The Dallas Stars have re-signed defenseman Thomas Harley to an eight-year contract worth $84.696 million.

Harley has spent the opening portion of this regular season playing on the final year of his current contract, though he is now set to remain with the franchise for nearly a decade on a contract that will pay him an average of $10.587 million per season.

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The veteran defenseman has spent his entire career in Dallas and began playing consistently during the 2023-24 regular season, finishing last season with 16 goals and 34 assists while playing in 78 of the Stars’ matchups.

Through the first 10 games this season, Harley has appeared in every matchup and contributed one goal and seven assists while remaining one of the most stout defenders on the roster.

Stars General Manager Jim Nill said the franchise was “thrilled” to come to an agreement and applauded Harley’s ability to step in and fill any role the team needs at a given moment.

“This extension is well deserved. Thomas has proven to be one of the top defensemen in our league, and his ability to step up in Miro Heiskanen’s absence was an important part of our team maintaining its pace throughout last season. We’re looking forward to seeing him anchor our blueline alongside Miro for many years to come,” he said, per The NHL.

This extension comes as the Stars look to position themselves among the best teams in the NHL, with the team currently holding a record of 6-3-1 and sitting in the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

Dallas is currently on a three-game winning streak, having defeated the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, and Washington Capitals.

This solid record to open the season comes despite the team missing multiple key players to begin the year, with captain Jamie Benn missing every game and center Roope Hintz missing the past two games.

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Benn has missed the beginning of the season due to a collapsed lung; however, he has recently begun individual skating and is targeting a return in the near future.

Meanwhile, Hintz has missed the past two games for an undisclosed reason and does not have a timeline to return, though he is expected to miss the team’s next matchup.

Dallas will now prepare for two road matchups against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers on Thursday and Saturday, followed by two home matchups against the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks next week.