Former Florida Panthers 2020 fourth-round pick (105th overall), Zach Uens, has signed a one-year contract with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Seattle Kraken [http://thn.com/seattle]'s AHL [http://thn.com/ahl] affiliate. Uens made his debut with the Charlotte Checkers near the conclusion of the 2021-22 season after he played three seasons with Merrimack College in the NCAA [http://thn.com/ncaa]. He finished his college career with seven goals and 44 points in 82 games, solid numbers for a defenseman. His arrival to the organization came with a level of excitement, but the 6-foot-2 defender was unable to put it together in the AHL. His rookie campaign witnessed him play 19 games in the AHL and 35 games in the ECHL [http://thn.com/echl]. He was also a part of the Florida Everblades' roster in two of their Kelly Cup wins. The 2023-24 season saw Uens play just two AHL games, and the 2024-25 season was spent entirely in the ECHL with the Savannah Ghost Pirates. He was continuously falling down the pecking order within the Panthers organization, and a change was needed. Zach Uens (Charlotte Checkers) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/9593f581-6c80-45c7-a979-831cb2951875.jpeg] Zach Uens (Charlotte Checkers) He'll be joining a Firebirds roster that will once again be among the most competitive teams in the AHL, but more importantly, he'll be receiving a change of scenery and joining an organization with a short but solid history of developing players. The Kraken have been very reliant on their development staff in the AHL to mold and produce NHL talent, and although it hasn't led to much success in the NHL just yet, they have built a strong pipeline with several players waiting for opportunities.
