Center Joel Eriksson Ek signed an eight-year, $42 million contract Friday to remain with the Minnesota Wild.
The 24-year-old from Sweden is coming off his best NHL season, with career highs in goals (19), points (30) and average time on ice (17:03). He also led Minnesota in 2020-21 with 395 faceoffs won.
The Wild reached the Stanley Cup playoffs, where Eriksson Ek scored an overtime winner in Game 1 of their first-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights before Vegas prevailing in seven games. Eriksson Ek tied for the team lead in playoff scoring with three points (two goals).
It marked the eighth time in nine years that Minnesota made the postseason in some form, including the qualifying round of the 2019-20 playoff bubble. The Wild secured one of their top young forwards, who could play alongside 2021 Calder Trophy winner Kirill Kaprizov in the coming years.
A first-round draft selection in 2015 (20th overall), Eriksson Ek has amassed 96 points (43 goals, 53 assists) in 266 career games over five years with the Wild.
–Field Level Media