Max Pacioretty Signs 6-Year Deal with Montreal Canadiens

Inking their best player as well as current and future cornerstone of their franchise, the Montreal Canadiens came to terms Monday with restricted free agent Max Pacioretty on a six-year deal that will pay him $4.5 million per season, reports TSN.

After the contract extension kicks in, Pacioretty's pay will be lifted from the $1.625 million he made this season. It's a good extension since, according to CapGeek.com, this will still give the Habs around $6 million to play with if they choose to sign PK Subban or pick up any more players.

The young winger will turn 24 in November, and in his short career, he has already cemented himself as one of the best Montreal has to offer.

His development and increase in production also put the young American in talks for the 2014 American Olympic roster.

After sharing time between Montreal and Hamilton for the past couple of seasons, Pacioretty finally came into his own last year after recovering from the brutal hit that Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara laid on him when the huge Slovak rammed Pacioretty's head into a stanchion.

After Pacioretty scored 33 goals and 32 assists in his first full year of NHL action, re-signing him was an inevitable no-brainer, and as such, the Habs have secured one of the league's best goal scorers for the foreseeable future.