The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Olli Maatta to a six-year contract extension worth about $24.5 million.

The deal carries an average annual value of $4,083,000 and runs through the 2021-22 season.

Maatta was a pending restricted free agent with a cap hit of less than $1 million this season.

The 21-year-old ranks third on the Penguins in average time-on-ice at 19:35, logging less than only Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby.

Despite posting only 16 points in 53 games, he's driving possession with an even-strength Corsi For percentage of 51.1, according to War-On-Ice.

The Penguins buy two of Maatta's hypothetical unrestricted free agent years with the six-year pact, as Sportsnet's Chris Johnston points out.

The extension includes a limited no-trade clause in the last two seasons, when Maatta can provide an eight-team list of teams to which he can't be traded, ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reports.

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Connor McDavid already has plenty of endorsements, but you can't put a price on this one.

Wayne Gretzky believes the 19-year-old center is ready to be captain of the Edmonton Oilers.

"I have a great deal of respect for him," Gretzky told Michael Traikos of The National Post. "In my point of view, I think he's mature enough that he can handle it at any age."

The Oilers elected to name four alternate captains for the season - Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and former captain Andrew Ference.

McDavid has led by example when healthy, racking up 28 points in 25 games despite missing 37 contests with a broken clavicle.

Gretzky called the 2015 first overall pick "the best player to come into the league in the last 30 years," and explained why he thinks McDavid can deal with the responsibility that comes with wearing the 'C.'

"I think that the best players in the game, the best athletes in their particular sport, are guys that want that pressure," Gretzky said. "They want that demand put on them. No question, he understands who he is and the focus and everything that is bestowed upon him."

Despite the struggles of the Oilers and the Calgary Flames, The Great One says there should be plenty of optimism about the future of Alberta's NHL franchises.

"If you look at both organizations, they're both building from within and they're young and they're hungry and very talented," Gretzky said. "I think the future is bright and it is exciting. You can build your teams around Connor McDavid in Edmonton or Sam Bennett in Calgary, so I think both teams are definitely going to be teams to watch next year."

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