Boston Bruins: Forward Rich Peverley Signs New 3-Year Contract Extension

The Boston Bruins have signed winger Rich Peverley to a new three-year contract today, according to the team.

The terms of the deal were not immediately announced, and the contract will keep him in Boston through the 2014-15 season.

Peverley was acquired via trade by the Bruins last season along with Boris Valabik from the Atlanta Thrashers (now the Winnipeg Jets) in exchange for defenseman Mark Stuart and forward Blake Wheeler.

Peverley scored four goals with eight assists in the playoffs last season for the Bruins and was a big part of their 2011 Stanley Cup championship.

After Nathan Horton was knocked out of last year's Cup Final in Game 3 with a concussion, Peverley scored two goals in Game 4 in Horton's spot on the first line alongside center David Krejci and winger Milan Lucic.

With Boston and Atlanta last year, Peverley scored 18 goals and dished out 23 assists for 41 points. He has also played in all 82 games the past two seasons.

This season, Peverley has played in all three of the Bruins regular season games, and his two goals in Saturday night's win against the Tampa Bay Lightning led the team.

His career high in goals (22) and assists (33) were both set with the Thrashers during the 2009-10 season.

Peverley's signing is a great move by the Bruins because he has been one of the team's best offensive players since arriving from Atlanta last season.

He has great speed, good stick handling and is an accurate shooter. This season, he will probably feature on the Bruins second line with center Patrice Bergeron and winger Brad Marchand.

Peverley is certainly capable of scoring 30-plus goals for the Bruins this season. Last year, Milan Lucic's 30 goals led the team.

Peverley is a very good offensive player who is also durable, and will be a big part of the Bruins offense for the next few seasons.

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Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.