Eeli Tolvanen is headed west.
This is an inauspicious end to a rocky tenure with the Nashville Predators for the Finnish forward. Tolvanen's ice time has been a lightning rod for frustration among the Nashville fan base as the 2017 first round draft pick struggled to find a permanent place on the roster under head coach John Hynes.
Last season Tolvanen played 75 games for the Predators, scoring 11 goals and 12 assists. Tolvanen often played on a second line in 2021-2022 that struggled to find scoring success. This season Tolvanen has only played 13 games and recorded 2 goals and 2 assists. He has been a healthy scratch for 12 games this season as it seemed there was a disconnect between the forward and expectations.
Losing Tolvanen on waivers comes as another forward who has cycled in and out of the lineup this season is stepping away from the ice. Michael McCarron has entered the NHLPA Players Assistance Program and will be away from the team indefinitely.
Tolvanen is joining the Seattle Kraken who have been a surprise team early in the season in the Pacific Division. The Kraken are 16-8-3 and are tied for second in their division.
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