TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 13: Brandon Hagel #38 of the Tampa Bay Lightning skates against Gustav Olofsson #23 of the Seattle Kraken during the second period at Amalie Arena on December 13, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Ima …
The Seattle Kraken re-signed defenseman Gustav Olofsson to a two-year contract worth $775,000 in average annual value.
Olofsson appeared in just three games for the Kraken last season while playing the majority of his season for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the American Hockey League. He missed a large portion of the season due to injury and had a goal and five assists in 20 regular season games played in the AHL.
Olofsson played in all 26 playoff games for the Firebirds as they played to a Game 7 in the Calder Cup Finals against the Hershey Bears. Olofsson had three goals and two assists in the playoffs for Coachella Valley.
Olofsson has spent the last two years in the Kraken organization after signing as a free ahead of the team's inaugural season. Olofsson played in 41 games for the Charlotte Checkers – the team's AHL affiliate at the time – with two goals and seven assists. He then added a goal and an assist in seven playoff games.
Olofsson has appeared in 62 career games at the NHL level with the Kraken, Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild. Olofsson was a second-round pick of the Wild in the 2013 NHL Draft. He has no goals and 11 assists in the NHL.
Olofsson's contract is a two-way deal that will pay him at a lower rate if he is playing in the AHL.
With Carson Soucy an unresticted free agent, the Kraken will likely have an opening for their third-pair left defenseman. However, 2021 second-round pick Ryker Evans would seemingly get the first crack at that role if the team is going to turn to a developmental option instead. Evans had 44 points on six goals and 38 assists in 71 regular season games for the Firebirds this year.