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Kraken Reassign Ben Meyers, Gustav Olofsson

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Dec. 23: After being rostered for their back-to-back over the weekend, the Kraken returned Meyers and Olofsson to Coachella Valley this morning, per a team announcement. Olofsson didn’t play during his recall, while Meyers posted a -1 rating in 8:52 of ice time in last night’s loss.

Dec. 21: Seattle has added some reinforcements to its roster in advance of their game tonight against Vegas.  The team announced (Twitter link) that forward Ben Meyers and defenseman Gustav Olofsson have been recalled from AHL Coachella Valley.

This is the second recall of the season for Meyers who got into three games with the Kraken back in November but was held off the scoresheet while averaging just under eight minutes a night.  The 26-year-old has been productive with the Firebirds, collecting nine goals and ten assists in 22 games with them.  Signed to a one-year, one-way contract in unrestricted free agency this summer, Meyers could be heading back there next year unless he gets into ten more NHL games this season which would then make him a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

As for Olofsson, it’s his first time up with Seattle in 2024-25.  The 30-year-old has played in 27 games with Coachella Valley this season, picking up four goals and seven assists, putting him one point shy of his total from last year in barely half as many games.  Olofsson has 63 career NHL contests over parts of seven seasons, four of which have come with the Kraken over the past two years.

Seattle had two open roster spots following the recent demotion of Mitchell Stephens so no further moves were needed to bring Meyers and Olofsson onto the active roster.

Kraken Reassign Mitchell Stephens

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The Kraken returned center Mitchell Stephens to AHL Coachella Valley yesterday, according to a team announcement. He did not require waivers because he’d been on the active roster for fewer than 30 days since his Nov. 30 recall and played less than 10 games.

Stephens, 27, inked a two-year, two-way deal with the Kraken in July after reaching unrestricted free agency. The right-shot pivot cleared waivers during the preseason, setting him up for his ninth year of play in the minors. He had three goals and an assist in 11 games for Coachella Valley before Seattle announced captain Jordan Eberle would miss extended time following pelvic surgery, creating the need for a forward recall. Stephens played in nine straight contests for the Kraken, posting an assist and a -2 rating while averaging 9:45 per game and winning 55.4% of his draws.

A second-round pick of the Lightning back in 2015, Stephens is now with his fourth NHL organization. He climbed his way up the organizational ladder in Tampa and debuted with them in the 2019-20 season. He stayed in the Bay until the 2021 offseason when the Bolts traded him to the Red Wings for a sixth-round pick. Stephens spent one year in Detroit but was non-tendered after recording six assists in 27 games in 2021-22. He signed on with the Canadiens the following summer, where he spent the last two seasons before heading west to Seattle a few months back.

Stephens graded decently defensively in his recall, controlling 44.5% of shot attempts and 49.2% of expected goals at even strength despite starting the majority of his shifts in the defensive zone. If injuries strike again this season, he’ll likely be in line for another recall, but his path back to NHL minutes was muddied this week when the Kraken acquired Kaapo Kakko via trade from the Rangers.

The Kraken now have two open spots on the active roster and $4.075MM in current cap space, per PuckPedia.

Winterton Assigned To Coachella Valley

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  • The Kraken announced (Twitter link) that they have re-assigned winger Ryan Winterton to AHL Coachella Valley. The 21-year-old has found himself on the transactions log quite a few times already this season but has gotten into eight games with Seattle, picking up an assist while logging 10:22 per night of playing time.  Winterton has been quite productive with the Firebirds though, tallying 15 points in 16 outings with them.

Kraken Acquire Kaapo Kakko

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The Kraken have added some extra depth up front, acquiring winger Kaapo Kakko from the Rangers.  In return, New York receives defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2025 sixth-round selection.  Both teams have announced the swap.

Kakko was the second overall pick in 2019 but while he has shown flashes of being an impact player, he has also struggled to produce with consistency over his now-six-year career.  The 23-year-old has only reached the 40-point mark once thus far, that coming back in 2022-23 when he had 18 goals and 22 assists in 82 games.  His output dipped to just 19 points in 61 games last season, resulting in the two sides agreeing on a one-year, $2.4MM contract back in June, a move that didn’t do anything to slow the trade speculation surrounding him.

This move comes not long after Kakko voiced his frustration with being a healthy scratch over the weekend as the Rangers continued to try to shake up their lineup to snap their recent drought.  That frustration was justifiable as he is off to a reasonable start this year, picking up four goals and ten assists in 30 games despite spending a lot of time in the bottom six, averaging just 13:17 per contest.  Hovering around half a point per game in that role is certainly decent output, one that Seattle will welcome to add to an offensive group that sits in the middle of the pack.

As for Borgen, the soon-to-be 28-year-old has been a physical presence over his four-year tenure with Seattle who selected him from Buffalo in the expansion draft.  Last season, he posted career bests in assists (22), points (25), blocked shots (111), hits (195), and ATOI (17:35) and looked to be on his way toward a bigger role on the back end.  However, that hasn’t exactly been the case this season as he has been limited to just one goal and one assist in 33 games while his playing time has dropped to 15:12 per night, a career low.

Despite his struggles, NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reports (Twitter link) that the Rangers had been coveting Borgen for a while.  With the departure of Jacob Trouba to Anaheim, they needed a bit more defensive depth and this move should allow Victor Mancini to return to AHL Hartford where he can have a bigger role.  Borgen is also in the final season of his contract, one that pays him $2.7MM so New York takes on a small amount of money with this swap.  Notably, he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer while Kakko will have one more RFA year remaining.

Considering his draft stature, it seems like a fairly low price for Seattle to pay to acquire Kakko and they’ll hope that a change of scenery can help unlock the offensive potential that helped make him the number two pick.  Meanwhile, with New York seemingly unsure about committing a long-term deal to him, they’ve elected to make a move more geared toward the present rather than trying to maximize value in the form of higher draft or prospect compensation.  With the two selections they added, they now have seven for the upcoming draft.

Interestingly, the 2019 draft class has seen quite a few first-round picks moved already.  As Peter Baugh of The Athletic points out (Twitter link), eight of the top 19 selections from that year have already been traded, including three of the top four selections.  Among those who haven’t moved, a couple (Dylan Cozens and Trevor Zegras) have been in trade speculation themselves in recent months so the number of high picks on the move from that class could be growing even more soon enough.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Evening Notes: Pegula, Gourde, Bannister

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Elliotte Friedman reported on his 32 Thoughts podcast that Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula met with the team in Montreal to discuss their recent woes. The Sabres are 0-7-3 in their last ten games and have had trade rumors swirling around the team as they are on the way to extending their 13-year playoff drought.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff is reporting that Pegula’s message to the Sabres was largely a positive one as he believes the solution to the teams problems are within the room and he said he has faith in general manager Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff. Many believed that Pegula could be headed to Montreal to make major changes, however, that doesn’t appear to be the case, for now.

In other evening notes:

  • Seattle Kraken forward Yanni Gourde was in a regular contact jersey and fully participated in team practice today (as per Kraken contributor Alison Lukan). The Kraken are going to monitor the 33-year-old to see how he responds to the practice before they decide on whether or not he will play tomorrow night. Gourde has been dealing with a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the last two games, and unfortunately broke up a bit of a hot streak as he had 11 points in his last 14 games, after posting just three assists in his first 15 games of the season.
  • Former St. Louis Blues head coach Drew Bannister made his first public comments today since being fired by the team (as per St. Louis Today). Bannister said that he holds no resentment towards the organization because they were so good to him during his time there and he forged a lot of good relationships with people inside the club. Bannister was the head coach for just 76 games after spending seven years with the Blues in various roles and was replaced by former Bruins bench boss, Jim Montgomery.

Justin Schultz Announces Retirement

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Right-shot defenseman Justin Schultz has terminated his contract with Switzerland’s HC Lugano and “ended his career with immediate effect for strictly personal reasons,” the club said in a statement Friday.

“Mine is a strictly personal choice,” Schultz said through the team. “I discussed it with my family, and I made the decision to end my career here and return to Canada. I thank Hockey Club Lugano for the professionalism shown and for respecting my choice, and I wish the club and the team to find the path to success again.”

Schultz, now 34, had signed with Lugano in late October after not landing any NHL offers as an unrestricted free agent over the summer. Before retiring, he made eight appearances for the National League club, posting six assists and a -3 rating.

The British Columbia native was selected by the Ducks in the second round of the 2008 draft out of the British Columbia Hockey League’s Westside Warriors. He played one more season of junior ’A’ before jumping to the University of Wisconsin, where he racked up 113 points in 121 games in three seasons, twice being named to the NCAA West First All-American Team. But coming out of school in the 2012 offseason, he didn’t come to an agreement with Anaheim on an entry-level contract and instead landed one with the Oilers after reaching free agency.

Schultz got some AHL action at the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign due to the lockout that cost the league nearly half the season. However, after posting 48 points in just 34 games, he was named to Edmonton’s opening night roster and never touched minor-league ice again. The offensively gifted yet defensively challenged Schultz spent parts of four seasons in Alberta, logging top-four minutes on a rebuilding Oilers defense. After posting 101 points in 248 games, logging a -78 rating and averaging north of 22 minutes per game, Edmonton shipped him east to the Penguins before the 2016 trade deadline.

Schultz flourished in Pittsburgh, winning two Stanley Cup rings in his first two seasons with the franchise. He was used sparingly in their 2016 run to the championship, averaging 14:14 per game down the stretch and even less than that in the playoffs. But in 2016-17, his first entire season in Pennsylvania, he erupted for a career-high 12 goals, 39 assists, 51 points, and a +27 rating in 78 regular-season appearances, gaining additional ice time with No. 1 option Kris Letang missing half the season with injuries. He finished 10th in Norris Trophy voting and kept the momentum rolling in the playoffs, quarterbacking the team’s top power-play unit and leading their blue line in scoring with 13 points in 21 contests as the Penguins became the first team since the Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.

The 6’2″ righty continued to be a serviceable top-four option with the Pens over the next few years, but his point pace and defensive play both began to falter as time passed. A lower left-leg fracture cost him most of the 2018-19 campaign, and after more lower-body injuries limited him to 12 points in 46 games the following year, Pittsburgh let him hit unrestricted free agency.

Schultz landed a two-year, $8MM pact with the rival Capitals. His tenure in D.C. was solid but unremarkable, totaling 50 points in 120 games with a -3 rating. By the end of his two-year deal, he’d firmly established himself as a power-play specialist, averaging a career-low 16:55 per game in his second season.

Once again a free agent, Schultz opted to join the second-year Kraken on a two-year, $6MM deal. In year one, he recorded 34 points in 73 games – his highest total since his career-best 2016-17 campaign – and helped Seattle to its first playoff appearance in franchise history. Once again, he carried his upward momentum into the postseason, tying for third on the Kraken with 10 points in 14 games as they advanced to Game 7 of the Second Round.

Schultz saw his ice time further reduced to a new career-low 16:28 in Seattle last season, posting 26 points in 70 games – 10 of which came on the power play. His -23 rating ranked last on the team, although the Kraken still largely controlled the quality of possession while he was on the ice at even strength. Nonetheless, no team viewed him as an everyday option anymore, and he ended up making a brief go of things in Switzerland after not landing an NHL contract or tryout.

He ends his 12-year NHL career with 71 goals, 253 assists, 324 points, and a -57 rating in 745 games. Seventeen of his career goals – nearly 24% – were game-winners. We at PHR congratulate him on a lengthy career and wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Winterton Recalled From AHL

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  • The Kraken announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled forward Ryan Winterton from AHL Coachella Valley. The 21-year-old has been shuffled back and forth multiple times in the early going this season.  Winterton has played in six games with Seattle, picking up an assist while averaging 10:45 per game of ice time.  With the Firebirds, Winterton has been quite productive, recording seven goals and eight assists in 16 games so far.

Kraken Co-Founder David Bonderman Passes Away

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Kraken co-founder and ownership group member David Bonderman passed away on Wednesday at age 82, according to a club statement.

A Los Angeles native, Bonderman had an expansive career as a businessman before getting involved in the sports scene. He also graduated from Harvard Law School and had a brief career as a lawyer, including serving as a special assistant to the United States Attorney General in 1968 and 1969.

After accumulating most of his wealth as a founding partner of TPG Capital, Bonderman partnered with film/television producer Jerry Bruckheimer to file an expansion application for a Seattle franchise in 2018. The duo, along with Kraken president and CEO Tod Leiweke, established the Kraken’s ownership group as the Seattle Hockey Partners and acquired the franchise when they paid the final installment of their $650MM expansion fee in 2021.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman issued a statement on Bonderman’s passing:

David Bonderman lived a life that was astounding in its breadth of achievement, unflinching in its commitment to excellence and relentless in its passion for improving lives – particularly in his adopted home state of Washington. An accomplished litigator and businessman, Bonderman was determined that his personal success positively impact others through conservation, philanthropy, sports, and music.

A proud alumnus of the University of Washington, in 2018 he brought NHL hockey to the Pacific Northwest, gaining approval from the Board of Governors to establish an expansion franchise in Seattle that would be named the Kraken and begin play in 2021. Adding David to the Board and the Seattle franchise to the NHL made our League and our game stronger, setting new standards in environmental responsibility and diversity and inclusion.

By extension, Bonderman was also a co-owner of the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken’s primary development affiliate since their second season in the league. His investment helped kick off an unprecedented run of success for minor-league hockey in the Palm Springs area – the Firebirds have made the Calder Cup Final in each of their first two seasons in the league.

PHR extends its deepest sympathies to the Bonderman family, his friends, and loved ones.

Stephens Recalled After Being Papered Down Saturday

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  • A day after being sent to the minors, the Kraken recalled center Mitchell Stephens per the AHL’s transactions log. The move ultimately allowed them to delay his waiver clock by one day.  The 27-year-old went into today’s action with four games played with Seattle where he had been held off the scoresheet in a little over nine minutes per game of ice time.

Kraken Notes: Daccord, Matyas, Gourde

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Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord sat out of the team’s Sunday game against New York due to illness. Head coach Dan Bylsma told media, including Seattle broadcaster Piper Shaw, that Daccord is specifically struggling to keep food down and will be available as soon as he feels better. Daccord’s absence sets up Philipp Grubauer for a second consecutive start. Grubauer made 33 saves on 36 shots in Seattle’s Friday loss to New Jersey.

Daccord has been a noticeable difference-maker for Seattle when healthy. He’s played in 19 of the team’s 28 games this season, setting 12 wins and a .913 save percentage. Daccord ranks sixth in the NHL in both stats. He’s continuing to stamp his spot as an everyday starter, building on to this dazzling 2023-24 campaign. Daccord posted a .916 save percentage – ninth-best in the league – through 50 games last year, thriving in what was his first year as an NHL starter. He’s had a winding career up to this point, serving three seasons in the crowded mix of Ottawa Senators’ goaltenders prior to his selection in the 2021 Expansion Draft. He excelled with the change of scenery, posting a .925 in 34 AHL games in his first year in the Kraken organization and serving as Seattle’s top goalie call-up. He followed that year with a .918 in 38 games for Coachella Valley, serving as the brick wall behind a team that ultimately lost the Calder Cup finals in overtime of game seven. Still, the playoff run was enough to stamp Daccord’s chance at an NHL role, and he hasn’t looked back since. That momentum will slot Daccord right back into the starting role once he’s back to full health.

Other notes out of Seattle:

  • Seattle has signed Michael Matyas to an amateur try-out agreement in response to Daccord’s absence. He’ll be tasked with backing up Grubauer. Matyas hasn’t formally played since the 2013-14 season, when he served as the third-string goaltender at the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The Calgary-native played three years, and 14 games, with the Seawolves – recording three wins and a .870 save percentage. He had a three-year juniors career in the Alberta Junior Hockey League before moving to college, where he set a .907 save percentage across 106 games. Matyas has spent the 11 years since his college days working towards a financial career in New York City.
  • In more positive news, forward Yanni Gourde returned to the Seattle lineup on Sunday, after missing the team’s Friday game with an undisclosed injury. Gourde lined up next to Matty Beniers and Jaden Schwartz, per Mike Benton of the Seattle Kraken Audio Network. Gourde has scored four goals and 12 points in 27 games this season, and ranks fourth among Kraken forwards with 39 hits. He’s rotated through the middle-six and averaged 15:29 in ice time.

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