Wild sign forward Joel Eriksson Ek to eight-year, $42M extension

Sportsnet Staff @SportsnetJuly 02, 2021 - 6:11pm

Minnesota Wild's Joel Eriksson Ek (14) high-fives teammates on the bench after scoring a goal against the St. Louis Blues during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 29, 2021, in St. Paul, Minn. (Stacy Bengs/AP)

The Minnesota Wild have signed shutdown forward Joel Eriksson Ek to an eight-year, $42-million contract extension, the team announced Friday.

The deal carries a $5.25 million AAV and goes through the 2028-29 season.

#mnwild today announced the club has signed forward Joel Eriksson Ek to an eight-year, $42 million contract ($5.25 million AAV) that goes through the 2028-29 season. pic.twitter.com/nfSXzQSB5A

— Minnesota Wild PR (@mnwildPR) July 2, 2021

Eriksson Ek broke out for a career-high 19 goals and 30 points in 56 games this season, but he also shined in his own zone, finishing fourth in voting for the Selke Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL’s best defensive forward.

The native of Karlstad, Sweden, added three points in seven post-season contests as the Wild pushed the heavily favoured Vegas Golden Knights to seven games in their first-round matchup.

The 24-year-old was slated to become a restricted free agent with his two-year, $2.975-million deal coming off the books in the off-season.

Eriksson Ek, a first-round pick (20th overall) in 2015, has put up 96 points in 266 NHL games across five years.

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