Red Wings Extend Abdelkader

The Detroit Red Wings announced a seven-year contract extension for forward Justin Abdelkader on Thursday.

Financial terms of the deal were not announced but several reports state that the total value is $29.75 million for a $4.25 million annual salary cap hit.

Abdelkader, 28, was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He scored 23 goals and added 21 assists in 71 games last season in his breakout year. In 413 career NHL games, Abdelkader has 65 goals and 74 assists for 139 points.

Drafted by the Red Wings in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, the Muskegon native has spent almost his entire playing career in the state of Michigan. He left the state for his senior year of high school, playing with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the USHL, then returned to join the Michigan State Spartans. Out of college he jumped immediately to the Red Wings for two games, then bounced back and forth between Detroit and the Grand Rapids Griffins.