Kraken Make Huge Investment in Young Center

The Seattle Kraken placed a large bet on one of their top young players with his recent contract extension.

Apr 1, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers (10) reacts after scoring a goal during the first period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports / Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Kraken see center Matty Beniers as a pivotal piece of their organization's future. The team put that belief in writing and showed it financially by signing the second-overall pick from the 2021 NHL Draft to a new seven-year contract. The deal keeps Beniers in Seattle through the 2031-2032 season, paying him $7.14 annually.

With this new deal, the 21 year-old center is set to spend a portion of his prime years with the Kraken. It was top of the list for team general manager Ron Francis to get a deal done with Beniers before the upcoming season began. Now he can check off his most important task of the summer, knowing his burgeoning top center is locked in for long-term.

“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."

Beniers is a core part of the team, but it would be fair to think this contract is a bit premature. He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in 2023, but his second season was the prototypical sophomore slump. He dipped from 24 goals and 57 points to 15 goals and 37 points this past season.

But for the Kraken, the contract is not necessarily a reward for his production through his first two NHL seasons. Rather, it's an investment into the future of the player and their franchise. He'll turn 22 during his third season in the league, and it's possible the cap hit still feels too steep in 2024. Two or three years into this deal, however, the Kraken and Beniers are confident this contract will be an absolute steal and worth the heavy investment up front.

Now the pressure is on Beniers to live up to the deal. He should play huge minutes in a top-six role for the Kraken. If all goes according to plan, he will not only forget the sophomore season he struggled through, he'll make the Kraken look like geniuses for giving him the contract they just signed him to.

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