received, a similar story to a year ago. Grubauer was brutal again to start the year and even with Jones’ better performance, they could still use a few more saves to really put them over the top. If Hellberg can show a consistent presence in the net, there is a real opportunity for him to see NHL minutes.
The team has not yet announced what their plan is for the big netminder, but if they were the only club to submit a claim, he could be assigned directly to the minor leagues without clearing again.
Latest On Shane Wright
Just five games into his professional career, it seems as though Shane Wright‘s world has been turned upside down. The former exceptional-status OHL star was drafted fourth-overall by the Seattle Kraken at this past summer’s NHL draft, and from the moment he was drafted (and perhaps even before that as well) there had been the expectation that Wright would step immediately into an NHL lineup.
So far, Wright has been a healthy scratch for the majority of the Kraken’s contests, and when he does play he averages just under seven minutes of ice time per game. Wright has taken just a single shot on net in the games he’s played, and there seems to be significant confusion as to what the Kraken’s development plan exactly is with their top prospect.
On tonight’s Insider Trading program, TSN’s Darren Dreger shed some light on what the Kraken are planning to do with Wright this year. Per Dreger, it is “very likely” that Seattle will retain Wright rather than send him back to his OHL team, the Kingston Frontenacs. Due to the transfer agreement between the NHL and CHL, Wright must either be in the NHL or the OHL, and cannot be reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate the way other prospects can be.
That being said, though, Dreger notes that per the NHL-CHL agreement Wright would be permitted a one-time AHL reassignment if he is a healthy scratch for five-straight games.
That assignment would last a maximum of fourteen days, though, so it still wouldn’t be a long-term solution. What it would do is allow Wright to at least get some game action under his belt, and he may even be able to play a top-of-the-lineup role if that’s what coach Dan Bylsma would have in mind.
The Firebirds are 4-2 to start their first-ever season and have four players who are so far scoring at above a point-per-game rate. Perhaps the Kraken believe that a short stay in an environment more friendly to Wright’s offensive development could spark him to be more assertive upon his return to the NHL lineup.
Dreger reports that the short-term AHL route is “something the Kraken are considering,” and adds that Seattle is also considering loaning Wright to Team Canada so that he could take on a starring role in the World Junior Championships.
Those games begin in December, though, so in the more immediate term, the Kraken will need to settle on what exactly they plan on doing with Wright, because his current situation is far from ideal for his growth.
The Kraken are looking to have a more competitive season than they had last year, and coach Dave Hakstol could very well be on the hot seat after their disappointing first campaign.
On one hand, if he believes leaving Wright (who, to be fair, has not looked great in his limited NHL action) out of his nightly lineup gives him the best chance to win games, one can certainly respect that decision.
But on the other hand, Wright is one of the Kraken organization’s most important assets. He is a potential long-term solution down the middle, a possible future top-six center to pair with Matty Beniers for the next decade or longer.
His development into that sort of player would be a major step forward for the Kraken, meaning hindering Wright’s growth in order to win in the short term is something that could cost Seattle dearly in the future.
Pictures courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Seattle Kraken Re-Assign Christopher Gibson
Nov 3: With Jones rejoining the team, Gibson has been sent back to the AHL.
Nov 1: According to the team’s public relations department, the Seattle Kraken have recalled goaltender Christopher Gibson from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Gibson, who had been playing on an AHL contract with the Firebirds to start the season, signed with the Kraken late last week and subsequently cleared waivers.
Exactly why the team has opted to recall Gibson at this point is unclear, and it could mean more bad news on the injury front for a team already reeling from both Philipp Grubauer‘s and Chris Driedger‘s absences. It could also mean that the team is giving current starter Martin Jones the night off as he and his wife welcomed a child last week, with Joey Daccord already expected to start tonight in Calgary. In that case, Gibson is purely up for a day or two to serve as the backup before he can be immediately returned to Coachella Valley, given he cleared waivers less than 30 days ago.
Gibson, 29, has a less-than-stellar .706 save percentage in two appearances with Coachella Valley so far, also credited with one loss. The minor-league veteran has 16 NHL appearances under his belt, the majority of which came with the New York Islanders in the mid-to-late 2010s. He has an NHL career goals-against average of 3.33, a save percentage of .903 and a 4-5-3 record.
Seattle Kraken Sign Christopher Gibson; Place On Waivers
10/28/22: As reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Gibson has cleared waivers. He will now be able to remain with the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL.
10/27/22: With so many injuries to their goaltenders, the Seattle Kraken have converted one of their minor league contracts into an NHL deal. Christopher Gibson, who had been playing with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K. Gibson is now on waivers so that he can stay in the AHL.
Seattle is without Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger, leaving them with only Joey Daccord and Martin Jones for goaltenders signed to NHL contracts. Losing Magnus Hellberg on waivers before the year started hurt their depth at the position, and now Gibson would be the only option if they suffer another injury.
That’s not a great place to be in, but at least the veteran netminder has a lot of experience at the professional level. Gibson, 29, was a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2011 and has spent the last decade bouncing around the minor leagues. In 16 NHL appearances, the last two coming with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020-21, he has a .901 save percentage.
His numbers in the minors have always been solid, but it is still scary to think that the Kraken could quickly run out of goaltenders. Callum Booth, the Firebirds’ other current goalie, spent most of last season in the ECHL.
Philipp Grubauer Placed On Injured Reserve
The Seattle Kraken have lost their starting goaltender, as Philipp Grubauer was placed on injured reserve today. Grubauer was injured in last Friday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, leaving Martin Jones to start (and lose) on Sunday. The team recalled Joey Daccord to give them another goaltender, and that’s the tandem the team will have to go with for the time being.
Grubauer, 30, was arguably the worst goaltender in the league last season, posting an .889 save percentage in 55 appearances. That was a stark difference from his career totals, which to that point had him sitting near the best save percentages of all-time with a .920 and a Vezina Trophy finalist the year prior.
Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like an aberration when this season began. Grubauer was shelled for five goals on 27 shots in his first game, and another five on 34 shots in his second start. Even the two goals on 19 shots before leaving the Colorado game had him as a sub .900 netminder, something the team certainly wasn’t expecting when they signed him to a six-year, $35.4MM contract in the summer of 2021.
Even worse, he still may have been their best option. Jones, 33, hasn’t posted a save percentage over .900 since 2017-18, and is now sitting at .860 for this season. There’s no way that the Kraken can stay competitive with that kind of goaltending, meaning either Daccord is going to need to take over, Grubauer is going to need to get healthy and back to form, or the team is going to have to make a change.
Chris Driedger, the team’s other goaltender who was meant to form an impressive tandem with Grubauer, tore his ACL while playing at the World Championship earlier this year. He is expected to be out through January at least, with the recovery period likely being even longer than that. After spending even more money in the offseason, with veteran additions like Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky, the Kraken are clearly trying to contend in the Pacific Division.
At this point, it’s hard to imagine that given the goaltending they have received so far – especially now that Grubauer is on the shelf.
Snapshots: Samuelsson, Bear, Wright
Buffalo Sabres fans held their breath last night when freshly extended defenseman Mattias Samuelsson went down with an injury in their game against Vancouver. Now, The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that Samuelsson avoided a long-term injury but is still set to miss at least “a few weeks,” joining Henri Jokiharju on the list of injured Sabres top-four defensemen.
An exact timeline won’t be had on Samuelsson until the team returns to Buffalo, head coach Don Granato said today, and the injury will force some depth defenders to shine in order for Buffalo to keep up its strong start. Lawrence Pilut will make his season debut in the team’s next game after two seasons overseas, and free-agent acquisition Ilya Lyubushkin will be tasked with replacing Samuelsson as the defensive anchor on the top pairing alongside the red-hot Rasmus Dahlin.
- It’s no secret the Canucks are in trouble, winless so far to start the year. With injuries and general positional depth weakness hampering their defense, the team has been looking to add, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on 32 Thoughts that the team has checked in on defenseman Ethan Bear as a potential trade acquisition. Bear, the 25-year-old right-shot defenseman, has been thrust down the depth chart in Carolina and has yet to appear in a game this season. The Hurricanes were shopping him prior to the season’s start, and the Canucks have more than enough room thanks to LTIR to accommodate his $2.2MM cap hit. He still has some upside and could provide some better matchups once Quinn Hughes returns to the lineup.
- Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala ponders whether the Seattle Kraken may opt to send Shane Wright back to the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs after an unimpactful start to the season. Wright hasn’t received many opportunities, he has shown smooth skating and pace, but Bukala points out that Wright’s had some positional issues defensively and may need a bit more development before being able to execute his playstyle properly at the NHL level.
Kraken Recall Joey Daccord
With Philipp Grubauer being injured late in Friday’s victory over Colorado, it was only a matter of time before Seattle needed to call up a second goaltender. That move has now been made as the team announced (Twitter link) that Joey Daccord has been recalled from Coachella Valley of the AHL.
Grubauer struggled considerably last season, his first with the Kraken after surprisingly turning down an offer from Colorado to ink a six-year, $35.4MM deal with Seattle in 2021. Things haven’t gone any better in the early going this year as the 30-year-old has a 3.77 GAA along with a save percentage of just .860 through his first four appearances. Head coach Dave Hakstol didn’t speak with the media today so there is no information on how long Grubauer might be out for.
Daccord, meanwhile, cleared waivers at the end of training camp and made three starts in the minors for the Firebirds in the early going this season. He has seen NHL action in three of his first four professional seasons but has made just 14 appearances over that stretch, posting a 3.77 GAA and a save percentage of just .878. He will serve as the backup to Martin Jones who now takes over as the starter with Grubauer injured and Chris Driedger still months away from returning.
Worth noting is that Daccord was the only NHL-contracted goalie that Seattle had in the minors (Magnus Hellberg was scooped off waivers by Ottawa when Seattle tried to send him down) so if another netminder gets hurt before Grubauer is able to return, the Kraken will need to make a quick move to sign another goalie.
Francis: Not A Priority To Add Replacement For Kempny
- While the Kraken parted ways with veteran defenseman Michal Kempny after he cleared unconditional waivers yesterday, GM Ron Francis told Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times that it’s not a priority to bring in another veteran defender to fill Kempny’s spot on the depth chart. Kempny played in two games this season with Coachella Valley of the AHL and was viewed as one of their first recall options if injuries arise. Seattle only has four non-NHL defensemen under contract at the moment so it wouldn’t be surprising to see someone added at some point even if it isn’t a top priority for Francis.
Michal Kempny Placed On Unconditional Waivers
Playing for the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the AHL is apparently not what Michal Kempny had in mind when he signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Seattle Kraken. The defenseman is on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination, opening him up to sign somewhere else.
That usually means a player is going overseas, though Kempny would be eligible to sign a new deal with any other NHL team. The 32-year-old defenseman spent most of last season in the minor leagues as well, playing 24 games for the Hershey Bears and just 15 for the Washington Capitals.
Remembered as one of the key pieces that the Capitals acquired in 2018 en route to their Stanley Cup championship, Kempny has never seemed to fully recover from the Achilles surgery he had in 2020. That was preceded by surgery to repair a torn hamstring in 2019, an injury history that has robbed any chance of seeing him play at that high level again.
If this is it for his NHL career, he’ll finish with 247 games in the league and 63 regular season points. The undrafted Czech-born defender became a star overseas before signing with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2016, and reached his peak with that short run with the Capitals. His best season – the year after winning the Cup – Kempny had 25 points in 71 games while averaging more than 19 minutes a night in Washington.
Snapshots: Sprong, Dickinson, Mailloux
After converting his PTO into another NHL contract, Seattle Kraken winger Daniel Sprong isn’t able to be a full participant with the team just yet. According to The Seattle Times’ Kate Shefte, Sprong is dealing with work visa complications and is expected to rejoin the team within the next few days.
This does put Sprong’s availability for Seattle’s season opener on Wednesday in Anaheim in doubt. While Sprong was productive in terms of goals after joining the Kraken at the trade deadline last season, their added depth on the wing puts him squarely in a fourth-line role with everyone healthy. In his stead, Karson Kuhlman is expected to dress against Anaheim if Sprong can’t play.
- Similarly, new Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson is also battling visa issues after arriving from Vancouver. The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus reports that Dickinson will miss the team’s first two games of the season at the least, potentially missing three. Dickinson’s absence and his ability to be designated as a non-roster player in the meantime allowed them to claim defenseman Jarred Tinordi off waivers today without making a corresponding roster move.
- While Montreal Canadiens defense prospect Logan Mailloux will start the season on injured reserve, he won’t stay there for long. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels notes to expect Montreal to send him back to the OHL’s London Knights after he returns to practice. Mailloux is expected to play a full season in London after injuries and a lengthy suspension due to his sexual misconduct charge during his draft year in Sweden limited him to 12 games.