Breaking: Stanley Cup Champ Brandon Montour Leaving Panthers, Heading Out West

Just days after celebrating a Stanley Cup championship, UFA defenseman Brandon Montour has decided to take his top-pairing abilities out West, to join the Seattle Kraken.

**Breaking News** I'm told D Montour has signed with @SeattleKraken on a 7Yr X 7M AAV #HockeyX
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) July 1, 2024

It's a huge get for the Kraken, who had some work to do this offseason to get themselves back into playoff contention. It's a 7-year deal with a $7.14 million AAV for Montour, which seems like a good contract for the Kraken, as Montour was projected by AFP Analytics to land a deal closer to an $8M AAV.

Montour continued to be a workhorse on the blueline for the Panthers this season, logging 23:27 of ice time per night, though his offense took a step back, with 33 points compared to the career-high 71 he registered in 2022-23.

With Montour's departure from Florida's blueline, and the impending loss of Oliver Ekman-Larsson as well, it would appear that trade talks that had been brewing around Aaron Ekblad could be put to rest.