Kraken goalie Chris Driedger was placed on waivers Thursday for the purpose of optioning him to the team’s AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley, California.
Teams had until 11 a.m. on Friday to claim Driedger, 28, who has one season remaining on a three-year deal worth $3.5 million annually. He hasn’t played this season because of a torn ACL but has been rehabilitating to where he’s ready to return to action.
The likelihood a team would claim Driedger as playoff insurance appears low because of his lack of playing time and his remaining salary being more akin to that of a starting goalie — which he was initially targeted to be in the July 2021 expansion draft before Philipp Grubauer surprisingly became available as a free agent and was signed days later by the Kraken to a six-year deal.
Kraken general manager Ron Francis said Thursday night that Driedger would be sent to Coachella Valley if he clears. Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said of the waivers: “That’s a part of the process. It’s a part of the process that Driedger is at. He’s worked really hard through his rehab here. He’s done everything he can do without getting into games.”
Driedger last played in the AHL during the 2019-20 season while still a member of the Florida Panthers and trying to break into the NHL full-time.
He posted a 9-14-1 record with a .899 save percentage in his first Kraken season as Grubauer’s backup. He tore his right ACL while playing for Canada in the gold-medal game at last summer’s IIHF World Hockey Championships.
“It was a slow progression, but we’re seeing a light at the end of the tunnel,” Driedger said last week.
“I’m feeling good. ACLs are the kind of thing where you want to make sure you don’t come back too early, so we just need to find that sweet spot. When I’m ready, I’ll be very, very excited.”
Martin Jones, signed as Grubauer’s backup after Driedger’s injury, handled the bulk of No. 1 netminding assignments this season. Grubauer recently retook that mantle and appears to be the featured starter as the team heads into its stretch run.
Struggling against good teams
Playing the historically good Boston Bruins for the first time since a season-defining road victory against them exactly six weeks prior underlined some of the Kraken’s struggles in the time since.
After becoming the first team to beat the Bruins in regulation at TD Garden on Jan. 12, the Kraken entered Thursday night having gone 7-7-2 since. But a majority of those seven victories came against non-contending teams, with the Kraken just 2-6-2 in 10 games against clubs either holding a playoff position entering play Thursday or sitting within two points of one.
Breaking it down further, since beating Boston the Kraken went just 1-4-2 in seven games against teams with a true winning record — meaning those with more combined wins than losses in regulation, overtime or shootout sessions — with a Jan. 19 overtime win against the New Jersey Devils their lone victory.
Hakstol was asked this week about areas he’d like to see improvements in. Beyond ongoing Kraken special-teams issues, he mentioned: “We have to continue to grow with the mentality it takes this time of year.
“You don’t score your way to wins at this time of year,” he added. “You have to be confident in providing offense. You have to play the right way … run through the process of a good 60 minutes every game.”
Hakstol has long warned that goals get much harder to come by this time of the year as teams tighten into a more playoff-style of game.
Hakstol said he likes some of the improvements his team has shown in recent weeks. Namely, the way it has gone more to the net front to generate scoring chances in close.
“We’ve gotten better at being able to generate in harder areas and that’s going to have to continue to grow,” he said.
“But as I’ve said, for our group it’s a full 200-foot effort in terms of the way we play, from the way we check without the puck to the way we manage it and how that sets us up offensively. We’re going to keep pushing the envelope and growing there.”
The Kraken got off to a quick offensive start Thursday, scoring just 40 seconds into the game when Matty Beniers led a 3-on-1 rush up the ice and fired home a wrist shot from deep in the left faceoff circle. The goal left Beniers one shy of becoming the first 20-goal rookie scorer this season — which would mark the 10th straight 20-goal rookie season in the NHL, the third longest such stretch in league history and most since a 16-year run ended in 1995-96.
Historic Bruins
Their prior victory over Boston was such a season highlight for the Kraken namely because of the historical pace the Bruins have been on. They entered Thursday at 43-8-5 with 91 points, on-track for a 133-point season — which would eclipse the NHL record of 132 points set by the legendary 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, whose 60-8-12 season was played over 80 games as opposed to the modern 82-game schedule.
Boston this week surpassed the 90-point mark in the team’s 56th game, becoming the first to do that since the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers — who went 48-12-20 that season, enjoyed an NHL record 35-game unbeaten streak and lost the Stanley Cup Final in six games to the New York Islanders.
The Bruins further strengthened their roster Thursday by acquiring defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 second-rounder, a 2025 third-rounder and forward Craig Smith.
They also sent an additional 2023 fifth-rounder to Minnesota. The Capitals retained half of Orlov’s salary and the Wild got the extra pick for retaining an extra 25% to make Boston’s cap situation work.
Froeden debuts
Jesper Froeden, 28, made his debut with the Kraken against his former Bruins team as the second-line right wing along with Jaden Schwartz and Alex Wennberg. The Swedish native played seven NHL games with the Bruins in 2021-22 — scoring once and adding seven assists — but has otherwise spent his professional career in Europe and the minor leagues.
He had 25 goals and 22 assists with AHL Coachella Valley this season, topping the team in goals and sitting second in the entire league.