Kraken sign 2021 fourth-round pick Ville Ottavainen

EDMONTON, AB - AUGUST 14: Ville Ottavainen #4 of Finland warms up prior to the game against Slovakia in the IIHF World Junior Championship on August 14, 2022 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Photo by Andy Devlin/ Getty Images)
The Seattle Kraken signed 2021 fourth-round pick Ville Ottavainen to a three-year entry-level contact on Monday.
The contract carries an average annual value of $775,000 and is set to begin in the 2023-24 season.
The 6-foot-5 right-handed defenseman has played this season for JYP of Liiga, which is the top professional league in Finland. Ottavainen has 16 points on five goals and 11 assists in 54 games played this year. Both marks are career-highs.
"We are excited to officially add Ville to our organization," general manager Ron Francis said in a statement. "We are impressed with his growth over the last two seasons while playing in Finland and are looking forward to his continued development with our club."
Ottavainen took part in the Kraken's development camp last July before returning to Finland for the season.
Ottavainen played for Team Finland in the IIHL World Junior Championships in 2022 alongside current Seattle Thunderbirds center Brad Lambert.
Ottavainen was the 99th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.