Kraken and Matty Beniers agree terms on long-term deal

The Seattle Kraken have signed center Matty Beniers to a seven-year contract extension, which seems to be a fair deal on both sides.

Matty Beniers has the distinction of being the first ever draft pick by the Seattle Kraken, after they selected him second overall in the 2021 NHL entry draft. Now, he’s set to remain with the franchise for a long time to come.

As announced by the team on social media, Beniers has agreed terms on a contract extension for seven years and $50 million. The deal has an average annual value of $7.14 million, but breaks down as $7.15 million every year expect the last, when it goes down to $7.1 million.

The first two years of the deal in 2024-25 and 2025-26, will each be made up of a $2.15 million base salary and $5 million signing bonus. The deal will run through the 2030-31 season and cover two years of unrestricted free agency.

A fair deal overall for both Beniers and the Kraken

We appreciate that opinion on the length of the deal will be open to question, but it alludes to the faith general manager Ron Francis and the rest of the front office have in Beniers. Assuming he lives up to his potential, it should prove to be quite a team-friendly deal overall.

The 21-year-old first got the opportunity to show what he could do, towards the end of the Kraken’s first NHL season in 2021-22. He took full advantage and gave the fans genuine hope, highlighted by nine points in 10 games.

However, it was the next season where Beniers really burst onto the scene, playing a major role in helping the Kraken qualify for the playoffs for the first time. He produced 57 points and a +14 rating in 80 games, with him named to the 2023 NHL All-Star Game as the Kraken’s first ever representative.

The Hingham, Massachusetts would help the Kraken advance to the second round of the playoffs, where they ultimately fell in seven games to the Dallas Stars. At season’s end he was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team, but more impressively won the Calder Memorial Trophy as best rookie.

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A step back in 2023-24

Hoping to build on an excellent first full campaign in the NHL, Beniers instead took a step back offensively this past season. Certainly, 37 points and a -11 rating were not what was expected after his promising 2022-23 campaign.

In fairness to the center though, the team as a whole took a step back in 2023-24, regressing from 100 points to 81 and missing the playoffs altogether. Regardless, this is why there are some who will question the wisdom of signing him to a long-term contract so soon, rather than agreeing a bridge deal at this juncture.

However, as much as Beniers did take a step back offensively this past season, he still flashed his promise as a top tier two-way player. Of note, he had his best face-off win percentage yet at 47.4 percent, while also reducing his giveaways to 31 despite a career-high average ice time of 17:58.

Overall, the Kraken will of course be hoping Beniers bounces back in 2024-25 and takes the next step towards becoming a franchise center. Certainly Francis will be counting on this, as the team looks to return to the playoffs and keep their fans invested.

What is your opinion of the terms on Beniers’ contract extension? Do you believe it’s a fair deal for the Kraken? Let us know in the comments section below.