The Winnipeg Jets have acquired goaltender Chris Driedger from the Florida Panthers in exchange for goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen.
Driedger, a Winnipeg native, has a record of 10-6-4 with a 2.97 goals-against average and an .878 save percentage in 20 appearances for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers this season.
The 11th-year pro has played 212 games in the AHL with Charlotte, Coachella Valley, Springfield, Belleville and Binghamton, posting a career record of 105-75-19, a 2.73 GAA, a .911 save percentage and eight shutouts. He backstopped the Firebirds to the Calder Cup Finals in 2024, going 12-6 (2.67, .906) in 18 postseason starts.
Originally a third-round pick by Ottawa in the 2012 NHL Draft, Driedger has made 67 NHL appearances with the Senators, Panthers and Kraken, going 31-24-5 with a 2.45 GAA, a .917 save percentage and five shutouts.
Kähkönen has a record of 6-16-1 with a 3.23 GAA, an .888 save percentage and one shutout in 24 AHL appearances between the Colorado Eagles and Manitoba Moose this season.
Kähkönen, who won the Baz Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s top goaltender in 2019-20, is 48-36-12 with a 2.63 GAA, a .910 save percentage and 14 shutouts in 97 career AHL games with Manitoba, Colorado and Iowa.
A fourth-round pick by Minnesota in the 2014 NHL Draft, Kähkönen has gone 49-68-15 with a 3.34 GAA, an .898 save percentage and four shutouts in 140 career NHL appearances for the Wild, Sharks, Devils and Avalanche.
