Golden Knights sign Brett Howden to five-year, $2.5 million AAV contract extension

On Friday, Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon announced the team has re-signed forward Brett Howden to a five-year contract extension. The deal, set to kick in next season, will carry an AAV of $2.5 million through the 2029-30 campaign.

Howden is in the final season of his two-year contract that he signed with the Golden Knights in July 2023. That deal has a cap hit of $1.9 million.

Howden is off to a great start this season compared to his first few years with Vegas. Through 20 games, he has scored eight goals and nine points, including a two-goal performance against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 26. The 26-year-old is tied for second on the team in goals with Ivan Barbashev, only trailing Pavel Dorofeyev’s 10 markers. One more goal and Howden will have tied his career-high in goals (9), a mark he has reached twice in his seven-year NHL career.

Howden’s production rate is already higher than in 2023-24, when the Calgary native registered 19 points in 72 games. If Howden stays healthy and keeps scoring the way he has thus far, he’s on pace for around 36 points, which would also be a career-high.

Howden was originally taken by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft. However, he was traded to the New York Rangers in Feb. 2018 as part of the big Vladislav Namestnikov-for-Ryan McDonagh deal. After three years in Manhattan, he was dealt to the Golden Knights in July 2021. He was part of the Vegas team that took home the franchise’s Stanley Cup in 2023.

With the extension, the Golden Knights have 28 contracts signed through the 2025-26 season.

Vegas (12-6-2) is currently leading the Pacific Division, one point up on the Calgary Flames.