Pittsburgh (AP) — Brian Last is staying in Pittsburgh.
Veteran Forward, who was scheduled to become a free agent this summer, has agreed to a six-year contract with the penguins and will keep him in the club until 2028.
The deal, announced on Saturday, is worth an average of $ 5125,000 a year.
30-year-old Rust scored 24 goals in his career and won the best 34 assists of the season. Last said he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh earlier this week, but added, “I played at a higher level than stated in the contract over the last few years.”
Last had closed a contract that paid him $ 3.5 million for the season. Now he will raise his salary and stay where he was equipment for most of the decade.
Last, the third round pick of the 2010 draft, made its NHL debut on December 13, 2014. Since his arrival, only Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jake Genzel have scored more penguins than the 124 goals they had accumulated at 424. game.
Rust also served as an important part of Pittsburgh’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017 in a row. Rust has scored 21 goals in 79 career playoff games and is one of the four players in NHL history, scoring each of the first three game-winning goals. Playoff clinch series.
“Brian exemplifies what it means to be a Pittsburgh penguins,” said Ron Hexor, Pittsburgh’s general manager, in a statement. “His leadership qualities and experience as a two-time Stanley Cup champion are an important part of our team.”
Rust’s signature is the first domino to fall into what could be a very busy summer for penguins. Pittsburgh reached the playoffs for 16 consecutive seasons, the longest active streak in North America’s major sports, but lost to the New York Rangers in seven games in the first round.
Malkin and Kris Letang are one of the well-known players who will enter the open market this summer. Like Rust, they expressed their desire to stay in Pittsburgh, but unlike Rust, they are in the second half of their career. Malkin turned 36 in July and Retan turned 35 in April.
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