UFA forward Riley Sheahan signs with the Seattle Kraken on a one-year, $850,000 contract. This deal will take him through the end of the 2021-22 season.
The #SeaKraken squad continues to get bigger!
We’ve inked forward @rsheahan15 to a one-year contract ($850k AAV) → https://t.co/OTQBJttxnG pic.twitter.com/gci9o3hWxP
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) September 1, 2021
Riley Sheahan Signs With Seattle
Sheahan, who spent the 2020-21 season with the Buffalo Sabres, now has a role in the newest NHL franchise. Throughout his 12-year career, the 29-year-old has played for the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo. He has 70 goals and 177 points in 566 games regular-season games. Sheahan also has appeared in 33 playoff games, with Detroit, Pittsburgh and Edmonton. He has scored three goals and seven playoff points. He was selected 21st overall by the Red Wings in the 2010 NHL Draft.
Sheahan’s NHL career has not been an easy path. He has had issues with his mental health. Back in 2012, Sheahan was diagnosed with depression. He got all the necessary support from the Red Wings to get his space in the NHL. Now, the 29-year-old has a podcast where he talks about mental health. The Speak Your Mind podcast is hosted on the TorchPro, a website co-founded by Dallas Stars player Joe Pavelski.
“You have to figure out ways to get through the struggles of being a pro-athlete. It’s an unbelievable lifestyle, it’s a dream, but there’s also a part of it that can be taxing and stressful”, says Sheahan’s page on the website.
What This Means For The Future
Even though Sheahan is not the most productive player, he’s a good influence off the ice. He’s a good penalty-killer and has a strong, physical game. The Kraken general manager, Ron Francis, seems to see that on him.
“We’re excited to add an experienced veteran like Riley to our organization,” Francis said. “His versatility, strong penalty-killing ability and skill in the face-off circle make him a valuable addition to our forward group.”
Having a good veteran that can bring a good locker room presence is important and seems to be Seattle’s course of action so far.
Main Photo:
