Brandon Montour reveals choosing $1.6B franchise over Toronto Maple Leafs during free agency

Brandon Montour just enjoyed a very strong debut season as a member of the Seattle Kraken.

The 31-year-old had the second most productive campaign of his career, racking up 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists) in 81 games, with those 18 goals surpassing his previous career high of 16.

Before he joined the Kraken, worth $1.6 billion per Forbes, Montour was one of the most coveted unrestricted free agents of the 2024 offseason after several strong years with the Florida Panthers. He ultimately inked a long-term deal in Seattle; however, he was in talks with other teams throughout the process.

On Friday, Montour himself revealed that one of those teams was the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was asked about the possibility of signing in Toronto during an appearance on Leafs Morning Take. Nick Alberga shared the video with his response on X (formerly Twitter).

"Yeah, no, we thought about it. We spoke to them a couple times. Again, it happened so quick. Speaking to a lot of times, when we ended up with Seattle, we just felt it was the right fit for us. But, definitely, there were some conversations. Thought about the possibility of how it would work. Close to home," Montour said.

"It might have been different, too. I mean, I was never a Leafs fan growing up. So it wasn't one of those things where I was like, I wanted to go play, or would've been a huge thing for me. But I just think my skillset and the way I play and how that team plays, I think I could help tremendously," Montour added.

Brandon Montour just completed the first season of his seven-year, $49,999,999 contract signed with the Kraken in 2024 free agency.

Brandon Montour is set to star for Team Canada at the Worlds

Hockey Canada will be relying on Brandon Montour to play a big role for them at the upcoming 2025 IIHF World Championships.

The Brantford, Ontario, native is expected to feature on the number one defense pairing while also quarterbacking the top power play unit. Hockey analyst Adam Papousek shared the line configurations on X.

Montour is used to shouldering a heavy workload, having averaged 22:59 of ice time in 2024-25 with the Kraken.

It will be quite the opportunity for him to represent his country and line up alongside some of the NHL's best like Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon.

Brandon Montour and Team Canada will kick off their tournament against Team Slovenia on Saturday morning. The puck drops at 6:20 a.m. EST at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.