Knights agree to contract extension with Howden, re-sign Dorofeyev

Brett Howden will have something extra to celebrate when he gets his day with the Stanley Cup on Sunday.

The left wing and the Golden Knights agreed to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.9 million Wednesday. The deal keeps the restricted free agent in the fold and prevents the two sides from going to their scheduled salary arbitration hearing Monday.

The Knights also agreed to a one-year, $825,000 contract with right wing Pavel Dorofeyev, the team’s only remaining restricted free agent.

Howden, 25, was acquired by the Knights for a fourth-round pick in 2021 and turned into an important role player during the team’s championship run. He scored 10 points in 22 games this postseason, spending most of his time playing alongside center Chandler Stephenson and captain Mark Stone.

The performance earned Howden a raise compared to the one-year, $1.5 contract he signed last offseason.

His return means the Knights will return almost all of their title-winning team. Eighteen of the 19 players who appeared for them in the final against Florida are now under contract for next season. The only departure is left wing Reilly Smith, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 28.

Dorofeyev, 22, scored nine points in 18 games last season and could fight for an increased role with Smith gone.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.