It’s here! Seattle Kraken training camp is here! The summer has somehow felt simultaneously way too long and way too short, but the players being back in action is always a welcome sight. There’s a certain optimism and excitement that comes at this time of year, when we see how players have progressed from last season and start to piece together how things might look for Kraken v4.0 when the campaign begins in earnest on Oct. 8.
While the Opening Night Day lineup appears to be mostly set (assuming good health… knock on wood!), there will be plenty of storylines to monitor from Thursday onward. Here are five such storylines we will be watching closely.
Storyline #1: Who fills the last roster spot(s)?
Seattle has several players who will be vying for the last spots on the roster. Whether there is regular playing time—or even cap space (more on that in a moment)—available for those individuals remains to be seen.
At first glance, it does seem the Kraken have 12 forwards locked into roster spots, along with six defensemen and two goalies. Take these line combos with a grain of salt, but this is how we would envision the Kraken Opening Day lineup if the season were to start tomorrow:
Jared McCann // Matty Beniers // Jordan Eberle Andre Burakovsky // Chandler Stephenson // Oliver Bjorkstrand Eeli Tolvanen // Shane Wright // Jaden Schwartz Tye Kartye // Yanni Gourde // Brandon Tanev
Vince Dunn // Adam Larsson Jamie Oleksiak // Brandon Montour Ryker Evans // Will Borgen
Philipp Grubauer Joey Daccord
This would give the Kraken a full lineup, but there are always extra players to consider to create competition and to slot in for injuries or illnesses. If the team opts to keep a full 23-man roster, then there is space for (most commonly) two more forwards and one more defenseman.
Several names we consider to be in the running for those last spots include, but are not limited to, forwards John Hayden, Ryan Winterton, and Ben Meyers, and defenseman Josh Mahura. There’s always a chance that somebody comes into Kraken training camp and blows the doors off to demand a spot on the roster, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled to see if anyone starts to emerge that we weren’t expecting.
Worth noting, Winterton joined Wright as one of the two “veterans” at rookie camp who did not travel to the Rookie Faceoff tournament or participate in the last practice on Tuesday. This could indicate Winterton has an inside track to the roster. Even so, it’s always debatable whether it’s better to keep a young player like Winterton with the roster or send him down to the AHL if it appears he won’t get much playing time with the big club.
The answer to that debate could hinge on whether the Kraken escape camp without injuries. Either way, the battles for these last few spots should be fun.
Storyline #2: How does Seattle solve its salary cap crunch?
As our own John Barr explained last week, the Kraken are in a salary cap pickle. Although it seems there are 20 players who are “locks” to make the roster, those 20 would leave space for only one more minimum contract before the team hits the upper limit of the salary cap. To be able to keep at least one extra forward and one extra defenseman around, which is absolutely necessary in the long run, the front office will need to find a way to shed some dollars before the end of Kraken training camp.
Barring a big injury, and unless there’s some serious voodoo coming from assistant general manager Ricky Olczyk, we still think it’s likely that one of the 12 in-the-lineup forwards will be traded.
Storyline #3: How do Shane Wright and Matty Beniers look?
Wright appears destined to make the Kraken out of camp. He has nothing left to prove at the AHL level, and he showed at the end of last season that he can be an impactful NHL player. But how will he fare over the course of a full NHL season?
It will be fun to see how Wright stacks up against NHL competition during preseason games and how he’s utilized by new head coach Dan Bylsma. We believe he will be put in a position to succeed, with good linemates around him, but he still needs to perform. Does Wright take full advantage of the opportunity and leave no doubt in the minds of the coaching staff and front office as to where he belongs this season?
Meanwhile, Beniers is looking to bounce back after a somewhat disappointing sophomore season. He will enter camp noticeably stronger than how he ended 2023-24, which can only be a positive. Will he look a little sturdier on the ice in camp? Will he be able to fight through tight checking this season?
Storyline #4: How do things look under Dan Bylsma?
Speaking of Bylsma, we’re also excited to see how different this camp looks compared to the previous three with Dave Hakstol at the helm. Bylsma is known to bring a balance of fun and seriousness, and training camp can often feel intense, especially for bubble players and youngsters looking to leave a lasting impression.
Hakstol always seemed to lean into that tension to create more competition in Kraken training camp, but we expect there will be plenty of moments of levity over the next few weeks with Bylsma steering the ship.
We’re also intrigued to see how things look in preseason games. Though the personnel used in these games, especially the first few, won’t resemble an NHL lineup, we should start to see how Bylsma wants the team to play, who he expects to skate together initially, and how he intends to use newcomers Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson.
Storyline #5: Which other young players start knocking on the door?
Past training camps have been where we started to realize how good some of the team’s prospects were. Players like Carson Rehkopf and David Goyette have had memorable performances that made us think they could be players for the Kraken within a couple of years.
Which other young prospects will show glimpses that get us thinking they could be close to reaching the NHL? Who has progressed the most this offseason?
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
The Seattle Kraken are reportedly signing veteran right-shot defenseman Adam Larsson to a four-year contract extension worth an average annual salary cap hit of $5.25 million. The deal was first officially reported by Frank Seravalli, though Larsson’s defense partner, Vince Dunn, seemed to have the real scoop.
Larsson, 31, is entering the last season of his current contract, so this new deal will kick in starting in 2025-26 and will keep the “Big Cat” in deep sea blue through the 2028-29 campaign.
A native of Skellefteå, Sweden, Larsson has played 13 seasons in the NHL and has been a rock on the blue line for Seattle since Day 1 of the franchise. In fact, he has appeared in every Kraken game except one this past season when his daughter was born.
He isn’t known for his scoring, but he has contributed 76 points (20-56=76) during his time with Seattle. He has also led the team with 22:57 average time on ice per game over that period and proudly dons the deepest undershirt “V” in franchise history.
*adding a signature Lars deep v neck shirt to our wish list for santa*
Skating on the top pair, Larsson’s reliable stay-at-home style has allowed Dunn to flourish as an offensive threat. One has to wonder how much of an impact Larsson has had on Dunn’s progression as a player.
Why the extension makes sense
I personally like this term for Larsson and think it should age well based on his style of play. As we have mentioned a few times on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, we had a hunch he wanted to stay in Seattle beyond this season. He was one of the players who chose to be here before the Expansion Draft, signing as a free agent before the Kraken selected him from the Edmonton Oilers. And, since then, every indication from him has been that he’s genuinely enjoyed his time here.
Giving a player entering the later stages of his career a four-year deal always carries some risk, but Larsson has been remarkably durable since arriving in the Pacific Northwest. A player like Larsson doesn’t rely as heavily on speed as others, so even if he loses a step over the next few years, he should still be an effective defender and can simply move down to a lower defensive pair.
As for the salary, his current deal pays him $4 million per year. It’s a significant raise to $5.25 million, but a deserved one that kicks in when the salary cap is expected to rise. One thing that concerns me slightly is that the Kraken are starting to commit a lot to players in their 30’s, with Brandon Montour, Chandler Stephenson, and now Larsson combining for more than $19 million during the course of Larsson’s contract. But that’s a concern for another day.
The captaincy plot thickens
I recently made my case for naming Jordan Eberle as captain of the Kraken, seeing him as a bridge captain until Matty Beniers or Shane Wright is ready to take the reins. But Sound Of Hockey’s own John Barr has been gently beating the drum for Larsson to get the “C” this summer, accurately predicting this extension several weeks ago. I recall him stating that he expected the Kraken to sign Larsson to a new deal, followed by naming him captain.
Well, the first step in John’s prophecy is now done, and I suddenly feel less confident in my prediction that Eberle will become the next captain.
Will it be the Big Cat after all?
Regardless, in honor of the extension, let’s enjoy this incredible Big Cat hype video from last season.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
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.
On July 5, Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis took the microphone at center ice and addressed fans assembled for the the last day of Kraken Development Camp to announce the team’s re-signing of Eeli Tolvanen. That same day, Francis also announced the signing of Berkly Catton to his entry-level contract, indicating that the Kraken were front office was taking care of business and checking items off its summer to-do list. But as the applause and the excitement of the day died down, all attention turned to the one piece of unfinished business: signing Matty Beniers.
At the time, we knew that the Kraken were in talks with the young forward’s camp. Francis told the media on July 1 that the team had already spoken with agent Pat Brisson and planned to do so again on July 2.
Finally, on August 20, the dam broke. The Kraken announced the team had signed Beniers to a seven-year, $50 million contract, carrying a $7.14 million average annual value.
Sound Of Hockey’s Darren Brown gave his instant analysis after the news dropped. With the benefit of extra time to analyze the deal–and finish a vacation, ahem–what else can we say about where Beniers and his contract stacks up against the league and similar deals struck over the years? And what conclusions can we draw about whether the Kraken made a sound investment? Here are my takeaways on the deal.
1. Beniers makes history again
Matty Beniers is Seattle’s first ever draft pick, highest-drafted player, first draft pick to make his career debut with the team, and its first player to win a major NHL award–the 2023 Calder Trophy. His new contract now joins that litany of milestones.
In what is highly unlikely a coincidence, Beniers’ deal matches the term and total dollar value of the richest contract in Kraken history–the contract Seattle gave to defenseman Brandon Montour on July 1. (Vince Dunn’s contract remains the richest in terms of AAV.)
The seven-year term is also the longest contract in team history, tied with contracts given to Montour and Chandler Stephenson earlier this offseason. While the deal is lengthy, it is one year short of the eight-year maximum term in the CBA for a team’s own restricted free agent. It ties Beniers to the Kraken through his age 28 season, and it buys out one unrestricted free agent year.
Let’s get quizzical: The Matty Beniers contract is the first time the Kraken have signed one of their draft picks to a second deal after the player’s entry-level contract. It is not, however, the first time the team has signed a player to a second contract after originally signing the player to an entry-level contract. It has happened twice previously. Can you name the two players? Scroll to the bottom of the article for the answer (or listen to the last Sound Of Hockey Podcast).
2. The Beniers contract comes in near market projections
Earlier in the offseason, Evolving Hockey and AFP Analytics published contract projections for notable unrestricted and restricted free agents. While their full methods are not public, each outfit uses contracts signed by comparable players as a basis.
Evolving Hockey projected Beniers’ most likely contract as a seven-year, $7.1 million dollar AAV contract. After rounding, this is precisely the contract that the team and player settled on. For its part, AFP Analytics projected a seven-year deal, carrying a $6.6 million AAV. This was also quite close to the actual deal.
AFP Analytics used the following player contracts as comparables:
I’ll return to a few of these names in a moment.
3. Beniers’ market value slipped from where it was last offseason
If Matty Beniers’ new contract checked in at (or ever-so-slightly above) his market value, one might question the near unanimous public praise of the deal. I think there are three explanations for the reaction–rooted in fandom, anchoring bias, and structural factors, respectively.
First, among Kraken fans, I believe many are justifiably excited that a young player they have followed closely will be with the team long-term. Beniers’ willingness to commit to seven years in Seattle is viewed as a positive, particularly coming off a disappointing campaign for the team. That factor alone makes the deal a win for many.
Second, when a contract extension for Beniers was first discussed last summer, several analysts, myself included, predicted an extension with a maximum eight-year term and approximately $64 million total ($8 million dollars annually). I arrived at this figure using age and point production comparables at the time. Judged against that standard, securing Beniers for $14 million “less” in total commitments could be viewed as a win for the team in a salary cap environment.
Yet, the fact is, Beniers’ market value declined this past season as his offensive production fell from .71 points per game in 2022-23 to .48 points per game in 2023-24. This sophomore regression casts more doubt on his ultimate offensive upside and puts him into a slightly different contract category. Viewing this deal as a “value” relative to earlier expectations may be an example of “anchoring bias”–a cognitive bias where we weigh our initial impressions of Beniers, both on-ice and in projecting the long-term value, too heavily. We think Beniers is “really” the Calder Trophy winner and last year was an aberration.
How much to weigh Beniers’ on-ice production decline was likely a key sticking point in negotiations. As we have said on the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, we believe that there was an eight-year contract offer on the table for Beniers last offseason. This offseason, both sides mitigated their risk by settling on a seven-year term. From the team perspective, the team gets some relief by lowering the total dollar commitment.
From Beniers’ perspective, he has the chance to get to unrestricted free agency one year sooner and potentially recoup the money he “lost” due to his down season. Beniers’ $7.14 million AAV represents 8.12 percent of the 2024-25 salary cap. If he is able to maintain his on-ice value over the course of his current deal and secure another deal worth 8.12 percent of the cap in 2031, his 2031-32 salary would be a little more than $10 million (assuming five percent annual growth in the cap). This would mitigate most of what he may have “lost” by his down season. But it shifts a fair amount of injury and performance risk onto Beniers.
Third, we need to keep in mind that structural factors depress the salaries of all young players. Given what we know about how hockey players age, the next half decade projects to be the most productive of Beniers’ career. Even so, under league rules, Beniers was still six years away from being able to freely negotiate a contract with all 32 NHL teams. I think most would agree that Beniers’ contract is likely to be a better production-to-dollar “value” than Chandler Stephenson’s deal from earlier in the offseason. But Stephenson had the leverage of unrestricted free agency. We improve our evaluations when we take a closer look at player leverage in grading the “value” of a deal achieved by the team. Stephenson had it; Beniers–like other young players–didn’t have it.
4. Beniers trails many players who have earned similar contracts in shot generation
Digging a little deeper, I wanted to see how Beniers measured up against players who had received similar contracts in the past. In an exercise that would have been many hours of labor easier in the CapFriendly era, I assembled a list of all contracts signed in the last 15 years by a forward aged 23 years old or younger with a contract term of six years or longer, and an AAV of between seven percent and 9.25 percent of the salary cap in the first year of the contract. This exercise returned 25 total results, including Beniers’ deal:
The good news is, every one of these players is still in the league and producing. James Van Reimsdyk doesn’t currently have a contract, but, even at 35 years old, I’d be surprised if he didn’t find a home by opening day. And all but one of these players (Brandon Saad) saw their per-game point production continue to increase post-signing. (Seth Jarvis and Juraj Slafkovsky, like Beniers, haven’t yet played post-signing.)
Beniers fits comfortably within this list in several important respects. Of these 25 players, Beniers ranked 13th in total time on ice and ninth in average time on ice at the time of signing. This reflects the substantial role he has played for the Kraken early in his career–even relative to a distinguished list of players. Beniers also has the high-profile pedigree characteristic of players earning a contract like this. All but one of these 25 players (Saad again) was a first round pick, with 18 of 25 being a top-10 pick, like Beniers.
It’s a great list for Beniers to be on.
On the other hand, Beniers’ actual and expected point production trails the average in this group when normalizing for ice time. Beniers is toward the bottom of the list (t-20th) with 2.12 points per 60 minutes at the time of signing. Likewise, his individual expected goals per 60 minutes of 0.80 is in the bottom five in this group (t-21st).
What is the root of the issue? Beniers struggles to generate his own shots on goal relative to this peer group. He sees the ice well and can generate looks for his teammates at a reasonable clip (17th in assists/60), but he generates only 6.12 shots on goal per 60 minutes, which is the third-lowest of this group of players.
He needs to take a leap forward in generating his own scoring chances, particularly from the most dangerous areas of the ice, if he is going to be an “average” performer among his peers in this comparable contract group.
This is particularly true because contracts like Beniers’ deal come with the weight of public and organizational expectation. Consider the case of Nikolaj Ehlers–one of Beniers’ contract comparables. He has continued as a solid performer and analytics darling for the life of his contract in Winnipeg, but his inability to take control of games and score, particularly late in the season and in the playoffs, has led to ever-increasing scrutiny and trade rumors.
5. Seattle is paying for Beniers’ future role and production
I also wanted to see where Beniers’ contract stacks up against the other centers in the league going into the 2024-25 season. While public position tracking data isn’t perfect, I tabulated a list of NHL forwards with a minimum threshold of total face-offs as a stand-in for the league’s centers. Beniers’ contract ranks 36th by average annual value–equivalent of high-end 2C.
Yet, his .48 points per game from last season ranked 93rd among the group–equivalent of a low-end 3C.
All of the foregoing analysis leads me to the conclusion that the Beniers contract is slightly above Beniers’ market value based on historical precedent and existing production.
Even so, Seattle likely saw at least four legitimate reasons to agree to that deal. First and foremost is the rising cap. For the first time in years, a team can have confidence in a steadily rising cap over the medium-term. A rising cap decreases the burden of a long-term deal like this on a percentage basis.
Second, Beniers is young enough that his point production can reasonably be expected to continue to improve. Among the comparable contract group, those players saw an average .21 point-per-game production increase after signing their new deals. If Beniers’ numbers see a similar uptick, he would settle in around a .83 point-per-game player going forward. This production would have ranked him 34th in the league this past season–almost precisely the same spot as his salary puts him.
Third, the team almost certainly values the narrative and public persona of Matty Beniers. Beniers was the Kraken’s first draft pick. He represented the team at the 2024 NHL Draft, announcing top pick Catton. He sits squarely at the center of conversations about the next captain of the Kraken. I’m sure the team would like Beniers–and his likable, professional demeanor–to be the face of the franchise moving forward. This has value beyond goals and assists.
Finally, I do believe it is fair to say Beniers’ point production doesn’t accurately convey his on-ice value. As Corey Sznajder of All Three Zones recently wrote, Beniers delivers excellent defensive zone and transition play, and this has value.
On the other hand, Beniers has not yet been able to compliment and buttress those ample skills with consistent offensive-zone play driving and shot generation. The best defense is the ability to trap the puck in the offensive zone. Only when Beniers gets more effective offensively will his defensive exploits truly get the recognition they deserve.
In the meantime, we risk overstating Beniers’ value by comparing his skills beyond the statsheet to Beniers’ childhood role model Patrice Bergeron. (Jordan Eberle made this comparison again recently to 93.3 FM KJR.) Bergeron was already a .9 point-per-game player in his age 20 season–a mark Beniers has not yet approached. Bergeron tilted the ice with his all-around game. Beniers is not in the same neighborhood offensively.
To the contrary, Beniers’ numbers at signing are much closer to those of ex-teammate Alex Wennberg when Wennberg signed a six-year contract with Columbus as a 22-year-old. Wennberg wasn’t among the comparables I analyzed because his contract accounted for only 6.5 percent of the cap in its first year. But, as noted above, AFP Analytics saw Wennberg as Beniers’ fourth-most similar player contract in projecting Beniers’ deal this summer.
As Kraken fans no doubt recall, Wennberg struggled to create his own shots too. Wennberg’s inability to grow into a more dynamic offensive game contributed to Columbus buying out his contract early. Wennberg’s career trajectory is a sobering cautionary tale. Beniers needs to take another step forward offensively to escape a similar trajectory.
6. The Collective Bargaining Agreement minimizes the risk here
While I don’t think the Beniers deal is necessarily a strong value based on market comparables, it is important to note that the Collective Bargain Agreement incentivizes big bets like this one on young talent. Until a player turns 26, a team has the option to buy out the remainder of a contract at just one-third of the remaining salary value.
With respect to Beniers, this means that if Beniers stagnates offensively or his injury issues grow, the team will have the option after each of the next four seasons to get out of the deal for a fraction of the cost. (As mentioned above, this is what the Blue Jackets did with Wennberg.) For this reason alone, a long-term bet on a player as talented as Matty Beniers is a good one. It’s mostly upside for the team.
7. Seattle’s cap sheet suggests another transaction may be coming
After accounting for Beniers’ new contract, the Seattle Kraken have just a few thousand dollars in cap space remaining with only 12 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders on the roster. This is two players short of the maximum roster limit.
Brandon Tanev (Brian Liesse/Photo)
The situation has the potential to become untenable very quickly should normal wear-and-tear injuries arise. If a player with a significant contract were to suffer a long-term injury, it could break the cap crunch by allowing the team cap relief associated with a so-called “LTIR” designation. But, as it stands, the team faces the risk of entering the season hamstrung from rostering even one extra forward. This is not how teams like to operate.
Accordingly, I would not be surprised if the Kraken are active in trade calls that could provide some relief. Forward Brandon Tanev is the most obvious candidate to move because he has on-ice value but a single year of a multi-million dollar cap hit and can be replaced by several players in the organization at a lower number. Other avenues are possible too but would likely require either a replacement piece coming back or a bigger roster shake-up.
This is one storyline to follow as we draw nearer to training camp.
Let’s get quizzical answer: Earlier this offseason, the Kraken re-signed first-ever signee Luke Henman and goalie Ales Stezka after their entry-level contracts expired.
Curtis Isacke
Curtis is a Sound Of Hockey contributor and member of the Kraken press corps. Curtis is an attorney by day, and he has read the NHL collective bargaining agreement and bylaws so you don’t have to. He can be found analyzing the Kraken, NHL Draft, and other hockey topics on Twitter and Bluesky @deepseahockey.
As the Kraken embark on their fourth season, Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord are set to again share time between the pipes. Seattle was a top-10 team in goals against (232) and save percentage (.909) during the 2023-24 season, but notably, it was the only top-10 team in goals against that missed the playoffs.
Kraken goaltending has improved every year since the team’s inception. Will it take another positive step in the upcoming season?
Goalies under contract
Grubauer and Daccord are the only two goaltenders under contract with NHL experience within the Kraken organization. Grubauer has three years remaining on his contract with an annual cap hit of $5.9 million. Daccord is entering the final year of his two-year contract with a cap hit of $1.2 million. General manager Ron Francis will need to make a decision on Daccord’s future within the next year, but at least to start the season, and barring injury, the goaltending positions do not appear to be open for competition.
How they fared last year
Grubauer has faced scrutiny for his performance over the first three years of his Kraken tenure, some of which is warranted; his save percentage has yet to eclipse .900 for a full season with Seattle. However, as Kraken goaltending as a whole has improved year over year, he too has taken positive steps with each campaign, with last season being his best statistically since joining the Kraken.
Grubauer missed two months due to a lower-body injury between December and February, limiting him to 36 games on the season. Even after he returned, then-coach Dave Hakstol continued running Daccord out as the starter for a couple more weeks before Grubauer finally returned to game action on Feb. 13, when he re-took the 1A goaltender role for the remainder of the season, playing in 19 games down the stretch.
During this span, he posted a .911 save percentage and a 2.52 goals-against average (GAA). If you exclude the game against Montreal on Mar. 24, when he was pulled, his save percentage improves to .918. The Kraken as a whole did not fare well in their final 30 games, going 13-14-3, but Grubauer was in net for nine of the 13 wins. He also faced tougher competition, starting seven games against playoff-bound teams compared to Daccord’s four. Grubauer finished the season with a 9-7-1 record over his last 17 starts.
The 2023-24 season marked Daccord’s full-time arrival in the NHL. The 27-year-old goaltender was not eligible to be considered a rookie but made a strong impression in his first full season. His standout moment came in front of 47,000 fans during the Winter Classic, where he shutout the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-0.
He also played a key role in the Kraken’s franchise-best nine-game winning streak. Unfortunately, following the streak, the Kraken went 2-6-1 and fell out of playoff contention. Daccord finished the season with 50 games played and ranked sixth in the NHL in GAA (2.46) and save percentage (.915). However, he cooled off in the latter part of the season, finishing 4-7-2 with a .898 save percentage and a 2.73 GAA from mid-February onward.
Joey Daccord and Yanni Gourde answer questions following the 2024 Winter Classic. (Photo/Darren Brown)
Who is the starting goaltender?
Both goalies made a case to be the starter with their performances last season. But who will ultimately snag that “1A” role to start 2024-25?
The case for Grubauer
Grubauer finished last season strong and has the experience and contract to be the Kraken’s starter. Though that big contract isn’t the reason to give him the job, the Kraken (and I) want to see him succeed, and he’ll be given the opportunity to do so. At 32 years old, staying healthy, getting into a rhythm early in the season, and continuing his solid play from last season are crucial.
The case for Daccord
Daccord excelled when Grubauer was sidelined, leading the Kraken to a 12-7-3 record with a .935 save percentage and a 1.996 GAA—numbers that would be worthy of Vezina consideration if maintained for a full season. However, these numbers dropped once Grubauer returned, and the Kraken faded from the playoff discussion. New head coach Dan Bylsma has seen Daccord’s success firsthand for two years at the AHL level, which means he will not hesitate to swap goalies if either netminder struggles.
Philipp Grubauer (Photo/Brian Liesse)
Joey Daccord (Photo/Brian Liesse)
The “Starter”
My projection is the Kraken will likely continue their 1A/1B goaltender strategy in the 2024-25 season, with Grubauer starting as the 1A and Daccord as the 1B. I project a 60/40 split in starts, but this will be fluid as the season progresses. Hopefully, the coaching staff can get both goalies operating at peak performance, giving the Kraken a stable duo for the entire season. Grubauer’s play at the end of last season is the main reason for getting the 1A role, but he will have to work and continue to perform to keep it. Competition here is a good thing.
Coachella Valley Firebirds
Three goalies are expected to compete for the AHL affiliate roster this year.
Ales Stezka: Signed a one-year, two-way deal.
Niklas Kokko: Drafted in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Victor Ostman: Undrafted free agent signed from the University of Maine.
One of the younger goalies, Kokko or Ostman, will likely play in the ECHL with the Kansas City Mavericks. Kokko is transitioning from Liiga and will need time to adjust to the North American game. Ostman recently signed as a free agent out of college. My hunch is that Ostman will be assigned to the ECHL, Kokko will be the backup in Coachella Valley, and Stezka will be the starter. If the Kraken need to recall a goalie during the year, it will be interesting to see who they bring up. Stezka is waiver-eligible and could be claimed by another team, while Kokko and Ostman are exempt from waivers, though that shouldn’t prevent Stezka from getting a callup if he’s needed at the NHL level. All three goaltenders have zero NHL experience.
To be clear, goaltending was not the Kraken’s issue last year. With a solid blue line, if they can continue to improve in this area, they will be a very difficult team to score against. However, I expect some regression as the Kraken focus on increasing goal scoring, as the extra pressure to create offense could lead to defensive lapses. Bylsma has two quality goaltenders, but the depth chart ends there, so Seattle will also need good health from Daccord and Grubauer. Assuming both do remain healthy, competition between Grubauer and Daccord should help push each goaltender to get better.
I’m ready with the “Gruuuuuuu” and “Joey, Joey, Joey” chants when the Kraken hit the ice in a few weeks. If you have any comments or questions, please leave them below. You can find me on the X at @blaizg.
The biggest lingering question facing the Seattle Kraken and general manager Ron Francis this offseason was answered Tuesday. Restricted free agent and 2023 Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers signed a new seven-year contract with the organization at an average annual value of $7.14 million.
“Matty has been a core part of our team since making his NHL debut, not only on the ice, but in his commitment to our community and our fans,” Francis said. “Signing Matty to a new contract was a top priority for our offseason, and we are excited to have it done. We’re looking forward to seeing Matty take the next steps as a player and watching him contribute to many more memorable moments for our franchise.”
Beniers, a 21-year-old, top-line center who was the first draft pick in franchise history at No. 2 overall in 2021, burst onto the NHL scene late in Seattle’s inaugural season when he scored three goals and added nine assists in 10 games after making the difficult jump straight from the NCAA. He followed that up with 24 goals and 33 assists in his first full season, earning him rookie-of-the-year honors and elevating expectations.
One could argue Beniers took a step back in 2023-24, when the league seemed to figure out how to defend him and when his teammates also struggled to produce for long swaths of the season. But even with extended scoring droughts and what was widely considered a disappointing campaign for the youngster, he still managed a respectable 15 goals and 22 assists and played a key role throughout.
The future remains bright for the Hingham, Mass., native, who has now solidified himself as one of the core members of the organization for the foreseeable future. The deal keeps Beniers in Seattle through the 2030-31 season and buys out two years of his unrestricted free agent eligibility.
No real drama, deal done
RFA’s generally don’t have much leverage, other than when things start to come down to the wire with training camp and the start of the season. The uneasiness of negotiations dragging out to a point where team activities are missed creates urgency on both sides but can corner a team into upping its offer. In this case, the start of training camp was beginning to creep up, but the deal got done with plenty of time to spare.
Francis had made no bones about his desire to sign Beniers long-term, and now he gets his guy.
Analysis
This is about where we expected Beniers to land with this contract. If he had matched his 2022-23 stats this past season, he likely could have gotten a higher AAV, but his 2023-24 performance simply did not warrant a significantly bigger number. It’s a fair deal for both sides at present, and the hope is that he continues to develop into a star player, which will turn it into a steal of deal for the Kraken in a couple years.
It’s hard to get a full salary cap picture right now, because it depends on how many extras the Kraken will want to keep around and who they keep after training camp. But, if we plug in John Hayden and Ryan Winterton as extra forwards and Josh Mahura as a seventh defenseman (obviously some big assumptions there, but that would fill out a 23-man roster), that puts Seattle about $1.5 million over the cap. So, there could still be a salary-shedding move or two coming.
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
