The Seattle Kraken locked their star center Matty Beniers to a seven-year extension. With an average annual salary of $7.14 million and a total value of $49.98 million, the deal makes Beniers the highest-paid player on Kraken’s roster.
The move ensures that Kraken holds onto its first-ever draft pick for years to come. Seattle picked Beiners with the second-overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the inaugural one for the young franchise.
“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,” Kraken general manager Ron Francis said in a statement. “… We’re looking forward to seeing Matty take the next steps as a player and watching him contribute to many more memorable moments for our franchise.”
Beniers played his first full season with the Kraken in 2022-23 and contributed with 57 points (24 goals and 33 assists) in 80 games. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy, equivalent to the Rookie of the Year award, while also making the All-Star team.
Beniers didn’t manage to make the same impact last season, finishing the 2023-24 campaign with 15 goals and 22 assists for a total of 37 points. However, Kraken’s front office and coaching staff obviously believed this was just part of the growing process and didn’t hesitate to put a big contract in front of him on the first opportunity they got.
