Kraken Re-Sign Victor Ostman, Ville Ottavainen

According to a team announcement, the Seattle Kraken have re-signed netminder Victor Östman to a one-year deal for the 2026-27 season. Additionally, the Kraken also announced a one-year contract for defenseman Ville Ottavainen. Both contracts are presumably two-way deals.

Östman, 25, joined the Kraken toward the end of the 2023-24 campaign after he finished his NCAA career. After spending one year with the USHL’s Chicago Steel, Östman joined the University of Maine for his collegiate career. In four years with the Black Bears, Östman managed a 35-38-7 record in 86 games with a .905 SV% and 2.82 GAA.

Although he debuted with Seattle in his first professional season, much of it was spent with the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks. It wasn’t until last season that Östman became a regular in the AHL, finishing with a 17-15-3 record in 36 games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds with a .906 SV% and 2.81 GAA.

Meanwhile, unlike Östman, Ottavainen was drafted by the Kraken. Seattle selected the Finnish blueliner with the 99th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft from the Finnish Liiga’s JYP. He spent the next two years with JYP before joining the professional ranks in North America.

Unfortunately, Ottavainen has failed to take a significant step forward in his development. He got off to an impressive start to his AHL career, scoring eight goals and 34 points in 70 games with a +27 rating, including another three assists in 18 postseason matchups. Since then, Ottavainen has seemingly stalled out, registering only six goals and 32 points in 121 games over the past two years. He tallied one assist in his NHL debut with the Kraken during the 2024-25 campaign, but has not gotten another NHL opportunity since.