LocalSportsJournal.com

Muskegon native Justin Abdelkader has signed a new 7-year deal to remain a member of the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings.LSJ Logo incert

Abdelkader, 28, will make more than $4 million per season with this new contract, according to a report published by the Detroit Free Press.

The new deal is worth $29.75 million. His current deal (4 years) expires on July 1, 2016. This season, his salary is $2.25 million.

Reports had surfaced that significant progress had been made on a new contract in recent days. That speculation is now over with Thursday’s announcement by Red Wings general manager Ken Holland.

The 6-foot-2, 218-pound forward has played more than 400 games in the NHL, all with the Detroit Red Wings. He made his NHL debut during the 2007-08 season in which he played in two games near the end of the season.

He saw limited time in Grand Rapids with the Griffins in 2008-09 and again in 2009-2010.

Abdelkader is coming off a breakout season with the Wings in which he scored 23 goals and added 21 assists for 44 points in 71 games. He missed the final four games of the regular season with a broken finger and the first two games of the playoffs.

His physical play has been a constant during his Red Wings career, but his value has risen dramatically with his ability to wreak havoc in front of the opposition net and play on the power play and penalty kill.

His 2015-16 season got off to a roaring start when he recorded four goals in the first two games, including a hat trick in the season opener.

The new deal avoids Abdelkader becoming an unrestricted free agent in July.