Despite a lockout which may delay the payments and a new CBA which may lower them, Justin Abdelkader is apparently so close to re-signing with the Wings that all sides are telling us to expect it before Saturday.
Red Wings Front's Chuck Pleiness with more details:
"I’ve talked to his agent (Wade Arnott) a few times in the last couple of days and I anticipate we’ll get something done soon. We’ve been close for a few days."
Pleiness also reports it will be a four-year deal. No financial terms have leaked just yet, so we could be looking at a wide array of potential salaries, but I'd probably use Darren Helm's $2.125M cap hit over the next four years as the closest comparable (although I'd start at Helm's figure and work my way down during a comparison rather than thinking anything in the greater-than-or-equal-to range).
Abdelkader has spent his entire career with the Detroit organization since being drafted 42nd overall in the 2005 draft. Last season, he made $825,000
