The regular season was as busy for the players on the ice as it was for the Vegas Golden Knights staff are withdrawn. Their front office has been active since the offseason and continues to do essential work. They announced another key signing as they finalized a contract extension with forward Keegan Kolesar.

The Golden Knights have signed Kolesar to another three-year extension. The deal is worth a total of $7.5 million and will have an average annual value of $2.5 million. The 27-year-old winger was in the final season of a previous three-year contract he signed with the organization in the summer of 2022.

Kolesar played every game of his NHL career in a Golden Knights jersey, even though he was not drafted by the organization. Originally drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round of the 2015 NHL Draft, he was traded to Vegas a few years later in the 2017 NHL Draft.

And in that time, Kolesar has established himself as a complete physical force in Vegas’ bottom six. A veteran of 304 NHL games, he has played in at least 74 games in each of the last three seasons and has appeared in all 29 games for the team this season.

Kolesar made his NHL debut with the Golden Knights in 2020 for one game, but made the jump to full-time the following year. As a rookie, he had 13 points in 44 games.

His second season was a big step forward. In 77 games, he scored seven goals and recorded 17 assists for a career-high 24 points.

This season, Kolesar is on track to have his most productive season to date. He averaged the most ice time of his career, playing 12:55 per game. Thanks to a continued presence in front of the net and an inflated shooting percentage of 21%, he already has seven goals and 11 points. At this rate, he should eclipse 15 goals for the first time.

Kolesar’s signing continues a trend for Vegas. Earlier this season, the team signed Shea Théodore to a massive extension, then followed up shortly after with a new contract for the midfield striker Brett Howden. The Golden Knights are making a clear effort to retain some of their most important talents and voices in the locker room.

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