With the not-so-little matter of where he'll spend the next five years or so of his life taken care of, Patric Hornqvist can turn his full attention to terrorizing opposing defensemen and goaltenders.
It's what he does like no other player in the NHL.
On Tuesday the Penguins formally announced the five-year, $26.5 million contract extension for the Swedish net-front presence that will pay him an average of $5.3 million annually. Though he likely could have commanded more on the open market as a free agent this summer, he says it was neither the term nor the money that was most important to him.
"This is the city I want to be in," Hornqvist said Tuesday morning at PPG Paints Arena. "I'm really happy to stay here for five more years. We always have a chance to win. We have a great core group here. That was obviously the key situation for me. I want to win and I think we have a great chance."
Hornqvist said the negotiations began around Christmas and were completed in the last 24 hours. It was one of the rare contract extensions that Jim Rutherford has doled out in-season.
"Everything worked out really well," Hornqvist said. "We got what we wanted and I think both sides are happy. Now the fun starts to begin."
The fun, of course, would be the playoffs. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, netting last year's Cup-winner in the final moments of Game 6 in Nashville.
This season, he’s been an integral part of the league's top-ranked power play with 10 goals
"He's been such a big part of this team and what it's been able to accomplish over the last couple seasons," Mike Sullivan said. "I think it's obvious what he brings to our team both on the ice and off the ice. He's brings so much energy. He's such a positive guy. He brings a dimension to our dressing room that's unique and everyone in our dressing room is appreciative of what Patric brings. There's no one more deserving of the contract he signed. "