Seattle Kraken Lock Matty Beniers Up For 7 Years, Keeping Young Talent In-House

The Seattle Kraken get an important piece to their core back on their lineup on a new long-term deal.

Matty Beniers agrees to a seven-year contract worth $50 million, which will carry a $7.14 million cap hit through the 2031 season. The contract carries a $7.15 million annual salary for every season except for the final year of the contract, where the salary drops down to $7.1 million. $5 million of Beniers’ salary comes via signing bonuses for the first two years of the contract, and will have a 12-team no-trade list during the final two years of this contract, as it is the only period that he is eligible for trade protection.

The Massachusetts native will turn 22 in November, and throughout his time with Seattle, he was expected to be the face of the future for them as their first draft selection in the franchise’s history. He finished his entry level contract last season, thus he became a free agent for the first time in his career, and the length of which both sides were going with in negotiations hinted that they were in the talks for a long-term commitment.

Seattle Kraken Banking on Long-Term Future with Matty Beniers

Beniers is coming off a rocky 2024 season at first sight. The expectations for the Kraken were to make the playoffs again, and expectations were thrust into him to play first line minutes after his rookie season, where he had 24 goals and 57 points, winning the Calder Trophy. His two-way impact improved in his sophomore season, but his offensive output flunked, to where he put up 15 goals and 37 points despite more ice time. His 0.48 points per game were tied for 4th-lowest in the league among forwards averaging at least 17:30 of ice time.

There were some takeaways, both good and bad, as he improved his faceoff numbers, going from a brutal 42.2% in 2023 to 47.4% last season. He attempted more shots as well, but fewer of them ended up towards the goal. When they did, his shooting percentage dropped from 16.2% to 11.3%. Concerns about him being a top line center followed him after he departed the University of Michigan for the NHL. His two-way game has arrived, but the offensive showings so far could suggest he’s better suited as a high-end second line center.

A cap hit of around the $7 million range seems reasonable for the Kraken, especially since the salary cap ceiling continues to rise. General manager Ron Francis, instead of inking him to a bridge deal to prove that he is worth the payment with an offensive breakout, decided to follow the growing trend of long-term commitments for core pieces to teams to get them signed for most of their primes.

Francis is still gambling on Beniers producing the totals that he did in his rookie season, where he scores around 20 or 25 goals and between 55 and 65 points. The Kraken’s power play has also been one of the worst in the league since the franchise’s inception, ranking 28th, so improvements on the power play should help Beniers point his point totals.

Check out our latest NHL content here.

Table of Contents

0.1 Sponsor: Upside
0.2 YouTube
0.3 Discord/Facebook Groups

1 Share this:
2 Like this:
3 Related Posts

Sponsor: Upside

This article and so much more is brought to you by Upside. Upside is a free not strings attached app that will pay you cashback for the purchases you already make. Gas, Groceries, or a Good Meal, with just 3 clicks, you can earn CashBack today at HUNDREDS of locations. Use our code Sam363682 to save an additional 15 cents per gallon on your next fuel purchase. With discounts up to 25 cents per gallon, you could earn 40 cents back per gallon on your first purchase. Again use our code Sam363682 at sign up.

YouTube

Please also help us continue growing on our YouTube Channel by subscribing if you haven’t already. Also like and comment on any videos you enjoy! Thank you for your support and we hope you continue to tune in!

Monday Broadcast Schedule

Monarchs of Wrestling 6:30 pm ET (WWE, AEW, TNA)

Hosted by Cool McCain and The Playmaker