Seattle Kraken Sign Joey Daccord to 5-year Extension – Hockey Writers – NHL News

The Seattle Kraken had a busy offseason in terms of long contracts. For the 2028-29 season, Matty Beniers, Chandler Stephenson, Brandon Montour, and Adam Larsson will all be under contract due to the team's willingness to spend. But even as their 2024-25 campaign continues, they are still raking in the dough. Per Elliotte Friedman, the Kraken have signed goaltender Joey Daccord to a five-year extension at an average annual value (AAV) of $5 million. This deal will not start next season, as he already has a cap hit of $1.2 million.

Joey DAccord expands to Seattle…hears 5x$5M

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 9, 2024

Perhaps of all the big contracts Seattle signed in the offseason, this seems to be the riskiest play but could also look like a smart move in the future. Daccord is a 28-year-old netminder who had just 19 games of subpar NHL experience to his name before his 2023-24 campaign. However, his performance in the American Hockey League (AHL) leading up to that season was impressive, especially helping the Coachella Valley Firebirds advance to the 2023 Calder Cup finals. Then he got his chance with the big team.

In his last outing, Daccord was quietly one of the best forwards in the NHL. His 19-18-11 record may have just been average, but he posted a .916 save percentage (SV%), 2.46 goals against average (GAA), 16.7 goals against average (GSAA), and and 10.96 goals saved above expected (GSAx). His leading scorer in offense, Philipp Grubauer, stopped 89.9 of 100 shots he faced last campaign. On the other hand, Daccord stopped 91.6 out of 100 shots. That difference (1.7 extra saves per 100 shots) may not seem like much, but it can make a big difference.

While Daccord was good last season, he is an aging goaltender with one NHL season to shine and not much in that department. The reward here is evident, that he is the same player he was in 2023-24 during the contract. However, there is always a flipside to rapid regression. Unproven netminders who receive big deals can become liabilities to their teams very quickly, as the ups and downs of goaltenders can be worse than any position on the ice.

General manager (GM) Ron Francis and the Kraken made a high-profile, high-payoff move by extending Daccord. If the veteran goaltender is one of the best in the business, this could be a steal. If he overachieves, this can be a disaster. There is always the possibility that this is somewhere in between, but both extremes are plausible outcomes.