The Vegas Golden Knights have signed defenseman Shea Theodore to a seven-year contract extension, bolstering one of the best defensive corps in the NHL.

Theodore’s $51.9 million deal has an average annual value of $7.425 million and runs through the 2031-32 season.

Theodore, 29, is an original “Golden Misfit” who joins the team in its inaugural season (2017-18) in an expansion draft from the Anaheim Ducks. Theodore has 296 points in 450 games for the Knights over eight seasons, making him the franchise scoring leader among defensemen. He had 13 points in 21 playoff games in 2023, helping Vegas to its first Stanley Cup championship.

There was speculation about Theodore’s future with the Knights after they traded for Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin, 27, last season and signed him to an eight-year, $58.8 million contract extension in April. Theodore was set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and Vegas has never shied away from making tough business decisions regarding popular veteran players.

Instead, the Knights have secured one of the best defensive trios in the NHL through at least the 2026-27 season: Theodore, Hanifin and 34-year-old Alex Pietrangelo, who has three years left on his deal with an AAV of $8.8 million. .