Kraken claim Tolvanen off waivers from Predators
Eeli Tolvanen is headed to the Pacific Northwest.
The Seattle Kraken claimed the 23-year-old winger off waivers from the Nashville Predators on Monday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Tolvanen was selected 30th overall by the Predators in 2017 and generated plenty of hype as a prospect. He's tallied just 25 goals and 26 assists across 135 career NHL games but has produced stellar defensive metrics.
Eeli Tolvanen has been placed on waivers. #Preds pic.twitter.com/yp2nj0XOjR
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) December 11, 2022
Tolvanen is signed through next season with a $1.45-million cap hit and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal.
The Finn looked to be bound for stardom after he broke Evgeny Kuznetsov's KHL single-season record for points by a teenager when he recorded 36 in 49 games with the Helsinki Jokerit in 2017-18.
He's also dazzled on the international stage, registering nine points in five games at the 2018 Olympics and 16 points in 18 career games at the world juniors, where he helped Finland win gold in 2019.
Tolvanen caught fire down the stretch in his NHL rookie season in 2021, finishing with 13 points in his final 18 games, but he struggled to produce in his sophomore campaign. He's only managed two goals and two assists in 13 contests this year and has been a healthy scratch on numerous occasions.
The Kraken placed Karson Kuhlman on waivers to make room for Tolvanen.