Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson is used to locking down the right side of the ice against some of the NHL’s top-scoring threats for at least 20-plus minutes per game.

But with a new four-year, $21 million contract extension in hand, a deal announced Tuesday, the veteran Swedish “iron man” should help the Kraken seal off that right side on an even broader scale the next half-decade or so. Extending Larsson well beyond his prior remaining 2024-25 contract season means the Kraken will almost certainly remain solidified long-term with right-handed shot defensemen on all three pairings – the top two of which now see Larsson and free agent newcomer Brandon Montour, 30, under team control for many years to come.

That’s a welcome development in an area historically challenging for teams to fill, given left-handed defenders are far more prevalent across the league. The left side of the Kraken’s defense is already anchored for multiple seasons with three remaining contract years for Vince Dunn, 27, two more for Jamie Oleksiak, 31, and several for incoming youngster Ryker Evans, 22.

In fact, Larsson is widely credited for helping Dunn emerge as a bona fide two-way NHL scoring threat the past two seasons as his top-pairing defensive partner.

But now, beyond his impact on Dunn, keeping Larsson longer gives the Kraken a right sided lockdown with him signed through 2028-29 and recently-acquired Florida Panthers free agent standout Montour under contract through 2030-31. The team’s right-handed defensive trio is completed by Will Borgen, 27, preparing to enter his third campaign as an NHL regular, ahead of unrestricted free agency next summer.

Aside from his better statistical numbers, including a franchise-leading 567 hits all-time, Larsson is the defenseman a team allowing the ninth fewest goals last season has counted on most to shut down opponents’ top scoring lines.

He is a dependable lineup presence – missing just one game the past five years — with a defense-first mindset but also an underrated ability to lead offensive breakouts. His defensive partner, Dunn, in two complete seasons alongside Larsson has scored 25 goals and added 85 assists for 110 points in 140 games.

Larsson had four goals and 14 assists in 81 games last season, playing 22 of those with a different defensive partner after Dunn was lost due to injury. His average ice time of 22:56 was second only to Dunn’s 23:05 but was compiled over 22 additional games – meaning Larsson again saw more ice time overall than any Kraken player for a third consecutive season.

Larsson has played in all but one of the Kraken’s 260 regular season and playoff games. His “iron man” streak of 343 consecutive games played – the NHL’s fourth longest active one at the time dating back to 2019 — came to an end in April when he missed one contest against Anaheim to be with his girlfriend for the birth of their first child, a daughter, Alba.

His new contract means Larsson will likely wind up playing the majority of his career for the Kraken, something that once seemed improbable given his five prior seasons with the Edmonton Oilers – the team he had been most commonly associated with. Larsson was drafted fourth overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and spent parts of five seasons with that club ahead of moving on to Edmonton in a June 2016 trade for Taylor Hall.

The next chapter of Kraken hockey starts now, be part of it. Season Ticket Memberships are available.