Brandon Montour, a Stanley Cup champion (2024, Florida Panthers) and skilled defender, has been signed by the Seattle Kraken for a seven-year contract, as announced by general manager Ron Francis on July 1. Montour, known for his impressive skating abilities and ability to log significant ice time, possesses the knowledge to effectively contribute offensively from the blue line. As a member of the Kraken, he is anticipated to maintain a prominent role during even-strength play and power play situations.

Beyond just looking at his point totals and championship pedigree, there are several notable aspects of Montour’s game that deserve recognition. His exceptional skating abilities have been widely acknowledged, allowing him to excel on the ice. Additionally, during the 2022-23 season, he achieved an impressive 73 points (16 goals, 57 assists), demonstrating his offensive prowess. Moreover, Montour’s considerable ice time of 23 minutes and 26 seconds per game ranks 25th among all NHL skaters, highlighting his endurance and importance to his team. Furthermore, his significant power play time of 3 minutes and 54 seconds per game ranks 13th in the league, indicating his value in special teams situations. Therefore, Montour’s contributions extend far beyond his statistics and championship experience.

Let’s dig in.

Stop (the opponent) and then Go

The Kraken excel when their defense not only halts the opponents’ attack but swiftly regains possession, serving as a catalyst to propel the puck up the ice for Seattle skaters to launch a powerful offensive onslaught.

Montour is no stranger to this.

According to Corey Sznajder’s All Three Zones project, when it comes to getting the puck away from the other team, Montour has strong forechecking ability – effectively pressuring opponents when they are in the offensive zone. The blueliner also delivered 5.65 hits per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play last year (per Evolving-Hockey.com) – almost one hit more than he took – putting him in the top two of Florida defenders in terms of hits plus-minus and top three among the Kraken last year.

Montour displayed his expertise in gaining possession of the puck through pressuring opponents or delivering hits. In the previous season, this native of Brantford, Ontario showcased exceptional skill in successfully retrieving pucks, resulting in smooth zone exits according to All Three Zones. Additionally, Sportlogiq ranked him 43rd out of 274 defensemen who had logged at least 100 minutes of even strength time in recovering loose pucks in the defensive zone. Notably, no defensemen from Seattle or Florida surpassed his ranking in this category.

Witness the expert display of Montour’s (FLA 62) utilization of a shoulder check to anticipate Montreal’s forecheck. With strategic body and stick positioning, he adeptly safeguards his territory, leading to a successful pass to his teammate. Consequently, Florida seamlessly transitions into the offensive zone, commencing their own formidable attack.

In addition, Montour possesses the ability to make an impact in the transition game. In the previous season, he maintained a commendable success rate of 57.1 percent when it came to smoothly entering the zone and creating scoring opportunities thereafter.

In this scenario, Montour is not actively pursuing the puck but rather providing support for the breakout play. Utilizing his skating skills, he cleverly exploits Colorado’s line change, advancing up the ice to take a shot. This action generates some additional chaos near the net, adding to the overall effectiveness of the play.

Montour takes charge as he leads the way out, joins the offensive attack, and expertly finishes the rebound into the net.

Powered Up

Montour can also make a significant impact on the power play. He has the ability to play major minutes when needed, and in the previous season, he accumulated 17 points while his team had the extra skater. It’s worth noting that Montour outperformed Vince Dunn by one point, despite playing in seven additional games.

Last year, his remarkable skill set enabled him to not only execute power plays effectively from the point position but also strategically maneuver within the formation, effectively countering opponents’ penalty kills. This played a vital role in his team’s significant advantage on the ice.

Observe how Montour positions himself initially at the top of the zone, then swiftly descends to the left flank in order to confront Buffalo.

In the game between Florida and Los Angeles, there was noticeable increased activity when Florida had a 4-on-3 advantage. Montour showcased impressive agility as he seamlessly transitioned from the point position to the left flank and eventually to the right side.

Making it Count

All in all, last season, in 5-on-5 play, in Montour’s team leading 17:33, he was able to tilt the ice for his team. The Panthers generated 53.9-percent of all shot quality and 56.2-percent of all shot volume. Both measures rank as the best among all Kraken and Panthers defensemen (per Evolving-Hockey.com).

Despite Montour’s decreased point totals last season (8-25-33) compared to his career-high two years ago, it is important to acknowledge that he played 14 fewer games due to recovering from shoulder surgery in 2023. Additionally, he experienced the second-lowest shooting percentage of his NHL career. However, according to Sportlogiq, his expected goal total based on shot quality was 3.1 higher than his actual goals scored, indicating that some positive regression can be anticipated.

When it comes to Brandon Montour, one thing is certain: as he joins the Kraken defense, he enhances it by making valuable contributions on the scoresheet, handling challenging defensive assignments, and flawlessly executing the game’s intricate details across all areas of play, ultimately leading to triumph.

The next chapter of Kraken hockey starts now, be part of it. Season Ticket Memberships are available.