The Vegas Golden Knights have finished some business on Wednesday afternoon, signing Nicolas Roy to a two-year contract extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of just $750K and keeps Roy under contract through the 2021-22 season. The young forward was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Roy, 23, finally broke through and became a semi-regular for the Golden Knights this season, playing in 28 games at the NHL level. The 6’4″ center recorded ten points in those games but was much more impressive at the minor league level where he was nearly a point-per-game player.
Locking up a center for such a reasonable amount—even if he is likely destined to stay in the bottom-six—is a win for the Golden Knights, who are one of the teams holding their breath while they wait to see what will happen to the 2020-21 salary cap ceiling. The Golden Knights shed some salary this season but are still pushed relatively close to the ceiling with several roster spots to fill.
With that in mind, there should be a real opportunity for Roy over the next two seasons. He will require waivers in order to be sent to the minor leagues and has already proven capable at the NHL level. Should he fail to receive that opportunity and ends the contract with fewer than 80 games at the NHL level, he’ll become a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the age of 25.