Golden Knights, defenseman Zach Whitecloud agree to six-year, $16.5 million extension

As he waits to return from a hand injury suffered last week during a game against the Edmonton Oilers, Zach Whitecloud and the Vegas Golden Knights reached an agreement on a hefty deal Thursday that will keep him in Sin City for the better part of this decade.

Per Jesse Granger of The Athletic, Whitecloud agreed to a six-year, $16.5 million extension with the club that will carry an average annual value of $2.75 million.

Whitecloud signed with the Golden Knights after going undrafted in 2018. He played just one game that season, then 16 the following year, and appeared in a career-high 51 contests last season.

He scored two goals and added 10 assists over 909 minutes of total ice time in the 2020-2021 campaign and has one assist in four games over 60 minutes on the ice thus far this season.

Whitecloud is considered week-to-week with his injury, which occurred after he picked up his second blocked shot of the contest on Friday against the Oilers.