Great news for the Red Wings and their fans -- Pavel Datsyuk wants to sign a contract extension with Detroit and stay in the NHL.
There had been talk that Datsyuk would play out his career in Russia after his contract with the Wings expired after the 2013-14 season.
Datsyuk, 34, had three goals and six assists in 14 playoff games, helping the Wings push the favored Blackhawks to overtime of Game 7 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Now that Datsyuk has said he wants to remain in Detroit, the question becomes, what should his new contract look like? Currently, his cap hit is $6.7 million.
You can probably expect a higher number than that for his new deal.
A lot of it will depend on term. Apparently, Datsyuk still wants to finish his career in Russia; he’s just not ready to go there after next season.
Dear Friends, Thank You for the support you have shown me and The Red Wings. I look forward playing here for many years to come.
— Pavel Datsyuk (@Datsyuk13) May 31, 2013