PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin has turned his steady play for the Stanley Cup champions into a six-year, $24.6 million contract.

The 25-year-old Dumoulin, a graduate of Biddeford High, entered the offseason as a restricted free agent and was scheduled Monday for an arbitration hearing before agreeing to terms with the team.

Avoiding arbitration was important to both sides. Before the contract agreement, Dumoulin was asking for a one-year deal worth $4.35 million. The Penguins had offered $1.95 million, according to a report by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.ca. The contract, which has an average annual value of $4.1 million, begins with the upcoming season and will run through 2022-23.

Dumoulin played in all 49 of the team’s playoff games the past two seasons while helping the Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. He recorded 14 points, with three goals and 11 assists, and led the team’s skaters in ice time (21 minutes, 59 seconds) during the 2017 playoffs. The Penguins may pair him with veteran defenseman Kris Letang this season.

During the 2016-17 regular season, he led the team’s defensemen with a plus-9, was fourth with 99 blocked shots and fifth with 113 hits.

He stepped up in two key moments over the past two postseasons.

Advertisement

His assist on Carl Hagelin’s empty-net goal preserved the 2-0 victory in the decisive Game 6 of the Cup Final against the Nashville Predators. He also scored the Penguins’ first goal in the Cup-winning Game 6 in San Jose. He recorded his first career playoff goal in Game 5 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In 163 NHL games, Dumoulin, 6-foot-4, 207 pounds, has 33 points, with 16 assists in 79 regular-season games in his rookie season (2015-2016).

In June, Dumoulin told the Portland Press Herald the Penguins are hungry for a third consecutive championship.

“Next season, we know we’re capable of it and that’s the biggest thing,” he said. “We know we can win.”


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.