The Boston Bruins have reportedly signed defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to a four-year contract extension.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on Thursday that the deal is worth a total of $16 million and also has a no-trade clause. ESPN Boston’s Joe McDonald confirmed the report.
The extension won’t go into effect until the 2014-15 season because the 32-year-old veteran is in the final season of the four-year, $13 million contract that he signed in 2010.
Seidenberg has been one of the Bruins’ most important players since he was acquired by the team during the 2009-10 season via a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.
He’s formed one of the best shutdown pairings in the NHL with team captain Zdeno Chara, and has led the Original Six club in blocked shots in each of the last three seasons. Seidenberg’s defensive performance at even strength and on the penalty was also a key component to the Bruins’ Stanley Cup championship during the 2010-11 season.
Re-signing a top-pairing defenseman of Seidenberg’s caliber at a cost of only $4 million per season is a salary cap-friendly move by Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. He also re-signed center Patrice Bergeron and goaltender Tuukka Rask in the offseason.
Boston opens up the 2013-14 regular season against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night at TD Garden.
