Free agent center Paul Stastny has signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Golden Knights, the team announced Sunday. Terms were originally reported by TSN.
The deal includes an annual cap hit of $6.5 million.
Stastny, 32, was considered one of the top veteran forwards on the market after splitting the 2017-18 season between the Blues and Jets. He recorded 16 goals and 37 assists for his best statistical performance in four years and performed well during Winnipeg’s postseason run with 15 points in 17 games.
That effort earned Stastny a three-year deal, albeit with a slight pay cut from the $7 million he earned annually on his previous contract. However, that’s still a sizable commitment that makes him the most expensive player on the Golden Knights’ roster entering next season.
Vegas now has 13 NHL forwards under contract, per Cap Friendly, and it still needs to re-sign restricted free agents William Karlsson, Tomas Nosek and William Carrier. Defensemen Shea Theodore and Colin Miller are also without contracts for next season right now.