Report: Holtby drawing interest from Kraken

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Braden Holtby is drawing real interest from the Seattle Kraken, The Athletic's Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal report.

Holtby is expected to be unprotected in the upcoming expansion draft, but Seattle has inquired about Vancouver potentially retaining some of the veteran netminder's salary in a side deal, according to Drance and Dhaliwal. Holtby carries a $4.3 million cap hit next season but is owed $5.7 million in base salary.

The 31-year-old signed a two-year, $8.6 million contract with the Canucks last October, but Thatcher Demko has since emerged as the club's clear goalie of the future.

Holtby would be one of the better goalies available for the Kraken in the draft and surely the most established. The Saskatchewan native has made 489 NHL starts and has a Stanley Cup (2018) and Vezina Trophy (2016) on his resume.

Despite his reputation and prior accomplishments, Holtby's stats over the past two seasons are cause for concern. In 69 appearances between 2019 and 2021, he's 32-25-9 with an .895 save percentage and minus-29.4 goals saved above average.