Filppula says he’s not close to a new deal with Wings

DETROIT — Wings forward Valtteri Filppula said he’s not let his pending unrestricted free agency become a distraction this season.

“You automatically think about it, but I’ve been trying to put little thought into it because it’s not going to do me any good,” Filppula said. “We’ll see what happens, but definitely interesting times. It’s been a great place to be, great team. Obviously you always want to be on a team like that.”

Filppula is in the final year of a contact that’s paying him $3 million.

“There’s nothing going on right now,” Filppula said.

He’s reportedly looking for a deal that will give him a $2 million increase per season.

“I don’t think it matters that much to me,” Filppula said when asked if he wished he was close to a deal. “I think the focus should be on playing right now. And then when the time comes to think about that stuff I will do that.”