Seattle Kraken signs Karson Kuhlman to one-year contract extension

Kuhlman was in the final year of a two-year contract with a $725,000 cap, a deal he originally signed with the Boston Bruins. With his new contract at $825,000, he gets a $100 raise, the most he’s earned in a season so far.

Kuhlman was undrafted during his eligible years and instead played four seasons of NCAA hockey with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, even becoming the team’s captain in his final season. The Bruins subsequently signed him to a two-year contract, and he spent three seasons in the NHL and with their AHL team, the Providence Bruins.

In 2021-22, Kuhlman spent 19 games with the Bruins, scoring one goal and one assist for two points during that span. On January 18, 2022, the Kraken claimed him from waivers, where he spent the rest of the season. In 25 games with the Kraken, he scored two goals and six assists for eight points, finishing the season overall with three goals, seven assists and 10 points, all three matching or surpassing his career highs.

Kuhlman also established himself as a solid defensive forward during his brief stint in the league. In his last three seasons, he has a shot attempt share of 53.25% and an expected goal share of 54.73% at even strength, and also has 48.37 shot attempts against 60 minutes and 1 .92 expected goals against 60 minutes over the past three seasons. , who are 18th and tied for 9th in the league, respectively.

Kuhlman’s contract doesn’t exactly break the bank for Seattle, but it wouldn’t really matter if they did, as they have over $22 million in cap space with no big names to sign. again. However, they hit hard in the draft, picking up first overall pick Shane Wright with the fourth overall pick.