A goaltender from Winnipeg is headed back home after a trade Thursday.
The Winnipeg Jets announced the acquisition of Chris Driedger from the Florida Panthers, in exchange for goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen.
Driedger, 30, has been assigned to the Jets’ AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
Originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2012, Driedger’s NHL career has also taken him to Seattle — where he played two games for the Kraken in 2023-24 — and two separate stints in Florida.
The bulk of his career has been in the AHL, however, with a 105-79-14 record playing for teams including the Binghamton (later Belleville) Senators, Springfield Thunderbirds, and Coachella Valley Firebirds, as well as 20 games with the Charlotte Checkers this season.
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Kahkonen, 28, was initially acquired by the Jets’ organization last summer, but was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Avalanche, before being re-claimed by the Jets in November.
The Finnish goaltender was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2014, and has made appearances with Minnesota, Colorado, the San Jose Sharks, and the New Jersey Devils, for a total of 140 games at the NHL level.
Prior to coming to North America, Kahkonen played 117 in the Liiga, Finland’s top hockey league. He played 22 games this season in a Moose sweater, earning a a 6-14-0 record.
