SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Kraken re-signed top defenseman Vince Dunn to a four-year, $29.4 million contract Friday, locking up one of their core pieces coming off the best season of his career.

Dunn, 26, had a career-high 14 goals and 64 points in the regular season playing in the top defensive pairing for the Kraken. Teamed with veteran Adam Larsson, Dunn enjoyed the breakout season many expected when he was taken by Seattle during the expansion draft before its inaugural season.

Dunn was a restricted free agent and the long-term contract avoided an arbitration hearing. The contract will run through the 2026-27 season.

Dunn appeared in 81 games in the regular season, sitting out only once to rest before the playoffs. In the postseason, Dunn’s production dipped as he managed only one goal and six assist in Seattle’s 14 playoff games. But he played more than 23 minutes per game in the postseason and was often called upon to try and slow down the top forward lines of Colorado and Dallas.

Dunn spent the first four seasons of his career in St. Louis and won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 at age 22. But he was a perfect target for Seattle after being exposed in the expansion draft as a foundational piece the Kraken could build around for the future.

Dunn is the third player from Seattle’s expansion draft group to sign a multi-year deal with the franchise. Forward Jared McCann, who had a career-high 40 goals and 70 points this past season, signed a five-year, $25 million extension in March 2022 that will keep him under contract with Seattle through the 2026-27 season.

Seattle also signed defenseman Will Borgen to a two-year deal this offseason. Borgen was a restricted free agent as well.

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Tim Booth, The Associated Press