BOSTON -- Chuck Kobasew has a new three-year contract, a nearly healed leg and an optimistic outlook for the Boston Bruins next season.
Kobasew, the team's second-leading goal scorer in 2007-08, missed the playoffs with a broken left leg but thinks he could start working out again in about a week. And he doesn't have to worry about where his future will be.
The Bruins announced Tuesday they had reached a contract extension with Kobasew. General manager Peter Chiarelli said Wednesday it was for three years.
"It's nice to have it taken care of now so I can just focus on the training and get ready to play," Kobasew said in a conference call. "We're at eight weeks (since the injury) and that's when it should be fully healed and I can start doing things off ice."
He doesn't know when he can begin skating but with next season more than four months away, there's no rush for him to work out before the leg is completely healed.
"It's coming good," he said. "This past week's been real positive. I'm walking on it now and just started to rehab. ... Once the bone's healed you can get back to doing normal things and it's something you shouldn't have to look back on."
Kobasew, 26, had career highs of 22 goals, 17 assists and 39 points in 73 regular-season games. Marco Sturm led the Bruins with 27 goals.
"Chuck had a very good year," Chiarelli said. "He showed us what we expected of him. He scored timely goals. He plays hard all the time, a very good forechecker and a very good team player."
The Bruins forced top-seeded Montreal to a seventh game before losing to the Canadiens in the first playoff round.
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