The Calgary Flames will enter the 2016-17 NHL season with some peace of mind, having locked up All-Star forward Johnny Gaudreau with a new six-year contract.
Gaudreau, 23, will get $40.5 million and average an annual salary-cap hit of $6.75 million, a source told ESPN.
Gaudreau was a restricted free agent. He is coming off a career-best season that saw him score 30 times and collect 78 points, tied for sixth in the NHL. He led the Flames in goals, assists and points last season.
"As I have always said, I just want to play hockey," Gaudreau wrote Monday on Twitter. "I want to be there for my teammates and the fans of Calgary."
Gaudreau was a member of Team North America at the recently completed World Cup of Hockey. He was one of the team's most effective players, notching four points in three games.
The Flames are being picked by many to return to the playoffs this season, and Gaudreau is a key part of the team's future. Calgary opens the 2016-17 regular season in Edmonton on Wednesday night.
The native of Salem, New Jersey, nicknamed "Johnny Hockey" has played two full seasons with Calgary, which drafted him 104th in 2011.
Gaudreau's new deal is similar to the one signed earlier by linemate Sean Monahan, which was a seven-year contract with an average annual salary cap hit of $6.3 million.
Information from ESPN's Pierre LeBrun was used in this report.