The Boston Bruins made a big move to help the team this year and in the future, signing forward Tyler Seguin to a six-year, $34.5 million extension on Tuesday.
Seguin was a No. 2-overall draft pick by Boston in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and scored 11 goals, but only 22 points in his rookie season. He had a breakout year last season when he led the Bruins with 29 goals and 67 points. He was also a 2012 All-Star.
The 20-year-old became the youngest player in franchise history to lead the team in scoring. Seguin was at the team's annual golf tournament on Monday and spoke about the contract talks.
"I'm looking forward to hopefully playing in Boston for many years. I want to stay here and start a life here. That's what I'm looking for," he told to ESPNBoston.com.
While Seguin is excited about the extension, the NHL is still dealing with labor issues and may start the season with a lockout. The league and the NHL Players Association have one week to hammer out an agreement before the lockout deadline passes.
If the NHL locks out the players it would mark the second time the league has done it since the 2004-05 season, which was completely wiped out due to a lockout.
Seguin hasn't decided if he would play somewhere else if the league decided to lockout the players, but said it was a possibility.
"I'm not sure," he said Monday. "I'm headed to New York for two days to see what's going on and then talk to my agent a bit more. Obviously I want to be playing hockey, NHL first, and then I've thought about AHL, thought about going overseas, but nothing I can confirm on right now."
The Bruins feel the 6-foot-1, 182-pound native from Brampton, Ontario is a huge part of the team's future and at $5.75 million a year, the deal is a success for both sides.
Two other players that were selected in the same draft, Taylor Hall (Oilers) and Jeff Skinner (Hurricanes), signed similar deals to Seguin to extend with their current teams. Hall signed a seven year deal worth $6 million, while Skinner signed an identical six year, $5.75 million deal.
Last year the Bruins were the No. 2 seed in the Eastern conference playoffs, but lost in the first round to the Washington Capitals 4-3.
Boston also signed forward Brad Marchand to a four-year, $18 million deal this offseason that makes him the fourth-highest paid player on the team.
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