Florida Panthers
Seattle Kraken Set to Select and Sign Panthers G Chris Driedger
The Seattle Kraken are reportedly set to select Panthers goaltender Chris Driedger in the NHL Expansion Draft, then promptly sign him.
According to Pierre LeBrun: “All signs point to the Seattle Kraken signing and selecting pending UFA goalie Chris Driedger from the Florida Panthers as part of the expansion draft process, sources say.” There has been talk for some time that Driedger would be high on the list of goalies the Kraken might target, dating all the way back to the start of May.
At that time we wrote, “According to a report from James Mirtle of The Athletic, the Kraken have set their sights on a netminder out of the Florida Panthers organization.” We noted, “Seattle has apparently keyed in on Driedger as their top goaltending target, making it less likely the pending UFA will be available to Toronto should they decide to change things up between the pipes.” Driedger is proven and was a great option for the Panthers this past season. The Kraken can speak to the pending UFA during the negotiating window to agree to a deal and it sounds like they’ll do so.
Driedger, 27, posted a career season for the Panthers in 2020-21. He had a goals-against average of 2.07 and a save percentage of .927 with a 14-6-3 record. He was key to their regular season success.
Kraken Might Take Other Goalies Too
Driedger isn’t likely the only goaltender the Kraken select. There is talk the franchise might select a few and then try to flip a couple since the goalie market is a hot one and they stand to profit by selecting, then trading netminders to the highest bidder. Among the names rumored to be a target for Seattle are Jake Allen, Anton Khudobin and Braden Holtby.
That said, Driedger is the netminder Seattle wants to move forward with as a potential starter for years to come. It will be intriguing to see if the move pays off as he’s still not the most experience goaltender in the NHL, having played only 41 games in the NHL.
It will also be intriguing to see what he signs for if and when a deal is struck. Is one year going to be enough to make him a highly-paid netminder? Or, is this going to be a more reasonable deal?
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