New Kraken forward Mason Marchment excited for fresh start
Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — Stanley Cup playoff hockey hasn't been all that common in Seattle since the Kraken played their first season.
However, Mason Marchment already knows full well what it looks like.
Marchment, who was acquired from the Dallas Stars last Thursday for a 2025 fourth-round pick and a 2026 third-rounder, played in a few of the Stanley Cup playoff games at Climate Pledge Arena in 2023 when the Kraken and Stars faced off.
Dallas won the second-round series in seven games, but Marchmen learned firsthand just how rowdy fans in the Emerald City can get.
'It was awesome,' Marchment said Tuesday via Zoom. 'For sure, the fan base sticks out instantly. It was rocking in there for three games. It was a hard building to play in, too. So, it's going to be fun to be on the other side of it.'
The 30-year-old winger tied a career high with 22 goals last season. Marchment is entering the final year of a contract carrying a $4.5 million cap hit, though, which in part prompted the cap-constrained Stars to deal him.
The Uxbridge, Ontario, native played the first half of his six-season NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. Marchment was hardly slighted by Dallas trading him three seasons into a four-year deal.
'It's a business and I get that. I've been in it my whole life,' Marchment said. 'So, there had to be some changes, and it just so happened to be me. I don't take it as a knock at all. There's teams out there that want you, so it's always a good thing. It's just part of the business. You go with it as it goes, but I'm excited to start in Seattle and get playing.'
Marchment could be a reliable top-six scorer for the Kraken. Under new coach Lane Lambert, the Kraken not only expect to be a playoff team in 2025-26, but also to be a grittier team that makes better use of the players already on the roster after Dan Bylsma was fired after one year as head coach.
Marchment enjoys getting involved on the forecheck, defending puck-handlers on the backcheck and looks forward to doing it all for Seattle.
'That's stuff that I take pride in and like to do well,' Marchment said. 'So, if I can help out that way, it's going to be great. But getting to the net front and getting in the goalie's eyes, that's huge. So stuff like that, small things like that are things that help win games and help you get (to) the playoffs.'
Months away from training camp, it isn't clear yet which line Marchment will slot in for the Kraken. However, he is already starting to learn a good deal about Seattle's roster through defenseman Brandon Montour, who played with Marchment in Florida.
Marchment is also getting to know Seattle. The Pacific Northwest city will no longer just be an occasional stop on a road trip, but rather a new home for Marchment — and one in which he is expected to contribute from the jump.
'I'm definitely excited to get down there and meet everyone,' Marchment said. 'But for me, it's going to be a fresh opportunity and a good start, and that's always exciting. So, I'm looking forward to that, and hopefully we can get better as a team and make the playoffs.'
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