ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin saw more than enough potential in Brock Faber’s rookie season to sign the defenseman to an eight-year, $68 million contract extension on Monday.

The deal doesn’t kick in until the 2025-26 season, after Faber’s rookie contract expires. It comes after the 21-year-old finished second behind Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard in the Calder Trophy voting for the league’s rookie of the year award.

“He’s shown that he’s mature enough to handle it. He’s shown that he’s going to keep getting better,” Guerin said. “Yeah, it’s worth the risk.”

Faber is one of only four Wild players in history to make the NHL All-Rookie team.

Faber is one of the young building blocks of a team already looking ahead to having more salary cap room to sign players once the bulk of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s bought-out contracts come off the Wild’s books next summer.