ST PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin saw more than enough potential in Brock Faber's rookie season, signing the defenseman to an eight-year, $68 million contract extension on Monday.
The deal, which doesn't go into effect until the end of Faber's rookie contract in the 2025-26 season, was inked after the 21-year-old finished second in Calder Trophy Rookie of the Year voting behind Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard.
The Maple Grove, Minnesota, native averaged 24 minutes, 58 seconds of ice time per game last season, leading all rookies and sixth among all NHL skaters. Faber's total ice time (2,047 minutes, 53 seconds) was the most by an NHL rookie since 2000-01. He also tied for second among rookies with 47 points (eight goals, 39 assists) in 82 games.
Favre is one of the young cornerstones of a team that is already anticipating having more salary-cap room to sign players once most of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter's buyout contracts come off the Wild's books next summer.
Parise and Suter will count a combined $14.73 million against Minnesota's salary cap this season because their contracts were bought out in 2021. That will decrease to $1.67 million each of the following three seasons.
Faber was a second-round pick by Los Angeles in the 2020 draft. Two years later, the Kings traded Faber and 2022 first-round pick Liam Ogren to Minnesota for forward Kevin Fiala.
Favre's extension comes three weeks after the Wild signed Jake Middleton to a four-year, $17.4 million contract extension that also takes effect at the end of this season.
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