Seattle’s defense got a significant upgrade this offseason. Brandon Montour, fresh off a Stanley Cup win with the Florida Panthers, signed a hefty seven-year, $50 million contract with the Kraken on the opening day of free agency. This commitment is underscored by a no-trade clause for the first three years, which then transitions to a modified NTC for the remainder of the deal. Let’s delve into Montour’s playing style and what Kraken fans can expect from their newest defenseman.
Montour’s offensive prowess
Montour’s offensive prowess is a cornerstone of his game. Over the past two seasons, he’s amassed an impressive 106 points in 146 games, with a career-best 73-point campaign in 2022-23. His ability to move the puck and generate offense from the back end is a significant upgrade for the Kraken.
Seattle’s previous reliance on a dump-and-chase style can be improved with Montour’s puck-moving ability, which will allow for more controlled entries and smooth transitions. His right-handed shot will complement the team’s existing defensive corps, and his ability to jump into the rush while maintaining situational awareness will add a new dimension to their offensive attack. The smooth-skating defenseman excels at starting the breakout with quick passes to get the puck moving up the ice. Here are a few clips of Montour making the first pass.
Shot selection
Adam Larsson has led Kraken defensemen in shots since the team’s inception with 392. Montour easily eclipses that mark, with 563 shots during the same time frame. This penchant for shooting will be welcomed by the Kraken.
As illustrated in the provided heatmaps (source: MoneyPuck), Montour’s shots are primarily concentrated at the point, but he’s not afraid to move around the ice and take shots from various angles. His ability to generate a high volume of shots, especially from long range, will be instrumental in creating scoring opportunities by generating rebounds and deflections.
Montour’s familiarity with the 1-3-1 power play strategy, a system also utilized by the Seattle Kraken, played a role in his shooting habits. This formation often anchors the power play quarterback at the point, which aligns with Montour’s primary shooting location.
Overall, Montour’s shooting style and offensive instincts make him a valuable addition to the Kraken’s blue line. His ability to generate shots and create scoring chances will be a key asset for the team as they strive for success.
Defensive abilities
While Montour is primarily known for his offensive contributions, he also possesses solid defensive skills. He’s positionally sound, adept at breaking up plays with his poke check, and effective at clogging passing lanes. Contrary to what his offensive reputation might suggest, Montour plays a more conservative defensive style, prioritizing his positional responsibilities over unnecessary offensive ventures.
Montour’s defensive play is heavily influenced by the systems implemented by the Florida Panthers. Through careful observation, it’s evident that Montour adheres to specific assignments in various zones, minimizing risky plays and prioritizing defensive responsibility.
Offense zone defense
Whilst playing defense in the offensive zone, Montour primarily occupies the point position. He’s quick to exit the zone once the puck is controlled by the opposing team, demonstrating his conservative approach to defense.
When the opponent contests but does not control puck along the boards, Montour does not hesitate to pinch and apply pressure to the opposing winger, aiming to regain possession. However, he’s always mindful of maintaining proper coverage, ensuring that a forward is in position to cover defense and limit odd-man rushes.
Here are a few clips of Montour pinching to maintain puck possession.
Given the Kraken’s similar defensive strategies, Montour’s familiarity with these tactics should allow him to seamlessly integrate into the team’s system.
Defensive zone
In the defensive zone, his home is in front of the net and in the corners. He is constantly scanning the ice for potential threats. Communication is key, and the right-shot defenseman can be seen during play talking to his teammates and pointing to opponents to ensure defensive coverage.
While Montour isn’t known for delivering heavy hits, he’s adept at using his body to separate the puck carrier from the puck and subsequently retrieving it. Once he gains possession, his puck-handling skills come into play, allowing him to quickly move the puck to a teammate and ensure his team keeps control.
The fast-paced nature of hockey often leads to odd-man rushes, and Montour’s poke check is a valuable asset in these situations. His ability to anticipate passes, combined with his willingness to sacrifice his body to block shots, makes him a formidable defender. Here are some clips of Montour’s poke checks.
The power play quarterback
Montour’s contributions extend beyond even-strength play, as evidenced by his league-leading average of 4:05 of average power play time per game over the past two seasons. While his goal production on the man advantage has been modest (four goals in two years), he’s established himself as a top distributor, ranking fifth in the NHL among defensemen with 46 power play assists during the same timeframe.
His role as a power play quarterback revolves around facilitating puck movement and creating scoring opportunities. The addition of Montour provides the Kraken with a formidable one-two punch alongside Vince Dunn, who will surely quarterback the other unit. Sharing the workload could potentially lead to a decrease in Montour’s power play time, as both he and Dunn will command plenty of opportunities.
It’s worth acknowledging the dip in Montour’s power play production during the 2023-24 season, coinciding with the emergence of Sam Reinhart and his 57 goals. Reinhart playing the bumper position, coupled with the Panthers’ strategy of cycling the puck low, limited Montour’s direct opportunities for assists. Check out this clip of a textbook Panthers power-play goal.
If the NHL counted third assists, Montour’s season totals would have definitely been higher. Regardless, Montour remained a valuable contributor to one of the league’s best power plays. The Florida Panthers power play was the fourth best in the NHL over the last two years, scoring 126 goals.
Montour’s experience and puck-moving abilities will be a significant asset for the Kraken’s special teams unit.
Coming back from injury
Following a tough Stanley Cup Final defeat to end the 2022-23 season and subsequent surgery to repair a torn labrum, Montour missed the first 16 games to start 2023-24. Despite returning to action and averaging 23:13 of ice time, Montour struggled to regain his pre-injury scoring touch during the early stages of the season. He was limited to 11 points in the first 36 games.
However, as the season progressed, his play began to show signs of improvement. Over the final 30 games, he demonstrated a significant uptick in production, averaging .73 points per game. This is equivalent to a 60-point pace for a full season. This surge suggests that Montour has fully regained his strength and confidence, and it bodes well for his potential in Seattle.
There is a lot going on in the following visualization (source: HockeyViz). What these graphics show is when Montour is on the ice, how do all the Panthers perform as a team? The image on the left is the 2022-23 season, and the right image is the 2023-24 season.
Here are my three takeaways from this data.
- The top left heatmap for the 2023-24 season shows when Montour is on the ice, the even-strength offense heavily favored to Montour’s side of the ice.
- The bottom left heatmap for the 2023-24 season shows very few shots are coming from the right side, indicating strong defense.
- The top right heatmap shows Florida’s power-play shots. In the 2022-23 season, a bigger portion of the team’s shots were from the point than in 2023-24. That could be due to team strategy and Sam Reinhart’s team-leading 27 power-play goals.
Montour will boost the Kraken
Brandon Montour’s addition to the Seattle Kraken is a significant boost to their already strong defensive corps. The Kraken were already a top-10 team in goals against (232) prior to Montour’s arrival, and his presence will only further solidify their defensive foundation.
Beyond his defensive contributions, Montour’s offensive abilities offer the potential to enhance the Kraken’s scoring capabilities. His skillset aligns well with the team’s strategy, and his presence on the blue line will undoubtedly make them a better team.
Kraken fans can eagerly anticipate seeing Montour in a Kraken jersey when training camp begins on Sept 19. If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below. You can find me on the X at @blaizg.
This article certainly inspires optimism. He sounds like exactly what the blue line was missing last year, even if last year’s blue line was really good. I wish that there was a statistical way to measure Montour’s impact in the neutral zone, because I suspect that will be where he will help the team most significantly with his sharp passing and good stick-checking.