While Seattle’s season is over, they’ve been keeping busy on the transactions front in recent days with some of their prospects. That continued today as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed defenseman Caden Price to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal will carry an AAV of $908K.
The 18-year-old was a third-round pick by the Kraken last June, going 84th overall after a productive year with WHL Kelowna that saw him collect 40 points. Price built on those numbers this year, tallying 13 goals and 42 assists in 62 regular season games with the Rockets, plus a goal and ten helpers in 11 playoff contests. That was good enough to earn him a spot on the All-WHL Second Team after the season.
With Kelowna being eliminated in the WHL playoffs, Price is eligible to join AHL Coachella Valley for their playoff run. However, he will not be eligible to play for the Firebirds next season; his options will be to play with Seattle or go back to junior with the Rockets. The latter is the likeliest scenario and as long as Price doesn’t play in ten or more NHL games next season, his contract will slide and still have three years left on it heading into 2025-26.