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Kraken Sign Tucker Robertson To Entry-Level Deal

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The Kraken have agreed to terms with one of their prospects as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they have signed Tucker Robertson to a three-year, entry-level contract.  The deal carries a cap hit of $870K and an AAV of $950K and breaks down as follows:

2023-24: $775K salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K GP bonus, $80K AHL salary
2024-25: $775K salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K GP bonus, $80K AHL salary
2025-26: $775K salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K GP bonus, $82.5K AHL salary

The 20-year-old was a fourth-round selection by Seattle back in 2022 (123rd overall) after going undrafted in his first year of eligibility.  That came on the hands of an impressive 2021-22 campaign.  After having a limited role in his rookie season, Robertson broke out with 41 goals and 40 assists that year, cracking the top 20 in scoring.

That was followed up by an even better showing in 2022-23 as Robertson picked up 36 goals and 54 assists in 68 games, good for a tie for 11th in league scoring.   He then finished second on the Petes in scoring in the playoffs, helping lead them to a league title and a spot in the Memorial Cup.

Robertson technically could return to the OHL next season for his overage year but after the two years he just had, that seems extremely unlikely.  Instead, he’ll get his feet wet in the pros and will likely suit up with AHL Coachella Valley in the fall.

Seattle Kraken Sign Connor Carrick

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The Seattle Kraken have brought back a familiar face. Defenseman Connor Carrick is returning for his second stint with the organization, signing a one-year, two-way deal with a $775K average annual value.

Carrick, 29, joined the Kraken a couple of months before the team played their first game, signing a one-year pact with them in free agency in August 2021. He didn’t appear in an NHL game for them, though, instead spending the entire season with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, Seattle’s affiliate for their inaugural season.

This is Carrick’s third straight one-year, two-way deal as he continues his career as a high-end AHL depth piece with some significant NHL experience. He spent last season with the Boston Bruins, leading their AHL affiliate in Providence in points from defensemen with 44 in 63 games. He made one NHL appearance with the Bruins in 2022-23, registering an assist, a +3 rating, two shots on goal, and playing 16:54 in an April 9 game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Carrick, a right-shot defender, also did well in Charlotte, recording 10 goals and 32 points in 59 games. The past two seasons were Carrick’s first full-time AHL campaigns since 2015-16 with the Hershey Bears and Toronto Marlies, as he’d mainly stuck in the NHL as a seventh defenseman since then.

In his eight-season, 242-game NHL career, Carrick’s played for the Bruins, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Washington Capitals. He’s amassed 13 goals, 37 assists, 50 points, and a -19 rating.

Seattle’s NHL defense corps is filled up after signing former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin to a two-year contract on July 1. Because of that, Carrick is likely destined for another significant AHL role, this time with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. Seattle’s minor-league affiliate advanced to Game 7 of the Calder Cup Final in their inaugural campaign last year, losing to Hershey in overtime. Within the Kraken organization, he replaces the role of defenseman Brogan Rafferty, who led Firebirds defensemen in regular-season scoring with 51 points in 72 games and signed with the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

Seattle Kraken Sign Kailer Yamamoto

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The Seattle Kraken are returning Kailer Yamamoto to his home state. The Spokane, Washington native and former Edmonton Oiler has signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the NHL’s youngest franchise.

As he was bought out by the Detroit Red Wings a few days ago, Yamamoto’s signing with the Kraken means Detroit effectively traded him for Daniel Sprong, another right-winger who Seattle chose not to issue a qualifying offer.

By signing Yamamoto over Sprong, the Kraken save $500,000 (Sprong earned $2MM from the Red Wings) and receive a younger player with a less impressive recent track record but a more extensive resume of NHL success.

While Sprong’s 21 goals and 46 points this year dwarf Yamamoto’s 10 goals and 25 points, just one year ago Yamamoto had 20 goals and 41 points.

Yamamoto also flashed high offensive upside in 2019-20, when he scored 11 goals and 26 points in 27 games.

Now plugged into one of the league’s highest-scoring environments in Seattle, the Kraken will hope that Yamamoto can bring a more consistent level of offensive production, and perhaps access the upside that saw him drafted 22nd overall in 2017 on a more regular basis.

The Kraken have quite a few quality wingers slated to play ahead of him on their roster, but the depth of Seattle’s lineup will play to Yamamoto’s advantage. Assuming he can make a good impression at training camp, Yamamoto has a strong chance of playing next to other capable NHL offensive producers, and if he can find the right linemates and build some chemistry he could really pop, giving Seattle a strong return on this $1.5MM investment.

If he ends up playing more the way he did late in his Oilers tenure, this could end up a wasted $1.5MM for the Kraken, which would hurt even more if Sprong goes on to great things in Detroit. But even with that risk in mind, this is a reasonable gamble to take on a young, energetic offensive forward.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Seattle Kraken Sign Brian Dumoulin

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The Seattle Kraken have made an addition to their blueline, inking former Pittsburgh Penguins defender Brian Dumoulin to a two-year, $3.15MM AAV contract.

Dumoulin is a two-time Stanley Cup champion who has been a staple of their blueline since the 2015-16 season. Dumoulin was a bit of a late bloomer in the NHL, as he first became an NHL regular at the age of 24.

Ever since his rookie season Dumoulin has been a relied-upon top-four defenseman for the Penguins, and he has been the team’s leading penalty-killing defenseman for the past several years.

While many viewed Dumoulin as a player in decline this past season, the Kraken are clearly buying into his potential to remain a top-four defensive specialist for his age-32 and age-33 campaigns.

He’ll potentially slot in next to offensive defenseman and former teammate Justin Schultz on the Kraken blueline, and will likely join Jamie Oleksiak and Adam Larsson on the Kraken penalty kill.

If Dumoulin’s bad moments from late in his tenure in Pittsburgh become more regular in Seattle, this deal will end up being a poor investment.

But with Seattle looking to make a push deeper into the playoffs after winning their very first playoff series a few months ago, Dumoulin brings the type of valuable Stanley Cup experience that many executives view as worth risking on.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Seattle Kraken Sign Three Players

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The Seattle Kraken have completed contracts with three players. They’ve signed winger Marian Studenic from the Dallas Stars, re-signed Coachella Valley Firebirds defenseman Jimmy Schuldt, and re-signed forward John Hayden. The terms for the players’ contracts are as follows:

Studenic: one-year, two-way, $775K NHL salary, $300K AHL salary, $325K guarantee
Schuldt: one-year, two-way, $775K NHL salary, $250K AHL salary, $275K guarantee
Hayden: one-year, one-way, $775K NHL salary

The 24-year-old Studenic comes over from the Dallas Stars, where he recorded three points in 19 games over the past two seasons. He’ll likely stay in an AHL role next season, where he’s been a marquee scorer: he notched 21 goals and 48 points in 67 games with AHL Texas last season. He’s a solid replacement in the Kraken organization for Jesper Froden, who played a similar role in the minors but departed in free agency for a role overseas in Switzerland.

Schuldt, a rather steady two-way defender in the minors, hasn’t yet appeared in NHL action with the Kraken but is a bonafide top-four AHL defender. The 28-year-old Minnesota product notched eight goals, 32 points, and a +22 rating for Coachella Valley last season in 71 games, all career-highs, while playing for one of the best teams in the league. The organization is happy to have him stick around as a reliable presence in their farm system.

Lastly, there’s Hayden, the player with the most NHL experience on this list at 247 games. After sticking in the NHL full-time for four seasons, Hayden found his way back to the minors for most of 2022-23, where his hard-nosed game translated into a solid amount of offense with 33 points in 47 games. He appeared in just seven games for the Kraken, scoring two goals, and he’s destined for the same role in the organization next season.

Joey Daccord Re-Signs With Kraken

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Seattle won’t be letting Joey Daccord test the open market tomorrow.  Instead, the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve re-signed the netminder to a two-year contract.  The deal will carry an AAV of $1.2MM.  CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the salary is an even $1.2MM per season with no signing bonuses.

The 26-year-old was eligible to reach unrestricted free agency as a Group Six player as he has just 19 career NHL appearances under his belt over parts of five professional campaigns.  Five of those top-level contests came this season with the Kraken where he put up a 3.14 GAA and a .900 SV%, numbers that were an improvement on his career averages of 3.64 and .884, respectively.

Daccord spent most of the season with AHL Coachella Valley, performing quite well for the Firebirds.  He finished fifth in the minors in both GAA (2.38) and SV% (.918), helping to lead his team to the second-best record in the AHL.  He found another gear in the playoffs, posting a 2.22 GAA and a .926 SV% but Coachella Valley fell in the seventh game of the Calder Cup Finals earlier this month to Hershey.

With Martin Jones set to hit the open market tomorrow, there’s an opening between the pipes in Seattle for a partner with incumbent starter Philipp Grubauer.  It’s quite possible that Daccord and veteran Chris Driedger could battle for that number two spot with the loser going on waivers and returning to the Firebirds if he clears.  If that happens with Daccord, all but $50K of his cap hit would be cleared off the books, limiting the risk that the Kraken are taking with this type of commitment for someone who has been a third option for the majority of his career.  But as far as insurance policies go in goal, Daccord has shown himself to be one of the stronger ones.

Latest On Eduard Sale

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  • Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that Eduard Sale, the Seattle Kraken’s recent first-round pick, is going to play for the OHL’s Barrie Colts next season. Sale has played the last two seasons in Czechia’s top pro league for Brno Kometa, and now will get the chance to play against his peers in major junior hockey. He’s an exceptionally skilled offensive player, so Colts fans should expect Sale to be among their top scorers if all goes well.

Kraken Defenseman Carson Soucy Likely Headed To Free Agency

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Another player that is likely headed to the free agency market is defenseman Carson Soucy. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff is reporting that the Seattle Kraken and the hulking defenseman had discussions about an extension, but it appears that at this point he is going to unrestricted free agency and will be in a new uniform next season.

This past season Soucy finished last in Kraken defensemen for points and ice time, however, he will still be a significant loss on the backend for Seattle. Together with offensive defenseman Justin Schultz, they formed one of the top third-defensive pairings in the NHL last season, which is what will ultimately price Soucy out of Seattle.

Soucy had three goals and 13 assists in 78 games last season and while he will never an offensive defenseman, he may be paid like one given that he’ll be entering a very weak free-agent market for defensemen. Soucy can bring a lot to a new team, he can play on both sides of the ice, has a bomb from the point, and is a good penalty killer. The one caveat to Soucy’s recent success is that he’s played sheltered minutes for the past two seasons. If a team pays him like a second-pairing defenseman, they might be very disappointed with the results.

Given what is known about Soucy’s game it seems unlikely that a team will dramatically overpay him. Daily Faceoff is projecting a three-year contract for him with an average annual value of $2.5MM, while The Athletic is projecting a $2.6MM annual value also on a three-year deal. Those numbers are more in line with a third pairing defensemen and that is a role the Soucy can flourish in as demonstrated by the past two seasons.

Seattle Kraken Re-Sign Gustav Olofsson

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The Seattle Kraken have announced that defenseman Gustav Olofsson has been re-signed to a two-year, two-way contract carrying a league-minimum $775k AAV. Per CapFriendly, the deal carries a $350k AHL salary.

Olofsson, 28, has spent the last two years in the Kraken organization since signing with them in August 2021. He’s largely been a reliable AHL blueliner, and this past year he earned his first NHL games with the Kraken, earning his first NHL games since 2019-20. An AHL All-Star in 2015-16, Olofsson was counted on by head coach Dan Bylsma during the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ run to Game Seven of the Calder Cup Finals.

He isn’t much of an offensive player (Olofsson’s career-high in points as a professional is 24) but he offers decent size standing six-foot-two 200 pounds and has 62 games of NHL experience as well as some value as a locker-room leader. Olofsson’s been an alternate captain for both the Kraken’s affiliates and his former team, the Montreal Canadiens.

In locking him up for the next two seasons at an eminently affordable cost, the Kraken have ensured some continuity on their AHL blueline. They’ve also guaranteed that a familiar face will be waiting for them as a potential call-up should they run into injury issues on defense over the course of the next two seasons.

While GM Ron Francis has maybe more significant business to get done this summer, such as re-signing breakout blueliner Vince Dunn, this is extension will certainly help the Firebirds as they look to go on another long playoff run next year.

Multiple Teams Engaging In Erik Karlsson Trade Talks

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An expectedly hot trade market could soon see a rather Earth-shattering trade. Newly-crowned Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks has been on the trade block for quite some time, and he’s made it known he’d like to get dealt to a contender.

Now, we have some clarity on some teams EK65 could suit up for next season. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, and Seattle Kraken have reportedly initiated discussions with the Sharks regarding the possibility of acquiring the star defenseman, says Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. LeBrun also indicates, though, that Karlsson has not yet provided Sharks general manager Mike Grier with a list of preferred destinations, leaving the trade negotiations as an “open canvas.”

Karlsson boasts a massive $11.5MM cap hit through 2027 and has long been considered one of the most dynamic defensemen in the league. However, injuries had plagued the Swedish defenseman in recent seasons, dampening his on-ice impact. 2022-23 saw him shake off most of the rust, though, becoming the first defenseman to record 100 points in a season since Brian Leetch in 1991-92. Nevertheless, his defensive deficiencies combined with the concern for re-injury will likely involve the Sharks, and potentially a third party, retaining massive amounts of his salary.

The Maple Leafs are definitely the team who would need the most help via salary retention to get a deal done. They are slated to have around $14.75MM in cap space with defenseman Jake Muzzin headed for long-term injured reserve, but they need to fill at least five roster spots at forward and get a new contract signed for netminder Ilya Samsonov. A trade, however unlikely it may seem, could include T.J. Brodie, who’s locked in at a $5MM cap hit next season and is a UFA in 2024. Karlsson would essentially replace his spot in the lineup.

Few teams would complement Karlsson’s puck-moving style as well as Carolina. This is likely a fallback option for them if they can’t reach an extension with Brett Pesce, although it’s hard to imagine two players at further ends of the defense spectrum. One would have to wonder about the necessity of acquiring Karlsson for the ’Canes, though, as a former teammate of Karlsson’s,  Brent Burns, is already under contract through 2025, and they’re still working on acquiring Anthony DeAngelo from the Philadelphia Flyers (which, legally, can’t be completed for another few weeks for cap circumvention purposes).

As for the Kraken, the budding franchise has apparently wasted no time in trying to solidify themselves as a championship contender after winning their first playoff series this spring. They’ve got a bevy of talented forwards and a true four-line attack, but their biggest roster hole lies with a second-pairing right-shot defenseman behind shutdown stalwart Adam Larsson. They do have the cap room to make it work – their only notable expenditure this offseason will be re-signing blueliner Vince Dunn, which could cost them around $7MM per season. It still would leave them with about $13MM in cap space and very few other roster holes to fill, making this a very doable task for the Kraken with 35-50% salary retention.

More to come…

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