Philadelphia Flyers sign winger Joffrey Lupul to four-year extension

PHILADELPHIA - Forward Joffrey Lupul and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to a four-year extension on Monday, keeping him with the Eastern Conference finalists through the 2012-2013 season.

Lupul had 20 goals and 46 points in 56 regular season games for the Flyers last season, and had 10 points in 17 playoff games. He missed 26 games with a sprained ankle and a concussion.

Lupul will earn US$2.9 million in 2008-09, then $4.25 million in each of the four years of the extension.

"With the way that the salary cap is structured, we felt it was an opportunity to lock up another one of our young players and move forward," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "He is one of our young, core players that we are really high on and we look for good things to come from Joffrey."

Lupul has 77 goals and 84 assists for 161 points and 156 penalty minutes in 293 regular season games. He was acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers last July.

"It is not something that I was really expecting this summer," Lupul said. "The Flyers kind of reached out to us after July 1. It was a great surprise and I am really thrilled. I have one year left on my contract and then these additional four more, so five more years with Philadelphia is great."