32 Teams, 32 Players: Joey Daccord

The Seattle Kraken are betting big on the goalie. They better be right.

Now that the 2024-25 NHL season has arrived we are going to highlight one player on each team that stands out for the season. What kind of player? Well, a player that could make a difference, be an X-factor, be on the verge of a breakout, or just simply be a player under the microscope and needing to have a big season.

Basically — which player do I think is the most fascinating on each team.

We are not going in any particularly order and continue today with Joey Daccord of the Seattle Kraken.

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We are on a run of goalies here in this series, not only because it can be the most impactful position on the ice, but also because teams keep re-signing them to new long-term contract extensions as the season gets underway.

The latest goalie to get a new deal is Seattle Kraken starter Joey Daccord.

Unlike the recent Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark deals, this is one that I am extremely skeptical of and am not quite convinced it is going to work out as planned. It also leads to even more questions about what, exactly, the Kraken front office is doing in building this team, managing its assets, and utilizing its salary cap space.

The expansion draft was uninspiring.

The free agent signings and trades in the years since have been underwhelming.

This offseason they signed one of the most baffling contracts of the summer when they gave Chandler Stephenson a seven-year, $43 million contract that immediately seemed like a bad idea and a buyout or salary retained trade just waiting to happen.

Now, just before the start of the season, they gave Daccord a five-year deal worth $25 million total and $5 million per year.

It’s a pretty big risk for a franchise that has already been burned on some big gambles early in its existence with goalies.

Let’s talk about it.