In a stunning fashion, Seattle Kraken have reached an agreement to sign former Colorado Avalanche star goaltender Philipp Grubauer on a whopping $35.4 million contract, extending six years, according to US media reports.  

Signing the German-born goalie, gives Kraken their No. 1 goaltender for the season and also a long-term franchise face that would attract the fans.

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However, the incoming Grubauer, 29, muddies the water for Chris Driedger, whose future will be in question. The 27-year-old Driedger’s potential to feature as a No. 1 goalie, plus his modest three-year, $10.5 million contract, could see Kraken use him to trade in additional impact players. 

“We’re excited to add a goaltender of Philipp’s calibre, especially coming off of a season where he was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy,” Kraken general manager Ron Francis said in a statement.

“He was a part of a Stanley Cup-winning team and has been one of the top goaltenders in the League over the past few seasons and we’re happy that he chose to join our team.”

Grubauer went 30-9-1 with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage last season.

However, Kraken didn’t just stop after announcing the signing of Grubauer, they also confirmed the much-anticipated signing of former St. Louis Blues left wing Jaden Schwartz, 29, to a five-year, $27.5 million contract.

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The Schwartz signing comes after the addition of Alexander Wennberg, 26, a former Florida Panthers player. With these offensive signings, Kraken are hoping to answer some limited offensive firepower attained in last week’s expansion draft.

Talking about Schwartz, Francis said, “Jaden plays a responsible two-way game and knows how to put the puck in the net. He brings veteran leadership to our group, and his knowledge of the game and what it takes to win hockey’s ultimate prize will be valuable as we continue to shape our inaugural roster. We’re looking forward to adding his guidance and skill to our team.”