The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Jaccob Slavin to a seven-year contract extension worth $5.3 million per season, general manager Ron Francis announced Wednesday. Slavin would have been a restricted free agent July 1, 2018, but this deal keeps him in Raleigh for the next eight years.

“Jaccob is one of the cornerstones of our team moving forward, and it was important to secure him with our organization long term,” Francis said in the team’s official release. “We believe he is one of the top young defensemen in the NHL today, and are thrilled that he and his wife, Kylie, have made their home in Raleigh.”

Slavin, picked by the Hurricanes in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL draft, has enjoyed a productive two years in the big leagues. He broke in as a rookie in 2015-16, joining with Brett Pesce and Noah Hanifin to give the Canes a promising trio of blueliners. Last year, he took a big step forward in his sophomore season, setting career highs in goals (five), assists (29) and points (34), while tying Pesce for the team lead in plus/minus with a +23.

Extending Slavin allows Francis to get a jump on what figures to be a busy 2018 summer, as Pesce, Hanifin, defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and forward Elias Lindholm will all be restricted free agents at the end of this season.