At this point, it does seem that there will be a lot of hopeful expectations for the Seattle Kraken as they move forward into the 2024-25 season after signing Adam Larsson to a four-year deal worth $21 million, which will extend his stay with the team and potentially lead them to a promising championship if they’re lucky.

Entering the final year of his initial four-year, $16 million deal signed back in July 2021, Larsson entered negotiations with the Kraken in the offseason and was pleasingly satisfied with the way the team has handled his options moving forward. Now the 31-year-old brings his services to the table for the Kraken in the next five years with the hopes of securing a league title in those campaigns.

So far, Larsson’s performances might just well become a promising note as to how he can come up with a campaign that will lead his team to the upper echelon of the NHL standings after the team has had a poor finish in the previous season.

A Cornerstone Returned

Larsson is one of the key players that the Kraken prioritized to sign this offseason. Selected with the team back in July 21, 2021 when he was claimed by Seattle from the Edmonton Oilers in the aftermath of the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, it does seem that the defenseman will be coming with a promising hope to improve his game heading into the season. For GM Ron Francis, however, it does seem that Larsson is a huge win to keep for the team at this point.

"Adam has been a veteran leader for our group on and off the ice the past three seasons," Kraken general manager Ron Francis said. "He's a big (6-foot-3, 209 pounds) right-shot defenseman who plays a heavy, physical game and has been a cornerstone of our defense since the Kraken's inaugural season. We're excited to have Adam and his family in Seattle for five more years."

In the 2023-24 season, Larsson tallied 18 points coming off four goals and 14 assists in 81 games last season. He spent the second-most ice time per game at 22:57 behind Vince Dunn at 23:05, who is also a defenseman in the squad. Larsson is also the team’s alternate captain in each of his last three seasons and leads the team in all-time leader in games played at 245.

A Playoff Run Coming?

It is worth noting that the Seattle Kraken have signed the likes of Matty Beniers (seven-year, $49.98 million), Chandler Stephenson, and Brandon Montour to promising deals this offseason. Larsson was the last signing to be made, and it cannot be denied that the Kraken are keen to deliver a promising run in the season with their core intact.

In three seasons since their debut in the league, the Kraken managed to make the playoffs only once, beating the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup in seven games before losing to the Dallas Stars in the same number of games in the second round. Still, it goes without saying that the Kraken are expecting to get back on the playoff stage once more after missing out last year with a 34-35-13 record. It is expected that Seattle with get the best out of its games moving forward, hoping to continue making deep runs in the Stanley Cup.