On Tuesday, Feb. 24, the Seattle Kraken signed forwards Ryan Winterton and Ben Meyers to two-year contract extensions. This comes just after the Winter Olympic roster freeze was lifted at midnight yesterday, Feb. 23.
Winterton has played in 54 of the Kraken’s 56 games this season and has recorded 15 points via three goals and 12 assists. He has been a solid part of the bottom six, often playing wing on the third or fourth line.
Meyers has played in 31 games with Seattle this season and has recorded 11 points via five goals and six assists. He has spent the rest of the season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Kraken’s affiliate team, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. In Coachella Valley he has played in 11 games and has recorded 13 points via nine goals and four assists. He has played alongside Winterton, centering the fourth line.
The contracts for both Winterton and Meyers show that the Kraken are investing in their youth and their future. Winterton is only 22 years old, and in his first full season in the NHL, he has proven that he adds value to the team. He might not always find a scoring chance, but this season, he scored his first goal and has continued to level up his play style. He has been a great member of the fourth line, eating away at some of those minutes to make sure the top six can get out there and perform to the best of their ability.
Same thing for Meyers. He has been jumping between the NHL and AHL, but when he is with the Kraken, he has proven to be a valuable asset to the team. He is older than Winterton, as he is 27 years old, but he has yet to play a full NHL season. The most amount of games he has played were back in the 2022-23 season with the Colorado Avalanche, where he played 39 games. Meyers already has the most amount of points he has ever recorded in a single NHL season with 11 currently. As the Kraken continue to develop him and foster his growth, Meyers could be primed for his first full season in the NHL next season already.
The Kraken are getting ready to play their first game back from the Olympic break tomorrow, Feb. 25, when they take on the Dallas Stars.