Western Conference Team Passes on Goalie Buyout, Looks to New Coach for Answers, per Elliotte Friedman

The Seattle Kraken burst onto the scene in 2021 by putting together what many saw as an underwhelming team, but in free agency, they made a massive splash when they landed then standout goaltender Philipp Grubauer from the Colorado Avalanche.

Unfortunately, Grubauer has struggled since then, tallying a 3.07 GAA and an .890 save percentage over 156 games, falling short of expectations after posting a 1.95 GAA and a .922 in his final season with the Avalanche before signing a huge free agency deal with Seattle.

Now, Grubauer has just two years remaining on a six-year deal with a $5.9 million salary cap hit, and after all his struggles, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman has now revealed that the team were incredibly close to buying out the 33-year old veteran.

However, things have now changed, with Friedman revealing that the team hiring Colin Zulianello into the role after serving in the same role with the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds has changed things.

Friedman notes that they've decided to give Grubauer the chance to turn back the clock and find his old form with the new coach, and if he can't do that, there's a chance that they buy him out next off-season, or simply let the final year of his contract play out.

With Joey Daccord taking over the role as starter in Seattle, it made sense for the team to buy out Grubauer, but with the potential still there for an All-Star caliber goaltender, they've given him one final chance, and now we'll see how that plays out in the season ahead.