Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours! It is the dog days of summer and the amount of news is minimal. Exciting times are ahead though, as summer is nearing its end and fall begins. That means hockey is coming! There are still numerous restricted free agent players that remain unsigned. Today’s Rumours swirl around the Seattle Kraken and their RFA forward.
NHL Rumours
Rumour: Luke Fox with Sportsnet touches on the latest RFA players that are unsigned
There are numerous key players that are not signed yet. The Boston Bruins starting goaltender does not have a contract. In Detroit, the two young building blocks in Mason Raymond and Moritz Seider do not have deals yet. The first domino in Quinton Byfield fell, so the rest should follow suit.
Panic should not set it in just yet, but the season is growing closer and closer. Eventually, pen needs to meet paper. Here we take a dive into another high profile free agent in Seattle Kraken centre Matty Beniers.
Kraken’s Young Building Block
The latest NHL Rumours swirl around the Kraken centre. Beniers was a standout player for the University of Michigan and was an immediate impactful player for the Kraken. He showed why he was the first ever draft selection for the Kraken. Wherever he goes, success typically follows.
He went on to play in ten games during the 2021-22 season, but was a near point per game player. You can sense what you were going to get with Beniers. He has such a special blend of skill and hockey IQ. His first true season in 2022-23, Beniers went on to score 24 goals and 57 points. Although, the sophomore slump was real for Beniers, as his production went on to slide 20 points less.
That does not mean he is a bad player by any means. The only downfall is that his sophomore slump was in a contract season. However, there is no need to panic and general manager Ron Francis assures you of that as well.
Beniers Will Be Signed..Eventually
Pressure is a real thing. Expectations are set so high these days for young players and not just in hockey. You’ve seen it in other sports such as football and baseball. Based on your draft stature, it’s labeled on you from the start. After a stellar rookie season, the sophomore slump hurt his case. However, Beniers is only 21 years old and his best hockey is right in front of him. Francis is a firm believer in what Beniers brings to the team and what he will be going forward. Upon the conclusion of the season he said,
“I have no concerns about Matty’s game long-term. He’ll be a big part of this organization for a lot of years moving forward,” Francis assured upon season’s end.
He has the belief from the front office and also his teammates on the ice. Defenceman Vince Dunn spoke very highly of him and what he means to the club.
Despite missing the playoffs, the Kraken are team to be taken serious. They have numerous key players and made some big splash additions to the team this free agency.
Beniers in the final domino for Francis summer to do list. Beniers has similar production to Devils RFA Dawson Mercer, so there is that comparison. He assures you it’ll happen, but it is August and at some point something has to give.
Main Photo: Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports
The post NHL Rumours: Update on Unsigned RFA Forward for the Kraken appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.