It's Dunn!

The Kraken announced Friday that they have re-signed defender Vince Dunn to a 4-year contract. That's good news for Seattle fans who have watched the 26-year-old solidify the Kraken's top defensive pair alongside stalwart, Adam Larsson .

Sticking around in Seattle sure seems like a good idea for the 26-year-old. Since joining the Kraken via the expansion draft in 2021, Dunn has put up his two best seasons on the scoresheet, and in 2022-23, against top competition, he put up career highs in goals (14), assists (50) and total points (64).

Those counts rank as the second-most points overall and the most assists by any Kraken skater this season. So when Dunn wasn't putting the puck in the net himself, he was helping his teammates do so - and quite effectively. According to HockeyViz.com, Dunn was among the top skaters in the league this season in terms of "setting," a measure of creating scoring opportunities for teammates (plus-8 percent).

Dunn's impact wasn't just impressive within the Kraken roster. Among all NHL defenders this season, he ranked in the top 10 in goals, points, and assists, and in even strength play, only Erik Karlsson (the winner of the best defenseman this season), had more points and more goals.

"I think (Dunn) impressed everyone that watched our games throughout the year and I'm very impressed with him," Larsson said at season's end. "And I still think he has another step. He really elevated his game on all levels this year I thought."

To that point, Dunn isn't just deserving of accolades because of his ability to put points on the board. The Mississauga native was also a difference maker defensively.

First and foremost, Dunn made it hard for other teams to even get their offense going by getting into the attack zone. According to AllThreeZones.com, the defender was the most effective among Kraken players in denying carry-in's against and overall entry defense.

And if opponents did get in the zone, Dunn reduced opponents' ability to generate offense by 3.9-percent - that's the second-best defensive impact of his career.

And once the blueliner prevented other teams' attack, he was elite at turning play the Kraken's way.

Dunn was also among the top Seattle players in being able to successfully retrieve pucks in the defensive zone, and no other Seattle defender was better at generating zone exits with possession (per 60 minutes of play).

And it wasn't just how often Dunn was able to turn play the other way, it's how he did it - with speed. The Kraken blue liner had the best stretch pass completion rate among all defenders this season (68.4) and only Karlsson attempted more (397 vs. 370).

It's that ability to contribute in all areas of the ice that has made Dunn such a valuable part of the Kraken organization - now a team he'll call home for the next 4 years.

"I'm happy with where I am right now and I want to be a part of this organization for many years to come," Dunn said.

"Ever since I stepped foot in here. It's been a new chapter in my career. They've let me develop not just as a person but as a player. And I'm really fortunate for all the opportunities that I've been given. It was a big, big jump for me to do what I did this year. I got a lot of opportunity and tried to make the most of it. I know it's only up from here and the demand is just going to keep growing on me so I'm ready for that. I'm really excited for what's ahead."