Kraken recall goaltender on emergency basis

Late on Thursday, the Kraken announced (X link) that they recalled goaltender Ales Stezka on an emergency basis from AHL Coachella Valley. The roster move was officially registered earlier on Friday.  They had three open roster spots, so no corresponding move was necessary, although it did push them into using LTIR for the time being.

The 27-year-old is in his second season with Seattle after signing with them as a free agent last year. He was originally drafted by Minnesota back in 2015 but didn’t sign with them.

Stezka had a solid rookie year in the minors last season, posting a 2.48 GAA with a .914 SV% in 27 regular season games with the Firebirds.  He didn’t see any playoff action with them though as Chris Driedger played every minute in their run to the Calder Cup Final.  However, things haven’t gone as well for Stezka this year. Through his first six appearances, he has put up a 3.61 GAA with a .881 SV%, only winning one of those outings.

This should be a short-lived recall for Stezka.  Goaltender Philipp Grubauer missed practice on Thursday but took the morning skate today; he’s listed as day-to-day. While it’s possible that Stezka will dress as the backup on Friday, it’s likely that he’ll be sent back down after that, allowing them to exit LTIR and go back to banking cap space.