Seattle Kraken ink leading-scorer Jared McCann to 5-year extension

Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann signed a contract extension with the club Tuesday morning. The announcement, which McCann made himself via a video on Twitter, should not come as a big surprise.

Hey #SeaKraken fam!@jaredmccann19 has a very special announcement to share 👀 pic.twitter.com/PPvGujJXTr

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) March 8, 2022

The 25-year-old, who was set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, has been vocal about his happiness with the Kraken organization and the city of Seattle all season.

“I was given the opportunity to be a top-line guy here,” he said. “Every other place that I’ve been, sporadically, I was able to do that and show that I can be a top player. As soon as that happened, I knew I wanted to be here… there’s lots to do around the city and my girlfriend loves it there too. So, it was a pretty easy choice, a lot of great food (in Seattle). I’m a big sushi guy so it’s good.”

McCann earned a sushi night out as the deal he signed is for five years at $5 million per year with a 10-team no-trade clause that goes into effect in 2023, according to Cap Friendly.

“This is the first restricted free agent signing for the organization,” Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis said Tuesday. “I think it sends a message, certainly in Jared’s case, that he’s excited to be in Seattle. Excited, as a lot of our players are, about the way the ownership and management treat the players. Excited about the passionate fan base and the city itself and he wants to be here as we build this thing and become more and more successful.”

The terms of the deal appear to be fair to both club and player in that the cap hit does not prohibit Francis from being aggressive in free agency nor will the five-year term become an anchor. McCann will be 31 when the term ends and should still be in his productive years.

McCann is having a career season with new high-water marks in goals (21) and is two points off his best scoring season of 35 points with 22 games to go.

Is there anything he McCann't do?! pic.twitter.com/srw75FX6nq

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) October 13, 2021

Out of necessity, McCann has played mostly as Seattle’s number one center although he has skated on the wing at times. He’s willing to do either and while the Kraken will look to add scoring and skill to their top six forwards, McCann is a core piece in place for Francis already and is poised to play a significant role moving forward.

Francis is tasked with adding to that core this offseason, but McCann will worry about that later.

“It’s a great honor,” McCann said. “It started from in the summer, I worked extremely hard to try to get in the best shape I could just try to come into camp as prepared as possible and then they give me a great opportunity to be a top player here. That was awesome. We can’t really look into (the offseason). Just can’t control anything like that. The focus is on each game. And that’s it.”

While McCann’s current focus is on Tuesday’s contest in Toronto with the high-flying Maple Leafs, Francis is focused on the future. As he said, McCann’s extension sends a clear message to not only the rest of the league’s free agents but to the players on the current roster.

It shows that the Kraken will reward good play with a financial commitment and that despite a rough season with close loss after close loss, players not only are enjoying the city but the franchise and its ownership. It’s a way that McCann is helping without having to score a goal.

The team does still need him to score goals and that’s a role he’s already filling.

Jared McCann by the numbers

Drafted in the first round (pick 24) by the Vancouver Canucks during the 2014 NHL Draft, McCann has bounced around since. He’s been a consistent player, in limited roles, playing for the Canucks, Florida Panthers, and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The focus has been on his counting numbers this year but the underlying statistics for McCann have been strong throughout his career. At 5-on-5, McCann has an expected goals (xG) number of 49.72 percent. That shows that despite playing on a team that overall struggles to score goals when McCann is on the ice, they are generating a lot of shot quality.

Over his last three seasons, all with Pittsburgh, playing in a lineup that has quite a bit more talent and skill than Seattle’s, He’s had a plus 50 xG number – including an impressive 54.85 last season. That all points to McCann fitting in and being a productive part of a skilled lineup.

“Jared’s been on a pretty steady trajectory in a positive way over the last couple of years,” Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. “You’re seeing that again offensively this year and you’re seeing it in other underlying areas as well… he’s continuing to grow his game without the puck as well. Both of those two things running together, as much as he’s a good player for us now, are very important, and he’s gonna continue to grow his game.”

Stability for McCann and the Kraken

The biggest takeaway from the McCann extension is that it provides stability.

For the player, he finally gets a contract with term after bouncing around with three other clubs.

“I’m very happy with how it came out,” McCann said. “I really wanted to be able to be in a place for a while and they were more than welcome and were accommodating for that fact.”

For the team, they have a set piece of their foundation and identity in place. They want to be a team that plays consistently and competes hard. That describes McCann’s game and now they’ve locked that in for five more seasons.

It was not clear how McCann would handle an elevated role when the Kraken brought him in during the NHL Expansion Draft. He’s answered that question and been rewarded for his play and welcomes the pressure of living up to a contract.

“It’s more motivation than pressure,” McCann said. “It’s not gonna change me at all. I’m just gonna keep doing what I’ve been doing and go from there.”

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