The Seattle Kraken have made their first big splash, agreeing to a four-year contract with pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Adam Larsson of the Edmonton Oilers, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.
The pact carries an average annual value of $4 million, Dreger adds.
Larsson isn't technically a free agent until July 28, but the Kraken had an exclusive window from July 18-21 to negotiate with all pending free agents left exposed for the expansion draft. The window closed Wednesday morning, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
The 28-year-old played the last five seasons with the Oilers after the team acquired him from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Taylor Hall in 2016.
Adam Larsson, signed 4x$4M by SEA, is a second-pair defensive defenceman who finally put up the types of elite defensive results that the Oilers originally acquired him for this past season. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/qNFPWhhJD7
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 21, 2021
Larsson played his first five campaigns with the Devils, who drafted him fourth overall in 2011.
The Swedish blue-liner played all 56 games for Edmonton in 2021, ranking third among the club's rearguards in average ice time with 19:39.
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