Marc Staal will remain with the New York Rangers for the next through the 2014-15 season.
The Thunder Bay blueliner inked a five-year deal on the eve of training camp, ending a summer-long bout with restricted free agency that had threatened to get nasty.
The 23-year-old will earn $3.975 million a year, a hefty increase from the $830,000 a year he made in his first year with the NHL club.
Staal set career highs last season with eight goals and 19 assists.