Golden Knights sign Brayden McNabb to 4-year extension
In establishing a core in Vegas, the defenseman will be around for the foreseeable future.
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed defenseman Brayden McNabb to a four-year extension totaling $10 million, the team announced Wednesday.
McNabb, 26, was selected by the Golden Knights from the Los Angeles Kings in this past summer’s expansion draft. The contract runs through the 2021-22 season worth an average annual value of $2.5 million.
McNabb has played all but three games this season for Vegas, leading the Golden Knights in hits (56) and blocked shots (52). The Davidson, Saskatchewan native is one of only six players in the league to have at least 50 hits and blocked shots.
Set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, McNabb told Knights On Ice on June 22 that he would like to remain here beyond this contract and become a mainstay in the Vegas defense.
“(The expansion draft) was pretty exciting for this city,” McNabb said the day after the draft. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun.”
So far, it has been fun for the Golden Knights who are tied for first place in the Pacific Division with McNabb’s former team. General manager George McPhee highlighted how important McNabb has been to Vegas, per Jesse Granger of the Las Vegas Sun:
McPhee- "McNabb is a very good defensive defenseman. He's got a long stick, and is good with his stick. He's locked down some top opposing players for us and we hope he's here for the rest of his career."
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) November 29, 2017
George McPhee- "McNabb has performed very well for us, has been a big part of our success, and is at the right age to lock him up. He's got a lot of room for growth."
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) November 29, 2017
McPhee- "We certainly hope McNabb will continue to grow, and be a solid, top-4 defender for us for a long time."
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) November 29, 2017
McNabb becomes the first potential Golden Knights free agent domino to drop, and this appears to be a sign of good faith for those players Vegas would like to keep beyond this year. McNabb has been solid and still, even at 26 years old, has a chance to groom into an enforcer on the Golden Knights.
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