For the first time, Kraken center Matty Beniers publicly addressed his seven-year, $50 million contract signed in August. It carries a $7.14 million average annual value.
“I hate the business part of this, so for me, [getting it done] was awesome,” Beniers said Wednesday at Kraken Community Iceplex, where he’s been participating in informal skates. Training camp begins Sept. 19.
“It’s obviously an unbelievable deal, and now I just get to play hockey,” he added. “That’s the best part of it.”
Many thought it would be a shorter-term deal, giving Beniers time to get his offensive numbers back up. There were risks either way, Kraken general manager Ron Francis reasoned. If the salary cap goes up, Beniers’ camp could have demanded more in a few years. If his career stalls, the Kraken could be on the hook for a lot of money. They decided to hand Beniers long-term security, as “ownership was more than fine going that route.”
“We believe in Matty. We believe in what he brings,” Francis said of the franchise’s first-ever draft pick. “It’s not just on the ice, it’s his leadership in our locker room, what he does in the community.”
Even in Seattle, Beniers can afford a place of his own. But he said he’ll continue living with teammate Will Borgen.
One of Wednesday’s bigger revelations, strange as it might sound in a vacuum, was that Beniers put on 10 pounds by Francis’ estimation.
“There’s some big boys in this league,” Francis chuckled. “Especially in the offensive zone when you’re trying to hang onto the puck and make plays. If you’re a little bit lighter, you can get knocked around a little bit.”
Beniers wouldn’t commit to a number but said he’s feeling bigger and heavier on his feet.
“Not falling down as much,” he quipped. “I know I have a tendency to do that.”
Previously listed at 6-foot-2 and 178 pounds, 21-year-old Beniers described himself as a “leaner guy” who needs to monitor his calorie intake throughout the day. He once said that as his parents put it, he could eat a bowl of ice cream and manage to lose weight.
Beniers entered his first full pro season about 10 pounds heavier as well, a year in which the Kraken made their playoff debut and he won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. But a much more grueling schedule than he was used to at the University of Michigan wore him down, and he’d lost most of the additional weight by the end. A 2023 playoff run that ended in mid-May — while fantastic — took a chunk out of his time to recover and rebuild.
He worked with Kraken strength and conditioning coach Nate Brookreson and kept a routine similar to that of offseasons past. It took almost the entire summer for his team and agency to finalize a contract number and length, but when it happened, Beniers got to send off the season on a high note.
Leaking about Larsson
Kraken veteran Adam Larsson got ahead of his impending free agency, letting the team know that he was ready to commit long term. That deal, Larsson said, came together quickly. His four-year, $21 million extension was announced Tuesday.
“I’m really glad and excited we got it done,” Larsson said.
Larsson copped to telling longtime defensive partner Vince Dunn during one of their near-daily chats. The two have played together nearly exclusively on the Kraken’s top defensive pairing since March 2022, during the Kraken’s inaugural season.
“I didn’t [think] he’d go to Twitter right away,” Larsson deadpanned.
With a cryptic tweet of four cat emojis, Dunn hinted to the hockey world what was coming. Larsson’s nickname is “Big Cat.”
“Now we both are going to stay here for a while,” Larsson said. “We have a lot of fun together and will probably continue having a lot of fun.”
Both expansion draft picks were seeking a fresh start. Dunn was hoping to realize his potential beyond what he did in St. Louis, while Larsson needed a change of scenery after a personal tragedy in Edmonton. They linked up and built off each other’s strengths.
“He’s been a heart-and-soul guy for our organization from day one,” Francis said of Larsson.
Tight fit on cap
Francis also briefly addressed the Kraken’s proximity to the salary cap. $4,286 is not missing a digit.
There are situations where this would be a problem, the most obvious being the season’s inevitable injuries. It sounded as if the Kraken management was working the numbers.
“Do we look at doing something to alleviate that a little bit?” Francis said. “At the same time, you don’t want to just do something to make your team weaker.”
Yamamoto lands in Utah
Utah Hockey Club signed Spokane native Kailer Yamamoto to a professional tryout. He’ll report to training camp next week in hopes of securing a roster spot for the expansion team’s inaugural season.
Yamamoto was the first Washington native to suit up for the Kraken, spending just one season in his home state. He scored in the 2023-24 home opener and became a shootout go-to but was often a healthy scratch by the end of the season. He wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent in July.
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.