Golden Knights re-sign former first-round pick after winning Stanley Cup

The Vegas Golden Knights re-signed forward Brett Howden to a two-year contract extension. According to the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster, the deal carries a $1.9M average annual value.

The contract comes after an impressive playoff run. Howden scored 10 points in 22 games during Vegas’ Stanley Cup championship run, averaging a minute on the penalty kill and more average ice time than he received during the regular season.

He came through at an important time for Vegas, registering four points in the five-game Stanley Cup Final, including two goals in Game 2.

In the regular season, Howden managed 13 points in 54 games and averaged 13:03 time on ice per game, which ranked him among the least-utilized Golden Knights regulars. Still, Howden has nearly 300 games of NHL experience, first-round pedigree (he was the 27th pick in the 2016 draft) and an impressive playoff run on his resume to lend some confidence to the idea that he can be more in the NHL than just a dime-a-dozen bottom-sixer.

The Golden Knights are clearly betting on Howden, likely hoping he can step up and play a more regular role on the penalty kill now that Reilly Smith (who averaged the third-most minutes of any Vegas forward while short-handed) is gone.

It’s not exactly a cheap contract if Howden doesn’t take any steps forward in his game. If one views this as a reward for Howden’s contributions to the Golden Knights’ first Stanley Cup, though, then the deal looks a bit more reasonable, especially if Howden can take a step forward in his game next season.