In only their fourth year as an NHL franchise, the Seattle Kraken faced plenty of changes this season. From an entirely new coaching staff to an influx of fresh talent, there were bound to be growing pains along the way. Two of the team’s biggest offseason acquisitions, Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson, arrived with hefty seven-year contracts and high expectations. Now that the season is winding down it’s time to examine how these two newcomers performed and what their impact might mean for the future.
Both Montour and Stephenson joined Seattle as recent Stanley Cup champions from well-run organizations, and both entered the season at 30 years old. Their combined playoff pedigree and veteran presence were supposed to help guide a still-young franchise toward stability and competitiveness. Although the playoffs are out of reach, and the final few games won’t change that reality, the first-year returns of Montour and Stephenson give Kraken fans reasons to stay optimistic. Let’s take a closer look at each player’s performance, highlighting both the successes and the potential challenges ahead.
A jolt from the blue line
Brandon Montour arrived in Seattle on a seven-year, $50 million contract, intent on boosting the Kraken’s second defensive pairing and providing additional offensive punch from the blue line. With Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson set as the team’s top pair, Montour’s role was to strengthen the depth behind them. It didn’t take long for him to prove his value, particularly when an early-season injury sidelined Dunn. Montour’s ice time jumped considerably, and he rose to the challenge by offering an offensive spark that rivaled—and, in some instances, surpassed—what Seattle had been getting from its top pairing.
During that stretch without Dunn, Montour notched one of the most memorable highlights of the Kraken’s season: scoring a natural hat trick in an 8–2 rout of the Montreal Canadiens. That moment, a career first for Montour, electrified Kraken fans and showcased his knack for jumping into the rush at just the right moment. Even after Dunn returned to the lineup, Montour continued to display strong two-way play and managed to earn additional trust from the coaching staff.
His offensive contributions did not end with the hat trick. Montour also set an NHL record for the fastest overtime goal at just four seconds—an impressive feat that further underscored his skating speed and opportunistic approach. By the end of the season, Montour will claim another notable milestone, surpassing Vince Dunn’s previous mark of 14 to become the Kraken defenseman with the most goals in a single season. Whether it was stepping up in transitional play or joining the power-play unit, Montour’s ability to generate offense proved invaluable.
Looking ahead to the next season, Montour has six more years remaining on his contract. The hope is that he will help nurture younger blue-line talents like Ryker Evans, who saw some promising playing time alongside Montour once Dunn was back. If Montour can develop the same chemistry with Evans that Dunn has with Larsson, Seattle’s defensive corps will be well-positioned for both the present and the future.
The Kraken’s ultimate utility player
While Montour stole headlines for his goal-scoring exploits, Chandler Stephenson quietly became an all-situations contributor for the Kraken in his first year under a seven-year, $43.75 million deal. Known primarily as a skilled playmaker rather than a prolific goal scorer, Stephenson currently leads the team with 37 assists heading into the final stretch of the season. His willingness to adapt to different roles—top-six forward, power-play catalyst, and penalty-kill worker—made him one of the coaching staff’s most reliable options.
Though the Kraken will finish with a worse record this year than last, it wasn’t for a lack of effort from Stephenson. Night after night, he showed that he could be counted on to facilitate the offense, win important faceoffs, and contribute to any line he was placed on. His speed through the neutral zone also helped Seattle sustain better puck-possession sequences, even if those sequences didn’t always translate to goals on the scoreboard.
Some might argue that there’s an emerging player lower in the lineup who could eventually outplay Stephenson’s contract, especially considering the sizable financial commitment the Kraken made to a forward who is already on the cusp of leaving his prime years. However, his consistent assist totals and his willingness to step in where needed indicate that Stephenson still has plenty to offer. His ability to move seamlessly between special-teams units is something that often goes underappreciated but is crucial to building a stable roster.
Hope on the horizon, doubts in the depths
There’s no denying that the Kraken will end this season in a less favorable spot than last year, but context is important. Head coach changes, significant roster turnover, and the introduction of new systems always carry a cost. In just four years of existence, Seattle is still finding its identity, and with a young core waiting in the wings, there’s every reason to believe that next season could see a step forward.
From Montour’s breakout as an offensive defenseman to Stephenson’s steady hand at center, both signings appear to have had a meaningful impact on shaping the current Kraken roster. The looming concern, of course, is whether these seven-year deals will hamper Seattle’s cap flexibility when both Montour and Stephenson begin to exit their prime. Yet, with the salary cap expected to increase and a wave of developing prospects still on entry-level contracts, those financial worries might be mitigated if the Kraken manage their assets properly.
Additionally, many of the franchise’s earliest big contracts are set to expire soon, which could clear valuable cap space. In the best-case scenario, Montour and Stephenson’s veteran leadership will mesh seamlessly with up-and-coming young talents, creating the balanced roster that Seattle has been working toward since day one. The Kraken may not be satisfied with how this season turned out, but they can still walk away with a sense that the foundation is stronger—and more experienced—than it was a year ago.