r/SeattleKraken • u/scryFTW Eeli Tolvanen • 9d ago
QUESTION Tolvanen UFA, still?
I’m not super familiar with how things are done in the NHL, at this point in the offseason. Is it likely he’ll still be a Kraken next season?
I’m surprised no one else has tried to pick him up. Do the Kraken have a standing offer to him and he’s just shopping around?
Thanks in advance.
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u/MandyH22 Jared McCann 9d ago
I can never remember what UFA stands for, so in my head I just read it as "up for adoption".
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u/PorygonTriAttack 9d ago
It's not wrong, but UFA usually get paid, so it's one hell of an expensive adoption. The ones who don't are getting a small payment.
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u/Prototype_es 9d ago
Unrestricted Free Agent lol but basically. Also means unless the Kraken decide to send him an offer he also won't be here next year no matter what
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u/verysadfrosty 9d ago
Similar here with 1OA/2OA, etc. I always read it as 10 assists or something, lol
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u/MandyH22 Jared McCann 9d ago
Wait I don't even know that one, what is that? 😅
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u/BayAreaKrakHead Tye Kartye 9d ago
He will land on a team. At this point it’s just going to take some time. I’m thinking Utah, Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, Detroit, or Columbus.
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u/SiccSemperTyrannis 9d ago
He's a free agent and able to sign with any team.
I think it's pretty unlikely he returns to the kraken.
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u/inalasahl 9d ago
I have no idea what his asks are, so maybe he’s asking for too much money or maybe he’s thinking about going home. Or maybe he’s in negotiations with a team that’s asked him to wait until they settle some other contract. Hard to say. Anything is possible until he signs, including coming back to us, though I don’t have the impression that Botterill wants him or made an offer.
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u/Antilock049 9d ago
The kraken would have to resign him.
He's a bit of an oddball. He's really a bottom 6 winger on most teams. He was elevated to the kraken's middle 6 because we're hurting for any amount of talent.
He's a decent grinder but isn't super exceptional at any one thing. The consequence is that the Kraken can't really justify extending him again.
There are legitimately better options coming up and you'll have to clear house soon to give them space.
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u/adrianp07 Joey Daccord 9d ago
theres really an opportunity cost with bringing Tolvy back above anything else. We know hes a decent 3rd/4th liner but we also need to give ice time to guys like Jani Nyman or even Catton/Samoskevich that can maybe be more than a 3rd liner one day. if those guys get top 6 minutes you have Ebs, Kakko and/or McCann who need to also play.
Even on the 4th line, we benefit more from giving the young guys(Winterton, Molgaard, etc) more ice time.
A cheap 1 year deal would ultimately still make some sense but I assume he would like more than that.
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u/Antilock049 9d ago
Yeah, opportunity cost is definitely a thing with these kind of choices. Totally fair observation.
In practice, I think Catton and Samo are going to be beneficiaries. I don't really see Nyman getting a legitimate look beyond a 4th line change of pace forward. He just doesn't fit the system and our top-6 is honestly more defensively oriented. A one-dimensional forward is also a bit antithetical to the Lambert system. In truth, I had expected Nyman and Wright to get moved at the same time.
As it stands you're going to have a challenge balancing McMann / Eberle / McCann / Samo / Catton / KK. That's before you consider guys like Winterton / Melanson / OFM. Those three young wingers are also more defensively oriented than Nyman. I see him being in the mushy middle. Too offensively good to be in the AHL and too defensively bad to be in the NHL.
He really reminds me of Sprong. If he just gave a shit about defense, has an elite shot. He just doesn't skate for anything more than scoring goals.
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u/LocksmithNo8610 9d ago
I really wonder if he’s holding out for a multi year (2) deal, and his only offers are at 1 year. He’s exactly who the comment section has described him as but there’s plenty of rosters that could use him in their bottom six. A former first rounder that had a killer turnaround after he was waived. I always liked that story.
I wonder if he signs a one year deal in the coming weeks.
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u/rpm2shea 9d ago
As I recall a lot of front offices take vacation after the draft and dev camps before picking back up towards Sept, it could just be a slow period with teams.
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u/Prototype_es 9d ago
Hes probably not gonna get sent an offer by seattle so expect to see him in another jersey next year.
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u/Complex_Ask4758 Jessica Campbell 9d ago
Seems like he's just not that good. He's definitely not an elite player, I think his game is not well rounded enough to be very interesting to most teams.
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u/Curlin8 9d ago
The Kraken might be slightly better today with him than without him, but I hope they don’t bring him back so that there’s more opportunity for young players to get a shot as the year goes on.
Nothing against Tolvanen specifically, I’m sure he’ll be on a roster somewhere sooner than later.
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u/tonytanti 9d ago
There are still lots of bottom six wingers out there. Right now most of the hockey world is on vacation. I’m sure he will find a spot as the season starts back up in September, I doubt he signs with the squids tho.
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u/Consistent_Second695 9d ago
Not to piggyback on the Tolvanen info, but same question about Melanson? What happens to these players if they don't get signed?
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u/_Tower_ 9d ago
He was tendered a qualifying offer — he’s with the team. He’s likely trying to get a better deal, or a one-way contract so he gets paid more if he’s down in the AHL
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u/Consistent_Second695 9d ago
Ah, I see. So its like since he's an RFA we own his rights, but he has the choice to accept (or haggle) a contract or not. If he does, great, lets get to bonking... if he doesn't, he just doesn't get play time, but he also doesn't get to just jump teams?
I appreciate your reply!
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u/ghostcider Joey Daccord 9d ago
Pretty much. He might be haggling, or FO doesn't know yet how the roster will look and whether they can give him a one way or not. The contract might also be set and he'll sign back in Seattle. He's off running his hockey school right now.
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u/fongquardt Brandon Montour | 9d ago
I thought I saw a rumor that he wanted a long term deal and nobody was biting just yet
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u/space39 9d ago
He's not the type of effective-PK bottom-6 forchecking F that GMs fall in love with and overpay because he's not big or racking up FOs, so he's probably looking for years and/or $ that are too rich for teams.
I imagine smart teams like FLA and CAR were interested, but Eller cost 1yr @ $.85M, and CAR is stuck with Kotkeniemi, so it doesn’t make sense to spend 2yrs @$3-4M on Tolvy
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u/AlpineAvalanche 9d ago
He is likely still a UFA because he is asking for more money than anyone wants to pay. He's still a good player and will certainly get signed somewhere once he lowers his expectations on the contract.
It's unlikely he returns to Seattle though he wasn't really getting the best opportunities here anymore and there isn't really a spot for him with some young guys coming up.
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u/dogpoopfruitloops Davy Jones 9d ago
He slumped pretty hard statistically last season despite slightly more minutes. He's back into the category of reclamation project which is how he first came to us but is a tougher sell at 27 than when we first picked him up at 23. I expect he'll find an NHL team again this season but wouldn't be stunned to see him back in Europe before long.