The Seattle Kraken have signed restricted free agent defenseman Vince Dunn to a four-year contract extension, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Friday afternoon.
According to Friedman, Dunn’s new deal with the Kraken carries a $7.35 million annual cap hit. The 26-year-old defenseman had been scheduled to attend a salary arbitration hearing on July 24.
Dunn collected 14 goals and 64 points while averaging 23:40 of ice time in 81 games with the Kraken during the 2022–23 regular season. He added seven points (one goal, six assists) in seven games in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
CapFriendly shared a more detailed rundown of Dunn’s new contract with the Kraken later on Friday. The left-handed defender will be paid $9 million in 2023–24, $8 million in 2024–25, $7 million in 2025–26, and $5.4 million in 2026–27.
Dunn’s contract covers three years of unrestricted-free-agency eligibility and also includes a full no-trade clause for 2024–25 and a 16-team no-trade clause in both 2025–26 and 2026–27.
Dunn began his NHL career with the St. Louis Blues in 2017 after being selected by the club in the second round (No. 56 overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft. The Mississauga, Ontario, product spent his first four NHL seasons with the Blues, a span which saw him collect 102 points in 267 games, as well as the Stanley Cup in 2019.
The Blues left Dunn exposed in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, instead electing to protect Colton Parayko, Torey Krug and Justin Faulk on defense. The Kraken made Dunn their selection from St. Louis and quickly elevated him into their top four.
After collecting seven goals and 35 points in his first year in Seattle, Dunn doubled his goal total and nearly did the same with his points in 2022–23 as the Kraken shocked the hockey world by clinching their first-ever playoff berth. Dunn averaged 23:10 of ice time in 14 playoff games which saw Seattle upset the Colorado Avalanche before falling to the Dallas Stars in the second round.
Dunn was Seattle’s final restricted free agent to sign this summer. According to CapFriendly, the Kraken have just $943,424 in projected space under the $83.5 million salary cap with a full 23-man roster.
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