Exploring Impact of Seattle Kraken Waiving Philipp Grubauer

The Seattle Kraken have waived goaltender Philipp Grubauer on Wednesday following a recent rough stretch of games. This season has been one to forget for the German netminder with a 5-15-1 record, a brutal 3.83 goals against average and a measly .866 save percentage.

Starting goaltender Joey Daccord has done the best he can to keep the Kraken above water but with the season already halfway finished, they will need to make changes if they want a chance at a playoff spot.

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The Kraken are 22-27-3 this season and sit only eight points back of the second wild card spot occupied by the Calgary Flames. Seattle's offence has been mediocre with a 2.92 goals per game average but the defensive end has been what's holding the team back with a 3.19 goals against average, which ranks eighth-worst in the NHL.

They are currently +3000 to make the playoffs and have an over/under set at 76.5 for regular season points. The move to send Grubauer to the AHL should allow the team to give Daccord a better backup option in Ales Stezka, a 28-year-old Czech goaltender that has yet to see NHL action.

In the AHL with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Stezka has been fairly decent with a 26-18-10 record with a 2.73 goals against average. He appears to be the franchise's best option for the role and the remaining netminders in the AHL are still young and need more time to develop.

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Grubauer was one of the Kraken's first big ticket free agent signings when they agreed to a six-year, $35.4-million pact in July 2021. The deal has been a sour one since joining the team as he's managed a 54-76-12 record and a .890 save percentage in 151 appearances over the last four seasons in Seattle.

The hope is that the switch up in the crease can hopefully build things towards the right direction as even a subtle move in net can change the projection of your team. A perfect example is when the Avalanche drastically improved their goaltending situation by making a pair of trades to acquire netminders Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood.