Jeff Carter just keeps getting paid.
Currently playing out the final year of an 11-year deal signed back in 2010, Carter has now secured his future once again, agreeing to a two-year contract extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday evening that will pay him an AAV of $3.25 million.
Carter, who came to Pittsburgh from the Los Angeles Kings via trade in April of last season, has flourished since becoming a Penguin, following up the 11 points in 14 games he registered to close out the 2021 campaign with an equally impressive 26 points in 36 games thus far this season.
For under $4 million per year, that ain’t half bad.
And while the extra year of term may seem risky given Carter’s age, having recently celebrated his 37th birthday, it’s hard to argue that the win-now Penguins are a better team without him.
After all, it was Carter who helped the Penguins withstand early-season absences from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, with the veteran’s contributions as Pittsburgh’s default number one center playing a key part in keeping the team afloat until its pair of stars returned.
Now, with the Penguins dead-set on maximizing the remaining years of Crosby and Malkin’s careers, ensuring Carter stays in the fold for the immediate future does wonders in prying that contention window open for as long as they can.