Plekanec aims to finish his career with the Canadiens
In this era of free agency and salary caps, it’s rare for a player to spend his entire career with one team, but Tomas Plekanec moved one step closer to that goal Friday when he signed a two- year extension with the Canadiens.
The deal will pay Plekanec $ 7 million next season and $ 5 million in 2017- 18. He has a cap hit of $ 5 million this season.
Plekanec said he wasn’t a party to most of the negotiations between general manager Marc Bergevin and agent Rick Curran. He was eligible to become a free agent on July 1 and there was speculation that he might be traded.
“I’ve been in that situation before and I didn’t have a problem playing out the season, but obviously it’s important and I’m happy to be here for another three years,” Plekanec said after he was one of only eight players to participate in an optional in preparation for Saturday’s home game against the Detroit Red Wings ( 7 p. m., CBC, TVA Sports, TSN- 690 Radio).
The contract does not include a no- trade clause. Plekanec said he didn’t ask for one and he wasn’t going to worry about what happens in the future.
“We’ll see what happens in a couple of years,” said Plekanec, who added that he would be “the happiest man” if he finishes his career in Montreal.
“I’m comfortable ( with the deal) and if Marc comes in and asks me for something, we’ll talk about it but there’s nothing I asked for.”
Plekanec said he felt the Canadiens are close to winning their 25th Stanley Cup and he’s eager to be a part of that.
“There’s no better place to win a Stanley Cup, and I’ve been here my entire career,” said Plekanec, adding that he likes “having that chance to win it here with a team that has a chance of doing some damage in the next couple of years.”
Plekanec noted that getting a deal done also eliminates some of the insecurity that has crept into the free- agent market. A number of veteran players, including Canadiens’ Alex Semin and Tomas Fleischmann, had difficulty landing contracts during the off- season.
“You look at the league with all the young guys coming up,” said Plekanec. “I’ll be 35 when the contract is up and we’ll see where we’re at.”
Plekanec has been amazingly durable, missing only 12 games during the past nine seasons.
“Luck,” Plekanec replied when asked about the key to staying healthy. “You have to know your body and stay in shape. But there are a lot of guys who have been in shape and get injured. I’ve been very fortunate.”
Plekanec has a reputation for being a defensive forward, but he has led the team in scoring twice and coach Michel Therrien has given him a larger offensive role with Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher on his wings.
“I’ve been in that role since the middle of last season,” said Plekanec.
“I’ll play where they want me to play. Players are always happy about a bigger offensive role, but my goal is always to be better than the previous year.”
“We use him ( in every role) because we trust his game,” said Therrien.
“He’s not going to cheat to get rewarded. He’s going to get rewarded because he does the right thing.”
Therrien said he heard talk about Plekanec being traded during the off- season, but he laughed because he knew it wasn’t going to happen.
Pacioretty said Plekanec’s teammates are happy for him.
“Everyone in this room ( is excited),” said Pacioretty. “It’s obvious how important he is. I think sometimes he might not get the recognition from the outside, but I’ve said it before that’s why he’s so respected in our room. He doesn’t need that recognition. He’s going to show up and be a professional every day. He skated today and he sets a good example for all of us as to how to prepare for the game and play the right way on the ice as well.”
The Canadiens have started the season with a team- record five wins and Therrien said the Habs face another test in the Red Wings, who appear to have made a smooth transition from Mike Babcock to new head coach Jeff Blashill.
“Their foundation is pretty similar,” said Therrien.
“They’re a good team with a lot of speed, a lot of skill. This is not an easy team to play against. They can be creative, but their bread and butter is to play defensively.”