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Breaking: New Jersey Devils Sign Dainius Zubrus to Contract Extension

June 26, 2013, 10:33 PM ET [76 Comments]
Todd Cordell
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Lou Lamoriello can scratch another item off the checklist.

The New Jersey Devils have reached an agreement with Dainius Zubrus that will keep the 35-year-old winger a member of the team for the next three seasons.

Zubrus will earn approximately $3 million per year, according to Devils beat writer Tom Gulitti. Nothing is official yet, but the rumored deal should be complete and official within the next few days.

Zubrus' agent, Jerrold Colton, echoed that statement to me via email.

"I am hopeful of getting a deal done for Zubrus with the Devils, but nothing has been finalized," Colton said.

Given the Devils lack of depth on the wing and the possibility of losing Patrik Elias and David Clarkson to free agency, this is big for the Devils.

Zubrus has been a great fit in Pete DeBoer's system and is a nice piece to keep around. He's loved by his teammates, is versatile and can still play.

$3 million might seem like a little much to some, but I think it's a fair deal for both sides. He means a lot more to this team than many think and can contribute in a lot of different ways.

Zubrus is coming off a season where he played in only 22 games due to injury. He recorded nine points in that span.

In Zubrus' last full season, the year the Devils made it to the Stanley Cup Final, he scored 17 times and added 44 points while playing in all 82 regular season games. He went on to score 10 points in 24 playoff games.

As I said, this is a fair deal for both sides, especially given the circumstances.

The Devils now have a little over $21 million to spend with 17 players signed.

Next up: Elias and Clarkson.

**

Who should the Devils select with the 9th overall pick?

I examine how the Devils top-3 centers perform with Ilya Kovalchuk and who's the best fit going forward.

Brendan Ross and myself rank the top-60 prospects and more in TheHockeyGuys 2013 NHL Draft Guide.

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