The NHL rejects the Seattle Kraken cope with goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer and signifies a violation of the early contract guidelines

The NHL has rejected the free agent contract that the Seattle Kraken signed with goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer, a source confirmed on Sunday.

Grubauer, an unrestricted free agent for the Colorado Avalanche, signed a six-year contract for $ 35.4 million with the expansion team on Wednesday at an average annual value of $ 5.9 million against the salary cap.

The contract was rejected by the NHL’s central registry for violating the league’s requirements for a front-loaded contract. According to CapFriendly, who first reported the rejection, the $ 1.5 million salary variance from 2022-23 ($ 6 million) to 2023-24 ($ 7.5 million) will exceed 25% of the first annual salary of the contract ($ 5 million).

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The NHL has tightened these salary rules in the new collective agreement that came into force in the summer of 2020. Front-loaded contracts in “immediately adjacent years” must not exceed 25% deviation from the first contract year, and each contract year must not exceed 60% deviation from the highest contract year.

The contract needs to be restructured and submitted to the NHL for approval. The Seattle Times reported Sunday that the Kraken have already done so, taking $ 250,000 from year three and adding it to year two until the league review is complete.

Grubauer, 29, was a Vezina Trophy finalist this season and is considered one of the top goalkeepers in the free agent market after failing to agree on an extension with the Avalanche.