There shouldn't be much speculation about Jeff Carter's future this summer.
He was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent July 13, but has signed a two-yer deal that has an average salary cap hit of $3.125 million.
The contract is believed to include a no-trade clause.
Carter, who turned 37 Jan. 1, has exceeded almost all reasonable expectations since being acquired from the Kings at the trade deadline in 2021.
He has 12 goals and 14 assists in 36 games in 2021-22.
"Jeff's experience and versatility have made him a valuable addition to our team," Ron Hextall said, in a statement released by the team. "In addition to his on-ice contributions, his team-first attitude has made him a leader inside our locker room and we are happy to have him under contract for two more years."
Of late, Carter has centered the No. 3 line, but he also filled top-six roles in the middle and on the wing earlier this season.
While the Penguins prefer him in his current role, Carter proved to be a capable fill-in for centers Sidney Crosby and/or Evgeni Malkin when they were unavailable because of surgeries or illness.
If nothing else, he provides a capable replacement if Crosby or Malkin is unavailable in the future. That would include stepping in for Malkin if he signs elsewhere after reaching free agency this summer.
The commitment to Carter suggests that management believes this team is capable of being a legitimate championship contender, because if not, it would be difficult to justify giving a significant chunk of cap space to a player his age if a rebuild was in progress.
The contract under which Carter is playing this season carries a cap hit of $2,636,364.
