The Seattle Kraken have reportedly signed right-handed defenseman Brandon Montour to a seven-year contract worth $7.14 million each season per Elliotte Friedman. At the time of signing, that average annual value (AAV) makes him the 32nd highest-paid defender in the NHL.
Montour saw his rise to stardom when he joined the Florida Panthers at the 2020-21 trade deadline, and he hasn’t really looked back since. Here, the 30-year-old blue liner finally gets his big payday.
Montour’s Rise with the Panthers
At the start of his career, Montour wasn’t exactly the player we know him as today. Of the 121 defensemen who played at least 3,000 minutes at even strength from 2016-2017 to the 2018-19 season, he ranked 111th in expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) and 107th in expected goals percentage (xGF%). Even as an offensive defenseman, his scoring didn’t necessarily make up for that, as he had the 51st-ranked points per 60 (P/60) rate out of those players.
During that time, Montour went from playing for a rebuilding Anaheim Ducks team in 2018-19 to the also rebuilding Buffalo Sabres, so his struggles naturally continued. By the time his 2020-21 campaign rolled around, he didn’t seem to have the same upside as he once did—he was only playing second-pairing minutes on the worst team in the NHL that season, and his individual results were some of the worst in the league. Then, he was traded to Florida, and everything changed.
Over Montour’s three full seasons with the Panthers spanning from 2021-22 through 2023-24, his on-ice numbers had a decent increase. Out of 132 defensemen with at least 3,000 even-strength minutes, he ranked 98th in xGA/60 and 42nd in xGF%. His defensive metrics stayed pretty much the same, as he is an offensive defenseman at heart, but his offense skyrocketed once he got to Florida. At his peak, he had 73 points in 78 games in 2022-23.
Related: 2024 Free Agency Tracker
It was mainly Buffalo that crushed Montour’s offensive ceiling as the Ducks were competitive for most of his time there, but Florida helped unlock it. With 147 points in 239 games as a Panther (50 points per 82 games), he can be expected to do much of the same in the future. He suffered an injury to start his 2023-24 season which limited him to 33 points in 66 games, but a quick return to form should be in the cards.
Fit with Seattle
Seattle has made it their mission to be a great team on their back end since becoming an NHL franchise in 2021-22, so this fit naturally makes a bit of sense for them. They have some excellent defensive pieces already, so adding Montour to the mix can really help boost their team. Missing the playoffs last season after qualifying for the postseason in 2022-23, this move can help them return to form. It’s pricey, but fortune favors the bold.
The risk with this contract comes with the fact that it is a long-term deal on a team with incredible young forward talents like Shane Wright, Matty Beniers, and Berkly Catton. If Montour’s game doesn’t age well, this might be a contract that they regret. If he can be good for long enough, though, those youngsters could definitely benefit from this deal. It’s a high-risk, high-reward signing.
