The Seattle Kraken claim Eeli Tolvanen from the waiver wire on December 12th. In a simultaneous move, they placed Karson Kuhlman on waivers themselves as well. News of the waiver claim came from insider Chris Johnston.
Eeli Tolvanen Becomes Kraken Most Recent Waiver Claim
The Kraken snagged Tolvanen from the Nashville Predators‘ waiver wire today. At the same time, they placed Kuhlman on their own waiver wire too. Tolvanen has one year beyond 2022-23 left on his current deal, at $1.45 million per season. Then, he becomes an RFA. Kuhlman, meanwhile, becomes an UFA at the end of this season. He carries a $825,000 cap hit.
Kraken Waiver Claim and Placement
In Tolvanen, the Kraken get another analytics darling with tremendous upside. This season, he scored two goals and two assists for just four points in 13 games played, adding four minutes in penalties. His possession numbers are 48.0 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of 1.4%. Over his five-year NHL career Tolvanen only played for the Predators. In that time, he collected 25 goals and 26 assists for 51 career points in 135 career games. He was originally drafted in the first round, 30th overall of the 2017 NHL draft by the Preds. They waived him on Sunday morning this week.
Seattle claims Eeli Tolvanen off waivers from Nashville.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) December 12, 2022
Going the other way, Kuhlman hits waivers with one goal and two assists through 14 games this season. He, an undrafted forward, has ten goals and 16 assists for 26 points in 114 career games. While his production this year sits nearly even with Tolvanen’s, his advanced metrics tell a different story. With a -12.4% Relative Corsi percentage, he hasn’t had nearly as much success in all situations. He also averages roughly three minutes less in average ice time than Tolvanen.
What This Means for the Future
Tolvanen joins a team that praises the style of play he exudes. A strong two-way game can be found up and down the Kraken lineup, so he should fit in immediately. Not only that, but he becomes an immediate breakout candidate too. Seattle receives scoring contributions throughout their lineup, and Tolvanen should be able to do the same. With a team on the rise, Tolvanen can take his game to the next level personally as well.
Ultimately, if they lose Kuhlman to waivers, they picked up a younger version of him in Tolvanen. They have nearly identical builds, but Tolvanen is three years younger. The fact he already owns more games played over his career is just another attribute suggesting he ranks as a better NHL level prospect than Kuhlman today. Watch for a Tolvanen breakout season now as he arrives in Seattle.
Kraken claim Eeli Tolvanen off waivers from Predators. https://t.co/eqOLYK5Pmu pic.twitter.com/kHgDwodb00
— theScore (@theScore) December 12, 2022
