The Seattle Kraken were active in free agency on July 1, as they build back towards a playoff appearance.
Perhaps their biggest addition came on the blue line, adding defenseman Brandon Montour. The defender signed a seven-year contract with the Kraken, carrying a $7.25 million cap hit. The deal comes with a full no-trade clause for the first three years, followed by a partial no-trade clause for the final four years.
Below, we examine how the deal looks for Seattle, and whether is was the right move.
Brandon Montour profile
Over the last few seasons in Florida, Montour's stock has risen exponentially. After a strong first full season with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22, he blew his previous career-highs out of the water during the 2022-23 season. During the year, he posted an excellent 16 goals and 73 points in 80 games, while playing over 24 minutes per game. While his numbers saw a small step back this season, he still scored at a pace of 0.5 points per game, while taking on a huge role within Florida's defense group.
Montour's top asset is his skating, but he also has a fairly well-rounded game. While he can clearly put up great offensive numbers, he's a hard-worker, and can be good in puck battles and defending rush chances in his own end.
With Montour now 30 years old, the concern would just be about when – or how soon – a decline may come. With a game relying on his skating, we don't know if that's sustainable, as he moves later into his 30s. Still, Montour was arguably the best defenseman available in free agency this summer, and he remains a versatile, high-end defender.
Brandon Montour's contract
Montour's contract comes in right in line with expectations. Prior to free agency, I had projected a $7.25 million cap hit for Montour, in the scenario where he received a seven-year deal.
In regards to the length, a maximum-term was expected for a player with Montour's numbers. Meanwhile, a cap hit slightly above $7M represents fair value, based on comparables.
Right-shot defensemen are highly sought-after, and getting Montour in his prime is a major upgrade. Seattle had a healthy cap situation entering free agency as well, meaning they could spend big on someone like Montour. As a result of their space, the addition came without having to subtract any current pieces from their roster. Plus, with the cap set to rise, the deal will take up a smaller percentage of Seattle's space later on.
While the term itself is fair though, again, a decline could create issues for the team in the back half of the deal. Montour is worth the cap hit now, but the Kraken will need to brace for the point where he isn't. Even if Montour gets close to 35 years old by the time his play drops off, the last few years of the deal could look rough.
That said, while details aren't clear on the extent of the modified no-trade clause in the last four years of the deal, the trade protection being reduced midway through the deal does help. In the case the Kraken need to explore moving the defensemen, they'll have more flexibility to do so.
Ultimately though, it's a fair contract for Montour. If the Kraken weren't going to sign him to that deal, someone else would have.
Kraken fit
Montour is a perfect fit for the Kraken's defense group in the short-term. Last year, the defense lacked in almost all ways. The team didn't have enough true top-four defensemen, along with not enough defensemen who could help offensively. Aside from Vince Dunn, the next highest-scoring Kraken defenseman had just 26 points (Justin Schultz).
Dunn and Adam Larsson were forced to take on huge roles, based on the lack of talent. The defensemen each averaged about 23 minutes per game, while no other defender on the team even reached 20 minutes per game.
Montour provides a clear solution to that issue. Likely to be paired with Jamie Oleksiak, he immediately makes Seattle's defense group much more formidable.
Once again though, the question about the signing remains the long-term impact. Montour is now 30 years old, which means he likely has a few years left before a drop-off. As a result, it makes the fit a little more curious, given Seattle's position.
With the Kraken coming off a 12th place finish in the West last season, they're hardly pegged as contenders. Even if the team managed to reach the postseason, they don't look strong enough to really compete on paper. So while the Montour signing signals a commitment for the team to compete now, the team isn't necessarily set up to do so.
There's still several years before Seattle's young talent like Matty Beniers and Shane Wright reach their prime. By that time, Montour could already be facing a decline, and starting to have a negative impact on the team's cap situation. So while the signing helps right now, it's still a bit questionable as to whether this was really the right long-term move for the Kraken.
The Kraken got fair value on their deal with Montour, who's a huge addition to the defense group. However, with Seattle not really set to contend – and Montour 30 years old – the logic behind the signing is questionable.
Grade: B-
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