Red Wings sign Lashoff to three-year extension

The run of defenseman signings continued in Detroit on Monday, as the Red Wings gave Brian Lashoff a three-year contract extension.

Lashoff, 22, went undrafted out of the Ontario Hockey League but signed an entry-level free agent deal with the Wings in 2008, eventually becoming a fixture with AHL Grand Rapids.

He made his NHL debut with Detroit in January and has gone on to be a pleasant surprise, notching 1G-2A-3PTS in 15 games while playing close to 19 minutes a night.

“He’s been  huge for us,” Lashoff’s defensive partner, Niklas Kronwall, told MLive.com. “He’s playing a lot of minutes, killing a lot of penalties.

“He’s not maybe a flashy guy but he’s getting the job done every night, making the right decision all the time.”

As mentioned earlier, Lashoff’s deal is just the latest in a string of blueline signings.

Earlier today, the Washington Capitals re-upped with John Erskine, Pittsburgh agreed to a one-year deal with veteran defenseman Mark Eaton and the Phoenix Coyotes inked an extension with impending RFA defenseman David Schlemko.

Update: Ansar Khan of MLive.com reports the deal is for $2.715 million (average annual cap hit of $725k) and is a one-way deal for all three years.