Wild Sign Star Defenseman to Massive Extension

Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber has earned himself a handsome contract extension.

Feb 27, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber (7) skates with the puck during the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Wild have signed star defenseman Brock Faber to an eight-year extension worth $68 million ($8.5 million AAV), the team announced Monday. The new extension kicks in for the 2025-26 season, as Faber is entering the final year of his rookie deal that pays him just $925,000.

Faber, 21, is coming off his first full NHL season, and has already cemented himself as a franchise player. The former second-round pick played all 82 games, notching 47 points (eight goals, 39 assists), 26 penalty minutes and 150 blocked shots while averaging 24:58 of ice time per game. He set the franchise record for points by a rookie defenseman and recorded the second-most points by any rookie, only behind Kirill Kaprizov's 51 points in the shortened 2020-21 season.

Faber also finished second in Calder Trophy voting, trailing only Chicago Blackhawks star and last year's No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard. As a nice bonus, he did earn a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team, joining teammate Marco Rossi.

Before his jump to the NHL, Faber was argaubly the face of the University of Minnesota's renowned hockey program. In his three seasons with the Golden Gophers (2020-23), he recorded 53 points (seven goals, 46 assists), a plus-54 rating and 130 blocked shots across 97 games. He also won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year two years in a row, and helped the Golden Gophers make back-to-back Frozen Four appearances.

On an international level, Faber, a Maple Grove, Minnesota native, notched five assists to help the U.S. win gold at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. He also captained the U.S. team at the 2022 World Juniors and played during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Faber was originally the No. 45 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, but was traded to Minnesota in the Kevin Fiala trade in 2022. Now the local kid gets to shine for his hometown team, and the Wild couldn't be happier about it.

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