The Carolina Hurricanes locked up defenseman and two-time Lady Byng winner Jaccob Slavin on an eight-year contract extension worth $51.69 million.

The team announced Monday that the extension begins with the 2025-26 season and will keep Slavin in Raleigh, N.C., through the 2032-33 season.

"Jaccob might be the best defender in the NHL, and he has already cemented himself as one of the best players to ever put on a Hurricanes uniform," general manager Eric Tulsky said in a release. "He is a crucial leader for our team, both on and off the ice, and keeping him in Carolina long term was a top priority."

Slavin, 30, secured his second Byng trophy this past season. The award is based on sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of play.

Slavin had 37 points (6 goals, 31 assists), 120 blocks and a plus-21 rating in 81 games this past season, accruing just eight penalty minutes.

He has 272 career points (49 goals, 223 assists) in 665 games with the Hurricanes, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. He earned his first Byng trophy in 2020-21.

--Field Level Media