The Seattle Kraken get a big piece of business done for the franchise. Star forward Matthew Beniers signs a new contract with the club. Beniers ‘ contract has been agreed as a seven-year deal at $7.14M AAV. With this, the Kraken have locked up their number-one centre of the future and right now.
The #SeaKraken have agreed to terms with forward Matty Beniers on a seven-year contract ($7.14M AAV). pic.twitter.com/DPsFiHSgN1
— Seattle Kraken PR (@SeattleKrakenPR) August 20, 2024
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New Contract for Beniers
Beniers is coming off a 37-point season, scoring 15 goals for the Kraken. It is a bit of a drop-off compared to his first full season with Seattle. In the 2022-23 season, Beniers played 80 games, scoring 24 goals and a total of 57 points. His numbers were so great that he earned himself the Calder Trophy , awarded to the best rookie of the season. For that award, he beat out players such as Stuart Skinner , Owen Power , and Wyatt Johnston . The Kraken were good enough to make the playoffs that season and in 14 games, Beniers scored seven points, pretty solid for a rookie seeing the NHL playoffs for the first time in his career.
Despite the slight negative regression this season compared to the last, there’s no denying that Beniers is a very talented player. The entire Kraken team wasn’t great as a whole this past season, so it’s expected for everyone to take a hit in terms of offensive production. It’s clear that Kraken management believes in Beniers, and this contract is a representation of that.
What Does this Mean for Seattle?
As everyone knows, Seattle are still a very new franchise in the NHL. In fact, this coming season will only be their fourth since their expansion in 2021. A signing such as this one is very significant to a franchise like the Kraken. This shows that they are setting out their foundation for the future, and general manager Ron Francis will hope that this will help them become a playoff team again, just like they were a couple of seasons ago.
They may not immediately be a playoff contending team with this contract for Beniers , but it is a step in the right direction for Francis and the Kraken.
Main photo: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
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