Kraken agree to 4-year extension with defenseman Adam Larsson worth $5.25 million per year

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Kraken and veteran defenseman Adam Larsson reached an agreement Tuesday on a four-year extension that will keep one of their top blue liners under contract through the 2028-29 season.

Larsson’s extension is worth an average of $5.25 million per season and retains one of Seattle’s selections from the 2021 expansion draft for the long term.

The 31-year-old from Sweden has played in 245 of a possible 246 regular-season games during his first three seasons with the Kraken. Most of that time, he’s been part of the top defensive pair for Seattle alongside Vince Dunn, regularly drawing the toughest defensive assignments against the best forwards in the league.

Larsson’s best season with Seattle came in 2022-23, when he had a career-high 33 points including eight goals. Larsson served as an assistant captain the past two seasons and could be a candidate to be the permanent captain if new coach Dan Bylsma opts to have one in his first season.

Larsson started his NHL career with five seasons in New Jersey before being traded to Edmonton ahead of the 2016-17 season. He spent five seasons with the Oilers but was exposed in the expansion draft when Seattle joined the league and the Kraken quickly grabbed the right-shot veteran for their blue line.