Kraken add former 1st-round pick Eeli Tolvanen on waiver claim

A day after snapping a three-game losing streak, the Seattle Kraken have made an interesting addition to the roster.

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The Kraken claimed forward Eeli Tolvanen on waivers Monday from the Nashville Predators, giving them a young player with perhaps some untapped potential.

The #SeaKraken have claimed forward Eeli Tolvanen (@eeli1999) off of waivers.

Kraken fam, please give him a warm welcome! pic.twitter.com/1WS5KdqLtl

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) December 12, 2022

Following the claim, the Kraken waived forward Karson Kuhlman.

Tolvanen is in his fifth NHL season despite being just 23 years old. The native of Finland was drafted 30th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft by Nashville.

He had a strong 2021-22 season, scoring 11 goals and 12 assists over 75 games, and has playoff experience from each of the past two seasons. But in 13 games this season, he has just two goals and two assists for four points. According to Sportsnet in Canada, Tolvanen was a healthy scratch in seven consecutive games for the Predators before being waived over the weekend.

If there’s one thing learned from a a look over video highlights of Tolvanen, the lefty shooter carries quite the wallop.

What a shot by Eeli Tolvanen! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EOd623FJBU

— NHL (@NHL) December 5, 2021

Kuhlman, 27, originally joined the Kraken in January as a waiver claim from the Boston Bruins. He has a goal and three points in 14 games played this season with Seattle.

The Kraken (16-8-3) will look to build off Sunday’s 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers when they continue their road trip at 4 p.m. Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning (17-9-1). Seattle is tied for second in the NHL’s Pacific Division with 35 points, trailing only the Vegas Golden Knights (20-9-1, 41 points).

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