Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Jaccob Slavin to 7-year extension

Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network
Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Carolina Hurricanes announced on Wednesday that the team had agreed to terms with defenseman Jaccob Slavin on a seven-year contract extension.

The contract will begin during the 2018-19 season and carries an average annual value (AAV) of $5.3 million.

“Jaccob is one of the cornerstones of our team moving forward, and it was important to secure him with our organization long term,” executive vice president and general manager Ron Francis said.

“We believe he is one of the top young defensemen in the NHL today, and are thrilled that he and his wife, Kylie, have made their home in Raleigh.”

The 23-year-old Slavin posted career highs in points (34), goals (3), assists (29) and shorthanded points (4) during his first full National Hockey League (NHL) season in 2016-17.

He led the Hurricanes in blocked shots (161), takeaways (83), time-on-ice per game (23:26), shorthanded-time-on-ice per game (3:07), and was tied for first in plus-minus with a plus-23 rating, the fourth-best plus-minus season in franchise history.

Slavin ranked second in the NHL in takeaways, first among league defensemen in shorthanded points, and tied for 10th among league blueliners in plus-minus.

Carolina’s fourth round pick (120th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft, the six-foot-three-inch, 205-pound Slavin has appeared in 145 career NHL games with the Hurricanes, totaling seven goals, 47 assists (54 points) and a plus-24 rating.

Prior to turning pro, he spent two seasons at Colorado College totaling 42 points (10g, 32a) in 66 career games, and internationally represented the United States at the 2014 World Junior Championship in Sweden.