Joel Eriksson Ek emerged as a consistent two-way player this year.
The Minnesota Wild made sure he will remain in St. Paul for nearly the next decade on Friday afternoon.
The 24-year-old center was agreed to an 8-year, $42 million extension that goes through the 2028-29 season. The contract averages $5,25 million per season.
Better with Ekker! 🙌#mnwild pic.twitter.com/ACa2qJnCky
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) July 2, 2021
The Wild entered the offseason with a laundry list of personnel moves to consider after a season that showed the franchise’s potential.
Eriksson-Ek is the first and also one of the bigger ones. And it shows commitment to a player who took some major steps this year.
Erikkson-Ek, who was selected 20th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, is coming off a breakthrough offensive season in which he had a career-high in both goals (19) and a points (30). His most memorable goal of the season came in overtime of Game 1 of the Wild’s first-round playoff series with the Golden Knights. He had two goals waved off during the series as well.
He indicated his desire to remain with the team during a season-ending media session.
“I love it here,” Eriksson Ek said.. “We have a great team and I feel that we could win. I felt it before every game that we could win. It’ just take this (playoff series loss) as a leaning (experience) and keep getting better.”
The Karlstad, Sweden, native has 96 points in his five years with the Wild.
He also led the Wild in faceoffs won (395) this season, was second in hits (105), third in shots (119), and fourth in plus/minus rating.
Eriksson Ek crashed hard into the goal post about midway through the third period of Game 6 in the Vegas series and limped off the ice. He returned to finish the game as the Wild pushed the series to the pivotal Game 7. He ended up missing time in the second period of that game and acknowledged in a season-ending media session just how injured he was.
“I had a knee that got banged-up a little bit.” Eriksson Ek said. “That’s how it is in the playoffs. Everybody plays hurt … but I think it will heal up and I’ll be ready to go (for next season).”