The Seattle Kraken have announced a four-year contract extension for defenseman Adam Larsson, with an average annual value of $5.25 million, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Larsson, currently in the final season of his $4 million-per-year contract, will begin his new deal in the 2025-26 season, keeping him with the Kraken through his age-36 season.
As an original member of the Kraken, Larsson was selected from the Edmonton Oilers during the 2021 expansion draft, despite being a pending unrestricted free agent at the time.
Since joining the Kraken in 2021, Larsson has missed only one game. In the 2022-23 season, he achieved a career-high 33 points and ranked second on the team in average ice time over the past two seasons, forming a top defensive pair with Vince Dunn.
While Larsson’s defensive metrics were strong in 2022-23, they declined in 2023-24. His minus-3.9 defensive goals above replacement was the worst among Seattle’s defensemen, according to Evolving-Hockey.
The 6-foot-3, 209-pound veteran contributed significantly with 162 hits and 151 blocks in 2023-24, adding grit to the Kraken’s defense.
Larsson is expected to continue his role on the top defensive pair with Dunn for the 2024-25 season. However, the addition of Brandon Montour, a free-agent acquisition and fellow right-shooting defenseman, may impact his overall ice time.
Larsson was drafted fourth overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2011. After spending five seasons in New Jersey, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 2016 in exchange for Taylor Hall, where he played for five years before joining the Kraken.
Had the Kraken not extended Larsson’s contract, he could have been a top defenseman available at the 2025 trade deadline, assuming the team fell out of playoff contention.
