Seattle Kraken Decides to Re-Sign an RFA Defender

Defenceman Cale Fleury Re-Signs With the Seattle Kraken

Cale Fleury was originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens way back in the third-round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Teams have been patient with the Carlyle, Saskatchewan native. The Kraken are one of those teams, as this upcoming 2025-26 campaign will mark his fifth year with the organization. Furthermore, he still only has 77 games of NHL experience. But given his skillset, the Kraken believe, and with good reason, he could still be a successful, NHL defenceman.

Many defencemen are late-bloomers as-is. Signing a 26-year-old as a seventh defenceman, is very low risk. As Cale Fleury signs, we point out he is a solid d-man, who has the skating ability to jump up in the rush. For instance, in his last two seasons at the AHL level, with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, he has been productive. He played 104 games, recording 14 goals and 48 assists for 62 points. So, for in his NHL career, he’s only managed three points. However, there is reason to believe he can find his groove at the NHL level. The team won’t put him in high-intensity situations, and that could work wonders for him. This contract could be one last gas for the defenceman, if he wants to prove he can play in the NHL. Seattle is more than willing to take that risk with his known upside. This is just another smart move by general manager Jason Botterill.