The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Michael Rasmussen to a four-year contract extension, the club announced Tuesday. The deal carries an average annual value of $3.2 million.
Since arriving in the NHL, Rasmussen has evolved into one of the Red Wings’ most important matchup players and penalty killers. This season, he has played frequently on a line with Andrew Copp and Christian Fischer that has been one of Detroit’s go-to options to shut down opponents and win back momentum. The Red Wings have had a 5-on-5 goals share of 56 percent with Rasmussen on the ice this season, and recently, he’s gotten a look on their top line next to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
Rasmussen’s offense has blossomed over time as well, and he’s on pace for a career-best 16 goals this season. For a 6-foot-6 player who can play center in addition to wing, that well-rounded package made him a valuable piece for Detroit to keep as they begin to turn the corner in their rebuilding process.
Through 55 games this season, Rasmussen, 24, has 11 goals and 23 points, and his plus-minus rating of plus-11 ranks first among the team’s forwards.
BIG RAS, BIG EXTENSION! 🖊️
The #RedWings today signed forward Michael Rasmussen to a four-year contract extension with an AAV of $3.2 million. pic.twitter.com/RKz5nO2bao
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 20, 2024
Rasmussen was set to be a restricted free agent this offseason and could have been an unrestricted free agent as soon as 2026. This deal keeps him in Detroit through the 2027-2028 season, during which time he should be a multi-faceted piece on a team that will be looking to make and compete in the playoffs, possibly as soon as this season.
The $3.2 million AAV is a testament to the many ways Rasmussen impacts a game and is in line with another big-bodied matchup center, Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry, who has an AAV of $3.25 million. Rasmussen is also eligible to become a free agent at age 29, still young enough to earn another significant contract.
The Red Wings have three more key RFAs this summer, so Rasmussen was the first piece of what will be an important slate of offseason business for general manager Steve Yzerman. Former first-round pick Joe Veleno is also eligible for a contract extension with near identical counting stats to Rasmussen, as well as two-star young pillars Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. Those latter deals will be significant in setting Detroit’s salary cap framework in the short- and long-term.
Additionally, Detroit has six pending UFAs as well: forwards Patrick Kane, David Perron, Daniel Sprong and Christian Fischer, defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and goaltender James Reimer.
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(Photo: Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)
