Rangers sign Zibanejad to 8-year extension

The New York Rangers inked star forward Mika Zibanejad to an eight-year contract extension, the club announced Sunday.

The deal carries an average annual value of $8.5 million, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Zibanejad has one season left on his current pact at a cap hit of $5.35 million, according to CapFriendly.

The 28-year-old led the Rangers and tied for 13th in the NHL with 24 goals while adding 26 assists and playing all 56 games last season. He also led New York forwards and ranked 19th in the league among that positional group in average ice time at 20:06.