Matty Beniers Sends Message to Stars Who Don’t Want to Play in Seattle

The Seattle Kraken haven’t exactly had the same success as the Vegas Golden Knights through the first five years of their existence, but that hasn’t necessarily been for a lack of trying, especially of late.

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Not only have they handed out big-money free-agent contracts to the likes of Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson, but they’ve also made multiple attempts at big swings via trade.

Within the last year, Seattle has reportedly had deals in place for both Artemi Panarin and Jason Robertson, with huge extensions included, yet both superstar wingers were said to have turned down joining the Kraken. Matty Beniers knows there’s not much they can do about it, but that didn’t stop him from backing his organization when asked about it at the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour.

Beniers said:

“Yeah, absolutely. There’s a tough rep about Seattle because it’s rainy, and maybe the city. But guys love it in Seattle — the guys that are there. When the sun’s out, it’s beautiful. There’s so much nature; there are a lot of things to do. So yeah, it obviously doesn’t feel good when you’re on a team and you try to get someone else and they don’t want to come. But at the same time, if you don’t want to be here, we don’t want you, anyway… It’s up to them; it’s their decision. Every team, you want guys that want to be there. You don’t want to bring someone in that doesn’t want to be there. It just won’t work out,”

Panarin ultimately chose the LA Kings, while Robertson has since signed a one-year extension in Dallas to push a long-term contract decision further down the road.

Seattle is never going to be Vegas, so they are always going to have a tougher time finding high-end talent on the open market.

For the Kraken to be successful, they need to draft and develop their own stars, like Beniers, to build and become a stronger team. Other than handing out major money, that’s ultimately going to be the best way for Seattle to make itself a more attractive destination for top players around the league.

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