Amid a flurry of player movement prior to Tuesday's NHL trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs inked tenacious forward Darcy Tucker to a four-year contract extension.

Financial terms were not disclosed, although numerous reports suggested that Tucker will make $3 million US annually.

Darcy Tucker inked an extension reportedly worth $12 million US.Darcy Tucker inked an extension reportedly worth $12 million US.
(Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Tucker, 31, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

"It is been extremely gratifying to be a player here for the Toronto Maple Leafs," Tucker said at Tuesday's media conference.

"I'm just extremely excited. I never really entertained the thought of it [free agency]."

"He has just a unique combination of what I like to call grit and goals," Maple Leafs general manager John Ferguson Jr. said. "He is a team leader for us … a huge contributor to us over the last seven years and in the unforeseeable future."

Tucker has posted 19 goals — 13 on the power play — and 31 points in 39 games this season, but he has been sidelined the last two months because of a hairline fracture in his right ankle.

"Darcy has that edge and that competitiveness about him," Maple Leafs head coach Paul Maurice said. "But honestly, what we've missed is that shot on the power play.

"He finishes checks, he drives the intensity up, he plays the game we want to play. But he has got a lot better set of hands than people noticed early on."

Tucker topped Toronto in goals scored when he got hurt and was only recently passed by captain Mats Sundin and Jeff O'Neill.

But Tucker is skating daily and expected to return to the lineup soon, perhaps as early as this weekend.

That, coupled with the progress made by injured forwards Michael Peca and Kyle Wellwood, were factors in Toronto's reluctance to swing several trades at the deadline.

Injured forwards returning

With Tucker, Peca and Wellwood all expected back before the playoffs, Ferguson's lone trade was to reacquire all-star forward Yanic Perreault and a fifth-round draft pick from the Phoenix Coyotes for defenceman Brendan Bell and a second-round pick.

"The return of Darcy Tucker will have as big an impact on our club than any of the deals we saw [Tuesday]," Ferguson figured. "That's a luxury."

Tucker has totalled 174 goals and 390 points in 722 games since being selected in the sixth round (151st overall) by Montreal in the 1993 NHL draft.

The Castor, Alta., native was dealt by the Canadiens, along with Stephane Richer and David Wilkie, to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Patrick Poulin, Mick Vukota and Igor Ulanov on Jan. 15, 1998.

Tucker was later packaged to Toronto with a fourth-round draft pick and future considerations for Mike Johnson, Marek Posmyk, fifth- and sixth-round picks and future considerations on Feb. 9, 2000.

"He has turned into a great player for us, not only as a goal-scorer but for his grit," Sundin said of Tucker.

"It's nice to see him extend his contract. I'm very happy for him."

With files from Sports Network