Mark Scheifele and the Winnipeg Jets have agreed to terms on an eight-year contract extension worth $49 million, the team announced Friday.
Scheifele will carry a $6.125-million annual cap hit throughout the life of the max-term deal, which vaults him toward the top financial tier among league centers.
The former seventh overall pick and first draft selection of Winnipeg in its rebirth emerged as one of the most productive forwards in the NHL in the latter half of the 2015-16 season.
Scheifele scored 17 goals and added 20 assists in 33 games after the All-Star break, hitting the 60-point plateau for the first time in the final season of his entry-level deal. He led the team with 29 goals and finished second in scoring behind Blake Wheeler.
All told, Scheifele scored 58 goals and racked up 145 points in 227 games as an entry-level asset.
The Jets maintain more than $10 million in cap space with 23 players signed to NHL contracts, according to CapFriendly.
Talented defenseman Jacob Trouba and bottom-six center Adam Lowry are their two main contributors currently without contracts.
