Jared McCann signs five-year, $25M contract with Kraken

The Seattle Kraken continue to endure a harsh debut NHL season and began Tuesday at 17-36-5 and in the basement of the Pacific Division standings. 

However, the club shared positive news with fans Tuesday and announced that forward and leading scorer Jared McCann has put pen to paper on a five-year contract worth $25 million that carries an average annual value of $5 million. The 25-year-old was on track to hit restricted free agency this summer before Tuesday's development. 

"I couldn't be more excited to be a part of the Kraken for the long term," McCann explained, according to the NHL's website. "Having spent the last few months in Seattle, the organization is first class, from the incredible arena and practice facility to the way that we're treated as players. I knew Seattle was where I wanted to be. The support the fan base has given us from Day One is what keeps us going every night and you can't walk down the street without seeing Kraken gear. The best is yet to come and I can't wait to be part of it."

The Kraken acquired McCann from the Toronto Maple Leafs in last year's expansion draft. As noted by ESPN stats, he leads Seattle with 33 points and 21 goals tallied across 50 games and is also the first player to ever re-sign with the franchise. This is the first time he's reached at least 20 goals for an NHL campaign. 

"This is a first restricted free agent signing for the organization, so I think it sends a message," Kraken general manager Ron Francis added. "In Jared's case, he's excited to be in Seattle. He's excited, as a lot of our players are, the way the ownership and management treats the players, excited about the passionate fan base and the city itself and want to be here as we build this thing and become more and more successful."

Seattle next plays at the 36-16-4 Maple Leafs on Tuesday evening.