The 37-year-old forward is in the final season of a three-year, $21 million contract ($7 million average annual value) he signed with the Stars on July 1, 2019. He could have become an unrestricted free agent July 13.
"I found a home here, and I want to be here, and have confidence in this group," Pavelski said Saturday. "I've really enjoyed my time here. I want to make the playoffs with this team and make some noise there. I'm not looking to search for anything; this is the group I'm committed to.
"There's a lot of factors that go into [re-signing]. You play this game, you're playing for wins, you're playing for performance and opportunities to play at the biggest time of year in the playoffs. But there's other things that are involved along the way as well. [My family feels] like we've really found a home. The game of hockey is a lot of fun for me right now. It has been throughout my career. Found a group that I really enjoy being around, and playing in a lot of opportunities, and playing with a good line. All those things come into play."
Pavelski has scored 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists) in 57 games this season, his 16th in the NHL, and leads the Stars in assists and points. He scored 20 goals for the 12th time in 14 seasons.
"He just knows how to play the game the right way," Stars coach Rick Bowness said. "There's no wasted energy out there. Just get him to the tops of the (face-off) circles down in the offensive zone, and he's as good as anybody. He hangs onto pucks, and he's very tricky at getting to the net at the right time and using his stick. There's a timing involved with that, but there's also a lack of fear in doing that. You're going into that tough area, and you're not hesitant. There's a timing, and if you're a little hesitant, you lose that timing. He's got the timing down pretty good."
Selected by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round (No. 205) of the 2003 NHL Draft, Pavelski has scored 902 points (416 goals, 486 assists) in 1,142 regular-season games for the Sharks and Stars, and 119 points (61 goals, 58 assists) in 161 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"The elite players find a way to play," Dallas general manager Jim Nill said. "He's got great hockey sense. You know, everybody says, 'Oh well he can't skate anymore.' Well, he finds a way to get from point A to point B where the puck is, and puts it in the net. Those guys just have a knack. They have a hockey sense. They've got a commitment. It's what they do on and off the ice, which carries over into our dressing room."
The Stars (32-22-3) are one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. They lost 7-4 to the New York Rangers on Saturday.
"He's a huge part of our success as a group," Dallas forward Tyler Seguin said. "Big voice in the room. A leader of this team for sure. He's a guy that always seems to [raise] up his game when things mean the most and finding those big goals."
NHL.com independent correspondent Taylor Baird contributed to this report
