By Silvia Leija Rosas, edited by Charles Hamaker

Seattle, WA - The Seattle Kraken came out swinging in the first few hours of the NHL’s free agency period, signing recent Stanley Cup winner, defenseman Brandon Montour to a seven-year, $50 million contract. The contract has an average annual value of $7.14M, one of the biggest contracts that Kraken general manager Ron Francis has ever given out.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the deal early on Monday. The 30-year-old was widely viewed as a top defenseman available starting free agency. Last season with the Florida Panthers, Montour led the team in ice time and had eight goals, 25 assists in 66 games. He added 11 points during the playoffs to win the 2024 Stanley Cup. 

Montour joins a Kraken team that finished fourth in the NHL’s worst goals per game with a total of 2.61. The Kraken came to the free agency table looking to make major changes to restore the playoff contender status they had the year prior. Despite being slowed down with a shoulder injury last season, Montour will bring a huge presence to the Kraken’s blue line.

Selected 55th by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft, Montour has 252 points (66G, 186A) in 520 regular-season games for the Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and Ducks and 35 points (11G, 24A) in 82 playoff games.

With this big deal and some contracts to offload already this offseason, expect the Kraken to be busy throughout the course of this offseason and next few weeks as they’ll look to free up more space for potential signings. Seattle is in need of more scoring help at the forward position, and while Shane Wright is primed to join the team on a regular basis, the Kraken need wingers that can score and that will be the next step for Francis and Seattle, whether it be via signing or a trade.

Numbers and notes on Montour

• Montour, 30, totaled 33 points (eight goals, 25 assists) in 66 regular-season games with the Florida Panthers in 2023-24, ranking second among the team’s defensemen in scoring and leading all Panthers skaters in average ice time (23:37). He finished the season with 67 blocked shots and set a career high in both hits (104) and hits per 60 (4.03). Montour added 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games, helping the Florida Panthers win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. His eight playoff assists were a career high, and his 11 points ranked fifth among all defensemen during the 2024 postseason.

• The six-foot, 199-pound defenseman has recorded 252 points (66 goals, 186 assists) in 520 regular-season games with the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers. He had a career year in 2022-23, setting Florida franchise records for assists (57), points (73), even-strength goals (13), even-strength points (40) in a single season by a defenseman, all of which were also career highs for the blueliner. He finished that season ranked in the top 10 among all NHL defensemen in goals (tied seventh), assists (seventh), points (tied fifth), even-strength goals (tied seventh) and even-strength points (tied eighth). He added 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists) in 82 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, helping Florida to reach the Stanley Cup Final in consecutive seasons.

• Prior to making his professional debut, Montour played one season (2014-15) of collegiate hockey for the University of Massachusetts Amherst where he totaled 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) in 21 games and was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. Originally selected by Anaheim in the second round (55th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Montour at the time was the highest-drafted player in program history. A native of Brantford, Ontario, Montour represented Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.

What’s next?

Following the news of the Montour signing, the Seattle Kraken have development camp beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, July 2nd, as they will bring in this years draft class and a slew of their other prospects to the Kraken Community Iceplex for four-days of activities both on and off the ice. Expect to see the Kraken make more moves, whether it’s via free agency or trade, during development camp as Ron Francis and Seattle look to ensure that they’ll return to the postseason this year. Development Camp is open to ALL fans on Tuesday, July 2nd, and Friday, July 5th, but Wednesday, July 3rd is exclusively for season ticket members. You can find more information regarding development camp by clicking here.

Check out Circling Seattle Sports’ previous Seattle Kraken articles here.

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Cover photo by Sam Navarro.

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