Paul Stastny signed a three-year deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. The deal is worth $19.5 million or $6.5 million AAV. The 32-year-old Stastny is coming off of a 53-point season. Those points were earned in a mix of 63 games with the St. Louis Blues and 19 with the Winnipeg Jets. The Blues dealt Stastny to the Jets minutes before the trade deadline.

Working on the aav for Paul Statsny in Vegas, but I believe he’s agreed to a 3 year term.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2018

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Paul Stastny to a Three-Year Deal

Stastny was the center of a lot of rumours as July 1st neared.  In early June there were talks that he was more than open to returning to St. Louis, where he played four seasons. Only a few days after those rumours sparked, another rumour came to light saying that Stastny was willing to stay in Winnipeg. Clearly, neither of those rumours came to fruition as the playmaker heads to Sin City.

Stastny is a great addition to the Golden Knights. He’s a strong center, but flexible enough to play anywhere. He boasts a strong playmaking ability and a great 200-foot style of play. In St. Louis, Stastny was a crucial part of every aspect of the team’s play. He was often used to spark offense during even strength situations and was very flexible on both special teams. The Blues were a team desperate for defensive consistency, something Stastny was happy to serve up. He was a strong part of their penalty kill and had the best faceoff percentage on the team.

Winnipeg Time

Stastny got the gift of offensive freedom when he was dealt to Winnipeg. With players like Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, Stastny was able to embrace the playmaking side of his game instead of having to match up against other teams top lines. He brought a game that surprised many Blues fans who had watched him for years. He looked much faster on his feet and was much more aggressive in the offensive zone. The change worked wonders for Winnipeg and Stastny. In the 19 regular season games he played, he scored 13 points. That was only the start of his tear, though. In the playoffs, Stastny was a crucial part of the Jets lineup. In their 17 playoff games, he tallied 15 points.

He was a highly sought after player going into free agency after flaunting his offensive presence. His last contract was worth $7 million of cap hit a year, but after four great seasons earning that salary, Stastny proved he’s worth it.