"Dennis is a young defenseman with offensive upside that we were excited to add to our group," said Ron Francis, Kraken GM. "We like his strong skating and puck moving ability and are looking forward to working with him."
Cholowski split time between AHL Grand Rapids and Detroit last season, starring as the powerplay "quarterback" for the American Hockey League affiliate then getting called up to the NHL team after the trade deadline.
Teammate and Detroit captain Dylan Larkin noticed a different Cholowski upon the call-up.
"The first thing is the strength and the transformation of his body type by the hard work in the gym," said Larkin to Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News. "You see it carry over on the ice into a more explosive first step.
"He seems to be harder to push around, in front of the net and in battles. He's strong on his stick. He's a hard-working guy and he's done a lot to improve his game."
Cholowski (pronounced "chuh-LOW-skee") started his 2018-19 NHL debut season red-hot, making the roster out of camp as a 20-year-old and notching eight points in the first 11 games. He scored his first NHL goal against Columbus in his first game.
The 23-year-old Langley, B.C. native played for both NHL and AHL clubs in the last three seasons, always bringing what scouts label a "heavy shot" and playmaking skill while making steady improvements in the defensive zone.
At 6-2, 200 pounds, Cholowski is rated as an elite skater for his size and weight.
Pacific Northwest hockey fans might recognize the new Kraken defenseman from his 2017-18 with the Western Hockey League's Portland Winterhawks.
He notched a goal and 26 assists in 32 regular season games after a midseason trade, then upped his production with five goals and two assists in 12 playoff games. Before the trade, Cholowski scored 13 goals and added 26 assists in 37 games for WHL Prince George.
