Seattle Kraken reach five-year extension with goaltender Joey Daccord
WINNIPEG, CANADA - APRIL 16: Goaltender Joey Daccord #35 of the Seattle Kraken looks on during the pre-game warm up prior to NHL action against the Winnipeg Jets at the Canada Life Centre on April 16, 2024 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Jonathan Kozub / NHLI / Getty Images)
The Seattle Kraken have reached a deal with goaltender Joey Daccord on a five-year contract extension worth $5 million a season.
"Joey stepped up last season and proved his ability to handle an increased workload," general manager Ron Francis said in a statement. "We’re confident he can take his game to another level, and we’re excited to have him under contract long term."
Daccord, 28, is coming off a breakout season with the Kraken last year. In his first full season in the NHL, Daccord appeared in 50 games for Seattle and delivered a 19-18-11 record with a .916 save percentage and 2.46 goals-against average. He's the only goaltender in the first three seasons of the franchise to finish a year with a save percentage over .900.
He owns the team record for most saves in a game with 42, which he accomplished twice last year against the Los Angeles Kings and Carolina Hurricanes. He also tied the franchise record with three shutouts in a season, which included a 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in the Winter Classic.
With Daccord in net, Seattle won a franchise record eight consecutive games from Dec. 20, 2023, to Jan. 13. His eight-game win streak was tied for the third-longest by a goaltender in 2023-24.
Daccord was in the final year of his existing contract with the team, which is worth $1.2 million over two seasons. He's under contract through the 2029-30 season and, according to PuckPedia.com, has a 12-team no-trade list. Fellow goaltender Philipp Grubauer has three years left (including this year) on his existing deal with the team worth $5.9 million a season.
It's a deal that does carry some risk for the Kraken given Daccord doesn't have a massive sample size of games at the NHL level under his belt. If he plays to the standard he set last season, it's going to be a very comfortable contract for Seattle. However, it also means they have nearly $11 million tied up in goalie contracts for the next two seasons.
While the salary cap is expected to continue climbing in the coming years, the contracts could become anchors for the Kraken if either goalie sees serious struggles.
But if Daccord backs up his 2023-24 campaign with another strong year, he could find himself as the team's No. 1 goalie by the end of the season. And a No. 1 goalie on a $5 million deal is a great resource to have.