Seattle Kraken: Matty Beniers is off to a hot start in his first full year

The Seattle Kraken made Matty Beniers their first-ever draft pick when they drafted him second overall in the 2021 NHL Draft. He went back to the University of Michigan from there and had a wonderful year.

He made his NHL debut at the end of the 2021-22 season and was rather impressive in that short time frame. Seattle didn’t make the playoffs in their inaugural season so Beniers only played in 10 games where he had three goals and six assists for nine points.

Now, here we are in 2022-23 and he is in his first full NHL season. As one of the Calder Trophy favorites, he is off to a hot start. In Tuesday’s huge win over the Buffalo Sabres, Beniers scored his third goal of the season. He also has three assists for six points in eight games.

It isn’t a superstar level of production yet but it is a hot start for someone in their first full year out of college. He is a very good player and has shown his ability to produce in the NHL already. At 19 years old, he is showing the signs of someone who can be near the top of his team in scoring.

The Seattle Kraken might have a legit leader in the rookie Matty Beniers.

Don’t be surprised if he finishes near the top right away. He is also very responsible in the other areas of his game which makes him a very valuable player. As he develops over the years, the Kraken are going to see that they have someone great to lead them.

Beniers and the Kraken are 3-3-2 for eight standings points which is keeping pace with the bubble teams in the Western Conference. It is way too soon to be talking about the postseason but the Kraken would like to at least compete for it this year.

He seems like someone who could be the eventual captain of the team. Although he is a teenager, he exemplifies leadership qualities both on and off the ice which is nice for a young franchise looking for those tools in a young skilled player.

The fact that he is producing offenses early on is a great sign of his potential as a leader in the NHL. His next chance to show what he’s got will come on Thursday night when the Kraken take on the struggling Vancouver Canucks. Eventually, this hot start will just become his typical play.