Consider new Seattle Kraken center Chandler Stephenson the month of March in reverse; He may have left Las Vegas like a lamb, but signed as a free agent in Seattle with a lion’s roar of controversy.
As far as departing Sin City, “He left without much commotion,” writes VegasHockeyKnights.com. “It seems fitting for a player who’s based his career off living under the radar. However, he’ll be remembered for how loud his performance was when it mattered. During the Stanley Cup Final or with the game on the line, Stephenson didn’t need to raise controversy to make his presence felt.”
Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
No, the controversy started when Kraken general manager Ron Francis signed the 30-year-old pivot to a seven year, $43.75 million contract.
Some concern was couched reasonably: “The Kraken are taking a rather expensive gamble.” (Tristin McKinstry, ClutchPoints.com.) Some alarmingly suggested the signing could cost Francis his job: “The sort of outliers that usually end up in contract buyouts and organizational turnover.” (Travis Yost, TSN.ca, who helpfully added a vomiting emoji to his tweet.) Then there was the five-alarm Hot Take: “The Seattle Kraken went nuts to begin free agency and signed Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson to long-term deals.” (Jacob Punturi, SI.com.)
Francis: “There’s Some Things We Don’t Normally Do”
Kraken GM Francis readily admits that overpayments are a necessary evil of enticing free agents. “This time of year, you’re not getting them if you don’t go seven years. There’s some things we did that we don’t normally do. It’s the first time I’ve ever done seven year contracts. It’s the first time we’ve put in signing bonuses, in my eight years as a GM (in Seattle and Carolina).”
The GM believes Stephenson fills the hole left by Alexander Wennberg, traded at the 2023 deadline when he and the team couldn’t agree on a new contract. “A really good two way guy, plays with pace, sneaky skill set, brings two Cups (with Washington in 2018 and Vegas in 2023) into the locker room. I see him playing in all situations.”
In fairness, most reviews of the signing malign the size and length of the contract more than the player himself. Yost does point out that Stephenson’s best results in Vegas came when star winger Mark Stone was his linemate.
“Stephenson is a fine player. But Seattle isn’t investing in a 27-year-old buried fourth-liner with the type of speed that makes most players blush. They are investing in a 30-year old player who looked absolutely dreadful in stretches last year, and has routinely disappointed in minutes where he hasn’t been insulated by high-end teammates. Seattle sees him as a meaningful driver of play for years in their top six, and the data just screams in the opposite direction.”
Stephenson’s mobility, in Francis’ estimation, reduces the risk of the contract term. “If you’re betting (from a team standpoint) on a seven year deal, it’s easier for guys who skate well as they age. That’s coming from a guy who never skated well.”
(If Francis can acquire a few players “who never skated well” but play 23 NHL seasons and earn a Hall of Fame plaque like Francis has, the Kraken will be in fine shape.)
Vegas To Seattle In 30 Minutes
In recent years, fans have been primed to watch the seconds tick down until the start of free agency, which officially begins each July 1 at 9 am Pacific time. GMs apparently watch the same clock, because talking to players on other teams without permission before that precise moment is considered illegal tampering.
“With Stephenson, we got on the phone right at 9 o’clock,” Francis explained, “trying to convince him this is the place he should be.” On the other end of the line, “We had about 30 minutes to make the decision to sign with Seattle,” Stephenson told NHLPA.com. Once the decision was made, “Everyone has been great to us. Players and people from the organization have reached out and are willing to help in any way they can. My wife has heard from wives and girlfriends on the team as well, which has been nice for us too.”
If Stephenson needed further convincing, he got it back on New Year’s Day, when the Kraken beat the Golden Knights 3-0 in the Winter Classic (above photo). “They are frustrating to play against. They are all over you. You have two guys on you as soon as you touch the puck, you pass it to a teammate and then they have two guys on them. They are relentless.”
New Kraken teammates Philipp Grubauer and Andre Burakovsky played alongside Stephenson on the 2018 Capitals team which won the Stanley Cup. He also knows fellow Saskatchewan native Jaden Schwartz.
Bottom Line: World Of Difference Between GM, Writers
Hockey pundits, living in the world as it should be, decry a lucrative, long-term contract for a player whose best days may be in the rear view.
McKinstry: “This past season saw some decline in (Stephenson’s) form. His scoring rate in all situations dipped, and his overall play at even strength took a hit as well. It’s hard to argue that Stephenson is a $6+ million player. Giving him this salary along with this term and the no-move/no-trade protection could blow up in their face.”
Ron Francis – who’s never been accused of recklessness as a GM – is living in the world as it is. In that world, he either admires his frugality and consigns the Kraken to another non-playoff season, or he pays market rates to improve his club at the risk of future consequences.
Check back in April and we’ll have an indication of who was right.