The Kraken have signed Chandler Stephenson to a seven-year deal, according to PuckPedia.
This contract has a cap hit of around $6.25M, says Elliotte Friedman from Sportsnet. Stephenson leaves the Vegas Golden Knights where he proved himself as a top-six center in the NHL. He joined Vegas in 2019 through a trade that sent a fifth-round pick to the Washington Capitals.
In his first 41 games with Vegas, he scored 22 points and added five more in 20 playoff games while on the third line. His strong start got him promoted to the second line in 2020-21, where he set career highs with 14 goals and 35 points in just 51 games.
Stephenson’s Rise
The next season saw him break out with 21 goals and 64 points, followed by another great year with 65 points. But it was during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs that Stephenson truly shined . He scored an impressive 20 points over 22 games, helping lead Vegas to their first Stanley Cup win.
Despite lifting the cup, his performance dipped slightly this year with only 16 goals and 51 points due to reduced ice time after Tomas Hertl joined the team. Yet, Stephenson remained impactful on both ends of the ice.
Fans might think this move is exactly what Seattle needs right now.
Now pushed out by Hertl and William Karlsson, Stephenson heads to Seattle where there’s plenty of room for him. The Kraken had lineup issues this season, forcing stars like Jared McCann and Yanni Gourde into multiple roles. With Stephenson’s versatility, he can help lighten their load and possibly allow McCann to return to wing—a position where McCann thrived last season with career-highs of 40 goals and 70 points.
Stephenson will also be an excellent mentor for Matthew Beniers who is still developing his two-way game after scoring fewer points this year compared to last year.
Kraken’s Busy Free Agency
Seattle has been active at the start of free agency, also signing top defender Brandon Montour for seven years. These additions leave them with just $10M in cap space. They’ll need most of that money to negotiate contracts for restricted free agents Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen but might have enough left for one more player.
What do you think about these new signings?
