As per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, “Hearing Vegas @GoldenKnights are closing in on an extension to keep D Alec Martinez off the market.” He adds, “Expect Martinez to come in around $5 million, perhaps a little more, on a three-year deal.”
This is a good keep for the Golden Knights who would have had to look hard around the market to replace Martinez should he have tested the market and left. There’s a bit of a risk with a three-year deal based upon his age, but the defenseman had a fantastic 2020-21 NHL season and was one of the reasons the team was able to make to the Conference Finals of the NHL playoffs.
What comes next will be interesting since the signing will all but eliminate the remaining cap space the team has to make any moves on the opening day of NHL free agency. There are still rumors the team might move one of their expensive goaltenders.
Martinez, 34, had 9 goals and 32 points in 53 games for the Golden Knights this past season. He regularly played more than 20 minutes per night.
Martinez was tendered the offer last week and had been sitting on it for a little while. He had to decided if he wanted to stay or test the market. It looks like he’ll be doing the former.
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