Boston Bruins sign Marc Savard to seven-year contract extension

BOSTON - Marc Savard is staying put in Boston.

The Bruins have signed the centre to an extension worth just over US$28 million over seven years that will keep him with the club through the 2016-17 season.

General manager Peter Chiarelli will hold a news conference Wednesday to discuss the deal.

The 32-year-old Savard, who could have become a free agent next summer, has led the team in scoring each of the last three seasons.

The front-loaded contract will see the Ottawa native get $25.5 million over the first four years of the deal, which decreases drastically to just $525,000 in each of the final two seasons.

The five-foot-10, 191-pound Savard registered 25 goals and 63 assists in 82 regular-season games last season. He added six goals and seven assists in 11 playoff games.

In 11 games this season, Savard has four goals and six assists. He's recorded 199 goals and 474 assists in 752 career games.