Tomas Plekanec, Canadiens Agree to New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

The Montreal Canadiens announced a two-year contract extension for center Tomas Plekanec on Friday. He's now signed through the 2017-18 season.

Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette reports the new deal carries an annual average value of $6 million. The 32-year-old veteran will make $7 million next season and $5 million in the final year.

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN states the agreement doesn't include a no-movement or no-trade clause.

Plekanec is currently in the final year of a six-year, $30 million contract and would have been an unrestricted free agent at season's end, per Spotrac.

Instead, he'll spend at least a couple more seasons in Montreal. He's off to a hot start to the new campaign with four goals in five games, which have all been victories for the storied franchise.

The Czech forward has spent his entire career with the Canadiens. They drafted him in the third round of the 2001 draft, he made his NHL debut three years later and has been a key contributor for the better part of a decade with 503 points in 766 career games.

A short-term deal makes sense for both sides. It gives Plekanec some security rather than playing the entire season with free agency looming over his head. And he's still playing at a high level, meaning he should provide solid top-six production for at least a few more years.

At this stage, it's difficult to imagine him donning another team's sweater. It wouldn't be a surprise if the Canadiens reassess the situation when this deal ends and, if he plans to keep playing past age 35, give him one more contract to ensure he finishes his career in Montreal.