The Seattle Kraken are returning a familiar face to the organization. According to an announcement from the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds, the organization has re-signed defenseman Gustav Olofsson to an AHL deal for the 2026-27 campaign.
A second-round pick of the Minnesota Wild back in the 2013 NHL Draft, Olofsson has spent much of his career in the AHL. Still, Minnesota is where he got most of his NHL action, registering 11 assists in 56 games for the Wild from 2015 to 2018. Minnesota eventually traded Olofsson to the Montreal Canadiens for William Bitten shortly before the start of the 2018-19 season.
After spending a few years in the Canadiens organization, largely with the Laval Rocket, Olofsson signed as a free agent with the Kraken ahead of the 2021-22 season. Last season, his fifth with the organization, Olofsson had his best professional season to date, scoring four goals and 32 points in 48 games for the Firebirds with a +28 rating.
Additional evening notes:
A few days ago, the IIHF upheld its ban on the Russian Federation for the 2027 World Championship, citing “ongoing concerns related to safety, security, and the integrity of the competition.” Still, that won’t affect any NHL-based international competitions. According to a report from Petr Shatrov of Sport24 in Russia, Vice Commissioner Bill Daly said, “The IIHF’s decision to bar the Russian national team from next year’s World Championship has no impact on Russia’s possible participation in the 2028 World Cup.“
Daly also spoke about the possibility of expansion to Quebec City, albeit on a different outlet. Recently on The Sick Podcast, Daly mentioned that the league has made a concerted effort to bring a team back to Quebec City. Still, they have not found an ownership group or candidate that is willing to pay the expansion price tag or keep the team in Quebec City for the long haul.