Chandler Stephenson Has Totally Sucked Since Signing With The Kraken

Chandler Stephenson Has Totally Sucked Since Signing With The Kraken

When Chandler Stephenson signed with Seattle in the offseason, the number sure looked high but centers are hard to find and he was a valuable piece to a Golden Knights team that previously won the Stanley Cup.

Now that we’re seeing it play out, this contract is looking like a total disaster only a few months into the seven year deal Stephenson ended up signing with Seattle. The underlying metrics on Stephenson have been horrific to the point where he’s played like one of the worst players in the entire league.

first 2024-25 card reveal https://t.co/MnzP2QSDEw pic.twitter.com/4WmySmtwuX

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) December 26, 2024

35% goal share. 35% xgoal share. it's all bad. starting contract that goes til he's 37. jeez

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) December 26, 2024

GM Translation: What Kelly McCrimmon Really Said About 2024 NHL Free Agency Period

I’ll be the first to admit; I’m shocked by how bad Stephenson has been. I wanted Vegas to re-sign him but definitely not at the number he ended up getting from Seattle. The normal traditional stats for Stephenson have been fine but a lot of his production comes from playing heavy minutes and racking up secondary assists on the powerplay.

Stephenson, 30, has five goals and 21 assists in 40 games but is a -9 and has been getting torched by the opposition all season long. The traditional numbers don’t tell the story on how bad it’s really been. His foot speed is way down, he’s not creating scoring chances for others, and his line is getting outscored on a nightly basis. Right now he’s getting in a lot of cardio. Other than that, I’m not sure what he brings to the table right now. The worst part is I can’t imagine how bad this contract will look when he’s 37.

His failures are a big reason why Seattle has taken a step back and sits in 7th place in the Pacific behind the Ducks. When you’re behind the rebuilding Ducks, you know it’s bad. He’s also not going to come close to the 60+ point totals per season that he was putting up in Vegas.

I guess I should say I’m not totally surprised. I didn’t view Stephenson as much of an asset in fantasy hockey, and that’s been the case, given his struggles. If we really learned anything from the way Stephenson is struggling, it’s that Mark Stone deserves so much respect. Stephenson and Stone skated on the same line in Vegas for years and it’s pretty clear now who was the driver of success. When you watch Stone, he doesn’t blow you away with elite speed or anything but god he’s just so damn good with his stick and is always in the right spot. You can’t quantify how good that guy is and this is only further evidence of just that. Stone is healthy and Vegas is the best team in the league right now.

Good luck to Seattle with all of this. They botched this thing bad and they’re going to be stuck with this deal for a long time.

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