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The Penguins on Tuesday signed defenseman Filip Kral to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 at the NHL level.
Kral, 24, is a 6-foot-2, 198-pound native of Blansko, Czechia and a left-handed shot. He will be a restricted free agent when his contract expires next summer, and he would require waivers to be re-assigned to the minors.
Kral was originally a 2018 fifth-round pick of the Maple Leafs, a member of Kyle Dubas' first draft class as general manager in Toronto. He played two full seasons in the Maple Leafs' organization. He spent the full 2021-22 season in the AHL with the Marlies, where he scored three goals and 18 assists in 58 games. He made his NHL debut in the 2022-23 season, going scoreless in two games. He spent the rest of the year in the AHL, where he recorded two goals and four assists in 24 games.
After Dubas wasn't retained as general manager of the Maple Leafs in the summer of 2023, new Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving opted to not extend Kral a qualifying offer when he was set to become a restricted free agent, making him an unrestricted free agent. Kral left North America and signed with the Pelicans of the top Finnish league. Kral finished No. 4 in team scoring and led his team's defensemen with five goals and 32 assists in 46 games. He won the league's Matti Keinonen Trophy for the best plus/minus at plus-28.
Aijaijai, mitä NAMUSTELUA! Filip Kral viimeistelee @PelicansFi:n kauniin hyökkyskuvion.
— Liiga (@smliiga) January 6, 2024
@MTVUrheilu | #Liiga #PelicansFi pic.twitter.com/UVa2aUH6jD
Filip Kral lataa @PelicansFi:n takaisin johtoon!
— Liiga (@smliiga) January 10, 2024
Ryan Laschille samalla illan toinen ykkössyöttö.
@MTVUrheilu | #Liiga #PelicansFi pic.twitter.com/eHdhvbS2Ih
When Kral signed with the Pelicans, the team's sporting director Janne Laukkanen called him "an offensive defender who is skilled on the puck and brings more expertise especially to our special teams play." Kral characterized himself as a "two-way defenseman who can play with the puck without shying away from tight spaces. I'm a calm and positive guy both on the ice and in the locker room."
Before moving to North America in 2021, Kral played in both the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs and in the top Czech league with HC Kometa Brno. He won the league's championship with Brno in 2017.
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Perhaps Superman Paul Skenes has found his kryptonite
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