The Seattle Kraken have signed defenseman Cale Fleury to a two-year contract worth $800,000 average annual value, thus avoiding arbitration. The Kraken are coming off of a solid second season as an NHL franchise, so bringing back one of their depth defenseman that played extremely well over the course of the last two seasons split between the American Hockey League (AHL) and the NHL is a smart move to continue pushing towards more success.
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Fleury was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens at 87th overall. He played his junior career split between the Kootenay Ice and Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and even served as captain of the Ice for part of two seasons before he was traded to the Pats in the 2017-18 season. In 269 WHL games, Fleury scored 32 goals and added 95 assists for 127 points which comes out to a 0.47 points per game average.
Fleury played his first season of professional hockey in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, where he scored nine goals and added 14 assists for 23 points through 60 games. He earned his keep the next season as he played the majority of the 2019-20 season with the Canadiens, notching one goal through 41 games. That same season, he scored two goals and added three assists for five points through 14 games with the Rocket.
He played the 2020-21 season with the Rocket, scoring no goals but adding six assists through 22 games. The following season he was selected by the Kraken in the expansion draft after the Habs left him exposed. It was a much-needed change of scenery for Fleury, who seems to be gaining confidence over time with his new team.
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Over the last two seasons, Fleury has played 21 games with the Kraken adding one assist. It is expected Fleury will fight for an NHL spot out of training camp next season, but will likely be utilized as a seventh/eighth defenseman again.
Fleury’s Fit With The Kraken
The Kraken want to have more success next season, so locking up a defenseman that is willing to play the role of an extra that bounces between the NHL and the AHL is a smart move. They avoided arbitration and got a deal done at a really good price for the next two seasons, so this is a really strong signing for the Kraken.
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