Seattle Kraken reportedly looking to trade 29-year-old goaltender
According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Seattle Kraken are looking to make a change in the crease this summer and trade a potential backup option to Philipp Grubauer next season.
Seravalli said that Kraken General Manager Ron Francis is attempting to move 29-year-old goaltender Chris Driedger, who has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $3.5 million. Driedger's contract also includes modified no-trade clause with a list of ten teams he doesn't want to be dealt to, which could make a potential move this offseason difficult.
The Winnipeg native was selected by the Seattle Kraken from the Florida Panthers in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. He appeared in 29 games for the Kraken during their inaugural season in the NHL where he sported a 9-14-1 record along with a 2.96 GAA, an .899 save percentage and one shutout.
After the 2021-22 season, Driedger suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during the Gold Medal Game at the 2022 IIHF World Hockey Championship. He missed the majority of this past season and returned to action in February, playing in 14 games for the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds.
When it comes to who will take the reigns as Seattle's backup next season, that remains unclear. Along with trying to trade Driedger, Joey Daccord, Martin Jones and Christopher Gibson are all set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1st.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Kraken will be able to find a suitor for Chris Driedger this summer? | ||
| Yes | 23 | 34.3 % |
| No, he'll remain with the Kraken next season | 24 | 35.8 % |
| Unsure | 16 | 23.9 % |
| See Results | 4 | 6 % |
| List of polls | ||
