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Golden Knights, Paul Stastny agree to 3-year contract

The Golden Knights may not have been able to retain David Perron, but they’re replacing him with one of the bigger prizes of this year’s free agency class.

According to a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Golden Knights have agreed to a three-year contract with former Jets center Paul Stastny. Stastny’s contract will reportedly have an average annual value of $6.5 million.

Stastny, 32, scored 16 goals and 53 points in 82 games between the Blues and Jets last season. The Quebec native played particularly well in the postseason, potting six goals and 15 points in 17 contests. In the Western Conference Final against Vegas, though, Stastny was held to just one point in five games.

Stastny certainly doesn’t come cheap for the Golden Knights, but the two-time All-Star will only be on the books for three years and figures to be a reliable presence down the middle, where Vegas suffered during the Stanley Cup Final.

At the end of the day, overpaying for a proven two-way center is a lot better than overpaying for a career fourth-liner.