The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Andrei Kostitsyn to a one-year contract extension. Terms of the contract were not revealed.
Had he not signed by July 1, Kostitsyn would have become a restricted free agent. He tied for the team lead this past season with 6 game-winning goals, was third overall in goals with 20, and fourth with 45 points, the second-highest total of his NHL career.
"Andrei Kostitsyn is an important part of our group of forwards, and we are happy to have agreed to a contract extension with him," Canadiens General Manager Pierre Gauthier said in a press release. "As a player drafted and developed by the Canadiens organization, Andrei ranks year after year amongst our point leaders."
He had 2 goals in six games as the Canadiens were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Boston Bruins.
Kostitsyn also led the team with 140 hits, but had only 36 penalty minutes.
The Canadiens drafted Kostitsyn with the 10th pick of the 2003 Entry Draft, and in six NHL seasons, he has 87 goals and 99 assists in 326 games, and 11 goals and 8 assists in 41 playoff games.
Contact Adam Kimelman at akimelman@nhl.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK
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