Jared McCann Gets Well-Deserved Extension From Kraken

The Seattle Kraken re-signed forward Jared McCann to a five-year extension on Tuesday.

McCann, who is in his eighth NHL season, has been a great member of the Kraken’s inaugural team this season after being selected in the Expansion Draft over the summer. The 25-year-old has scored 21 goals and 33 points to lead Seattle in both categories.

For McCann, there’s not much to dislike about this contract. The term gives him some security, and the $5 million annual average is a significant raise from the $2.94 million he is making on his current deal.

In addition, it allows him to become a focal point of the team, which despite his positive contributions to other organizations in the past, has never been the case for McCann. He has already had a noteworthy season, but he can now grow with his team, which is a unique opportunity.

The Kraken have extended Jared McCann.

Of course, not having to worry about playing on an expiring contract allows him to breathe a huge sigh of relief. He no longer has to worry about becoming a restricted free agent, and more immediately, he doesn’t have to deal with the possibility of being traded at the deadline to serve as a rental player for another team.

Not being moved at the deadline is usually a good thing for players, but it will be especially positive for McCann, as he had been traded three times in his young career prior to being exposed and chosen in the Expansion Draft.

From the Kraken’s standpoint, this deal is big for a number of reasons. First, and most obviously, they lock up a player who, as noted already, would have become a free agent this offseason. Seattle still has more than ten pending free agents, so getting one taken care of now is huge.

Further, McCann is now the first player to re-sign with the Kraken, which is an encouraging step for a franchise that is still trying to find its footing in the NHL. Hopefully, the fact that he wanted to come back and stay for the long haul is a good sign that others will feel the same way.

Of course, being able to re-sign a player is great, but bringing back a young forward who is still getting better and can be part of the team’s core for the foreseeable future is even better. Seattle has ensured that that will be the case with McCann.

Jared McCann has played well enough this season to deserve this contract, and the fact that the Kraken felt the same way is a win for both sides.