Kraken Place Goaltender Philipp Grubauer on Waivers

The Seattle Kraken took to social media on Jan. 29 to share some news. They will be placing goaltender Philipp Grubauer on waivers for the purpose of sending him down to the American Hockey League (AHL) to play for the Kraken’s affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

The #SeaKraken have placed goaltender Philipp Grubauer on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to the Coachella Valley @Firebirds.

— Seattle Kraken PR (@SeattleKrakenPR) January 29, 2025

He previously played for the Washington Capitals and the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche chose not to re-sign him after the 2020-21 season, allowing the Seattle Kraken to pick him up. He was signed as an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 28, 2021.

He was the clear starter for the Kraken when they began, playing in 55 games in the 2021-22 season. His goals-against average (GAA) was 3.16, and he earned a save percentage (SV%) of .889. That was the lowest SV% of his career prior to this season. In 2022-23, he picked up the pace, shrinking his GAA to 2.85, and earned a SV% of .895 in 39 games played. In 2023-24, he earned the same GAA, but his SV% went up .004 to .899 in 36 games.

Prior to the Winter Classic in the 2023-24 season, he sustained a lower-body injury in Dec. 2023. This put Joey Daccord in the hot seat, allowing him the chance to start in more games. In the Winter Classic, he recorded the first shutout in its history. He shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0. This display of athleticism gave him the chance to show that he was capable of being the Kraken’s starting goalie.

Grubauer has only played in 21 games so far this season. He has recorded five wins, and his SV% is the lowest of his career. His GAA has grown to 3.83 and his SV% stands at .866. His last start was on Jan. 28 against the Anaheim Ducks. He allowed five goals past the net to give the Ducks the 6-4 win. His 22 saves were not enough to keep the Kraken in the game. Prior to this, he started on Jan. 12 against the Detroit Red Wings. He only saw six minutes of ice time before he was pulled for allowing three goals within this time frame.

Gruabuer is currently signed to a six-year contract with a $5.9 million average annual value (AAV). He is in year four of six at the moment, so this contract should take him to the 2026-27 season.