The Vegas Golden Knights are retaining one of their top unrestricted free agents for the long term. The team announced that they have signed a defenseman Shea Theodore to a seven-year contract extension worth a total of $51.975 million.

Theodore is one of the three original members of the Golden Knights organization and this expansion will keep him with the team through the 2031-32 NHL season. He was expected to become one of the most sought-after defensemen in free agency next season, making this extension somewhat of a hometown discount. Evolving-Hockey projected that Theodore would get an eight-year extension worth just over $9 million per season, meaning the Golden Knights will get him for $1.5 million cheaper as the salary cap continues to rise.

Part of the lower-than-expected price tag may be due to Theodore’s availability in recent years. The former 26th overall pick of the 2013 NHL Draft only managed to play 180 regular season games for Vegas from 2021 through the end of last season, losing more than a quarter of the games due to various injuries. Should his injury history continue into this contract, it could mean one of the riskier extensions of the past year.

Despite absences due to injuries in recent years, there is credibility for the Golden Knights, making Theodore their second-highest paid defenseman. He has been perhaps Vegas’ best offensive weapon from the blue line during his eight-year tenure, scoring 67 goals and 296 points in 450 games, 88 of which came on the power play.

He hasn’t been slow on the other side of the puck either. Theodore has posted an impressive CorsiFor% and 91.0% on-ice save percentage in all situations during his time in Sin City, with an E+/- of 78.4 according to Hockey Reference. There’s an argument that much of Theodore’s success in possession comes from his 63.2% offensive zone start rate, but that wouldn’t excuse everything for a defenseman who averages nearly 22 minutes of ice time per game.

Starting next season, the Golden Knights will have $23.575 million split between three defensemen at the top of their lineup. This may prevent the organization from retaining other pending unrestricted and restricted free agents currently on the roster, but it is similar to the trajectory of one of the league’s most aggressive franchises.