ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild signed defenceman Jared Spurgeon to a $53.025 million, seven-year extension Saturday that will begin next season and go through the 2026-27 season.

The deal carries an annual value of $7.575 million.

The 29-year-old Spurgeon set career highs last season of 14 goals, 29 assists, 152 shots on goal, 91 hits and 82 games played. He led the Wild with 145 blocked shots and was second behind Ryan Suter in time on ice with an average of 24:09 per game.

The 5-foot-9, 166-pound Spurgeon was drafted in the sixth round in 2008 by the New York Islanders, but the Wild signed him as a free agent before the 2010-11 season.

He has blossomed into one of the team's indispensable players, ranking in the top 20 among NHL defencemen over the last four years in goals, power play goals, blocked shots and time on ice.

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The Associated Press