The Seattle Kraken sent a clear message by singing defenseman Brandon Montour to a seven-year contract, says Adam Proteau.
The Seattle Kraken made their biggest free-agent splash in franchise history Monday when they signed defenseman Brandon Montour to a seven-year contract worth $7.14 million per year.
Instantly, the 30-year-old Montour becomes Seattle’s best blueliner. Montour was the premier D-man on the UFA market this year. With his signing, Kraken GM Ron Francis is sending a clear message – Seattle is not going to settle for anything less than a playoff spot this coming season.
Montour’s individual numbers – including his eight goals and 33 points in 66 games – this past season with Florida might be a one-off concern. In 2022-23, he posted a career-best 16 goals and 73 points in 80 games with the Panthers. But as a right-shot defenseman, he’ll partner with left-hander Vince Dunn on Seattle’s top defensive pairing, and he’ll be expected to produce offense on top of his defensive duties.
Montour’s experience winning the Stanley Cup with the Panthers this past season will be invaluable to the Kraken’s growth process. He now is under all kinds of pressure to justify Francis’ major investment in his services, but in a player-friendly market like Seattle, he should fit in quite nicely and be a fixture for the Kraken until further notice.
“Brandon is a proven winner, and we are thrilled to have him joining our organization,” said Kraken GM Ron Francis said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to him making his Kraken debut in front of the best fans in the NHL.”
Francis still has $15.3 million in cap space to play with after the Montour deal, with 16 of 23 roster spots filled. So it’s highly likely Montour’s signing will be the centerpiece of Seattle’s off-season. Francis put his money (and his term) where his mouth is, and the Pacific Division just got more competitive with Montour’s arrival.
He’s not a savior or superstar by any means, but Montour can give you more than 23 minutes per game of solid defending, and his skill set was going to get rewarded in one market or another. Why not Seattle, then?
The expectations of Cup contention reverberate notably through the Kraken organization, and with fellow newer-expansion-team Vegas showing a Cup win is possible for a young team, Seattle must grow quickly. Montour will clearly help in that regard.
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