Alex Pietrangelo goes to be a member of the Vegas Golden Knights.

In keeping with a number of studies (together with the Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman), the free agent defenseman has agreed to a seven-year, $61.6 million contract with the workforce on Monday after weeks of hypothesis that he would find yourself with them.

That comes out to a wage cap hit of $8.Eight million per season, which is the fifth-highest quantity within the league amongst defensemen behind solely Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, Roman Josi, and P.Okay. Subban.

The deal additionally reportedly will carry a full no-move clause.

It’s a completely large addition to a Golden Knights roster that’s already one of many league’s greatest. They’ve reached the Western Convention Last in two of their first three seasons within the league (together with one Stanley Cup Last look) and will proceed to be a contender for the foreseeable future.

The signing of Pietrangelo is simply the newest big-splash addition the workforce has made in its younger existence. In recent times they’ve additionally made huge strikes for Paul Stastny (traded earlier this offseason), Max Pacioretty, and Mark Stone.

Pietrangelo, who will flip 31 in January, remains to be an incredible defender that may additionally make a huge impact offensively. He scored 16 objectives to go together with 36 assists in 71 video games this previous season and completed fourth within the Norris Trophy voting. That’s the third time in his profession he has completed within the top-five in that voting.

Over 82 video games he’s going to provide you round 15 objectives and 50 factors offensively whereas additionally enjoying shutdown protection. That could be a game-changer for any workforce.

The one draw back to this contract it’s Pietrangelo’s age and what the contract might do to their cap in a couple of years when he ultimately slows down. He’s an elite participant now, however how lengthy will he be at that stage? That’s all the time the chance in free company.

Now that the Golden Knights have their man, one other transfer (or sequence of strikes) must be coming to make the workforce cap compliant. Pietrangelo’s signing, in addition to the brand new contracts for Robin Lehner and Chandler Stephenson this offseason, places them means over the league’s $81.5 million cap, even after buying and selling Stastny again to the Winnipeg Jets.

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Marc-Andre Fleury has been a sizzling subject in commerce discussions given the return of Lehner, whereas Nate Schmidt and/or Alec Martinez is also shipped out to create cap area.

They should shed roughly $7 million in cap area to develop into cap compliant. It seems that’s the very same wage cap hit that Fleury’s contract carries. The issue goes to be discovering a workforce to take him. All the goalie motion across the league to date this offseason has severely lower down on the variety of potential touchdown spots.

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Adam Gretz is a author for Professional Hockey Discuss on NBC Sports activities. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or comply with him on Twitter @AGretz.

Report: Golden Knights to signal Alex Pietrangelo to 7-year, $61.6 million contract initially appeared on NBCSports.com