Tomas Plekanec inks two-year, $12 million extension with Canadiens

What do you think of Plekanec’s contract extension?

The two-year contract extension for forward Tomas Plekanec with the Montreal Canadiens, announced Friday, seems as though it’s all about compromise.

The 32-year-old center was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2015-16 season and was thought to be looking for a long term deal in excess of his current $5 million salary.

Plekanec played all 82 regular-season games past year, putting up 26 goals and 34 assists and then six points in 12 playoff games as the Habs reached the second round.

Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette reports the new deal carries an annual average value of $6 million.

Instead, he’ll spend at least a couple more seasons in Montreal. He is off to a fantastic start this season with four goals while centering the team’s top line with Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher. A lot of teams thought this year’s cap ceiling would be higher than it turned out to be.

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN states the agreement doesn’t include a no-movement or no-trade clause. It should prove to be a fruitful deal for both sides. “He will be 35 when it expires, making it tougher to get another contract”.