Montour had 'conversations' with Maple Leafs before joining Kraken

Brandon Montour has gone through a whirlwind of an off-season.

The 30-year-old defenceman went from accomplishing the highest feat of his professional life by helping the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup to having to decide what his hockey future would look like all within a week.

After signing a seven-year, $50 million deal with the Seattle Kraken on the opening day of free agency, Montour finally has had a chance to reflect upon last season and everything that transpired.

“It’s been a crazy two and a half weeks,” Montour told TSN OverDrive on Wednesday. “From winning the Cup [in Florida] to trying to find a new home in Seattle, but I wouldn’t change any of that for the world.”

Montour was one of the most highly sought after free agents when the market opened on July 1. The 6-foot right-shot defenceman recorded eight goals and 33 points in 66 games last season and added three goals and 11 points in the playoffs en route to a Stanley Cup victory.

He is joining a Kraken team that missed the playoffs last year after going 34-35-13 to finish sixth in the Pacific Division. However, his experience in helping the Panthers win their first championship and the Kraken’s eagerness for success is what helped sell him on signing with the club.

“Looking back, the big thing that was really cool with winning in Florida was that it was their very first championship and experiencing that together,” said Montour. “Thinking about Seattle and to have the chance to do that there excites me.”

Despite only entering the NHL during the 2021-22 campaign, the Kraken have already found some success in the playoffs. In their second year of existence, the team made the playoffs with a 46-28-8 record, defeated the then-defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round, and took the Dallas Stars to seven games in the second round.

Montour believes that despite not making the postseason last season, the team isn’t too far away from their previous good results and management is doing whatever they can to return to that projection.

“They weren’t happy with the way their season went last year after not making the playoffs,” said Montour. “They have plenty of guys who have in the past with the personnel that they have and they’re hungry to get back and win.

“The management has prospects coming up but they want to win and push the organization as quickly as they can to become a contender. After talking with the players and management [in Seattle] about the direction they want to be in, I feel like I fit in really well and what they’re trying to do.”
 

Montour confirms talks with Maple Leafs

Being a native of Brantford, Ont., Montour has always had a connection with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, whether it be through his friends, family, or the local media.

Montour has seen the Maple Leafs quite a bit during his four-year stint with the Panthers in the Atlantic Division. He saw a team that has been successful in the regular season by making the playoffs eight straight years, but going past the first round only once.

The idea of joining his hometown team did cross his mind and after his negotiations around the league, he decided that Seattle was the better fit.

“There were conversations [with the Maple Leafs],” admitted Montour. “When I looked at the roster and myself, I thought I could definitely help and it was intriguing. But there’s a lot that goes into [free agency] with my family and what they need as well as business decisions.

“There were definitely talks and we thought about it, but there were tons of options for us and we’re obviously grateful for Seattle and that experience.”