Kraken's Driedger clears waivers

Seattle Kraken goaltender Chris Driedger cleared waivers Friday.

Driedger has not played since tearing his ACL during the gold-medal game of the 2022 World Championship as a member of Team Canada.

The 28-year-old has two seasons remaining on his contract with a $3.5-million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade clause. The Kraken gain $1.125 million in cap space after assigning Driedger to their AHL affiliate.

Driedger posted an .899 save percentage in 27 appearances with the Kraken in 2021-22. He was impressive at the World Championship before his injury, though, notching a .915 save percentage in six starts.

Seattle selected Driedger from the Florida Panthers in the 2021 expansion draft. The native of Winnipeg was among the league's best backups in his stint with the Panthers, registering a .931 save percentage in 35 games across two seasons.