The Vegas Golden Knights announced Saturday that the club has inked forwards Jake Leschyshyn and Paul Cotter to three-year contract extensions.
Leschyshyn was one of two remaining restricted free agents on the roster but is now locked up through the 2024-25 season on a team-friendly deal carrying an average annual value of $766,667, according to CapFriendly.
The 23-year-old suited up in 41 games for the Golden Knights this past season, recording two goals and six points in that span.
Originally selected in the second round (No. 62) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Leschyshyn scored 14 goals and 27 points in 34 games with the AHL Henderson Silver Knights in 2021-22 and has collected a total of 20 goals and 38 points in 73 games with Henderson over the past two seasons.
Cotter, who will turn 23 in November, is entering the final year of his entry-level deal and was set to become a restricted free agent next summer. His three-year, $2.325 million extension, which carries an AAV of $775,000 through 2025-26, is a one-way contract in the final two seasons of the deal.
The former fourth-round pick (No. 115) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft scored two goals in seven games with the big club last year. He also potted 19 goals and 34 points in 59 games with Henderson, seeing a nice jump in production after recording five goals and 16 points in 38 games with the Silver Knights in 2020-21.
Leschyshyn will compete for a bottom-six roster spot in training camp, while Cotter is likely to begin the season in Henderson.
Either way, the team-friendly deals give Vegas more flexibility moving forward, though both players will be waiver-eligible starting this season.
Defenseman Nicolas Hague is now the Golden Knights’ only remaining restricted free agent.
With the recent news that Robin Lehner — and his $5 million cap hit — are likely to spend the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign on long-term injured reserve, the Golden Knights find themselves in a more favorable position to get a deal done with the former second-round pick.