Brayden Pachal is sticking around.
On Tuesday, the Calgary Flames announced the team signed the gritty defenceman to a two-year contract extension.
The 25-year-old has established himself this season as an everyday NHLer, anchoring the Flames’ third defensive pairing and skating in every single one of the Flames’ 31 games.
Pachal was claimed off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights in early February. At the time, he had only 29 games of NHL experience, but he’s more than tripled that since joining the Flames and was rewarded Tuesday with a two-year deal that will pay him US$1.1875 million annually.
“He’s found his niche where he knows there was something missing on our backend and he’s filled it every night. He is our most physical defenceman and he tries to be hard to play against all the time,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska said earlier this month. “I think what makes him good in that role is he knows who he is. A lot of times we see a younger player and they think there’s something else and their game gets away from it a little bit.
“He has a great understanding of who he is as a player and what he needs to bring to the table on a nightly basis to help the team win. Because he has that mindset, he’s made himself invaluable for us and that’s why he’s been able to stay in the lineup for as long as he has.”
The Saskatchewan native has scored once and added two assists this season while throwing 72 hits, third-most on the Flames roster.
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