BUFFALO, N.Y. — James Neal’s first full year with the Pittsburgh Penguins keeps getting better. And now the high-scoring forward will be around for another six seasons after signing $30 million contract extension on Sunday.

“With the new commitment the organization’s going to give me, it couldn’t be a better feeling,” Neal said, shortly after signing a deal reached hours before the Penguins prepared to play at Buffalo. “I couldn’t have found a better spot.”

The contract extension comes nearly a year to the day the Penguins acquired Neal in a trade with Dallas that sent defenseman Alex Goligoski to the Stars. And it marks a significant reward for a 24-year-old who is enjoying a career season playing on a prolific line with Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz.

Neal’s career-best 30 goals are second on the team — behind Malkin’s 32 — and tied for fourth in the NHL. He also has a career-best 56 points and 13 power-play goals, tied for the league lead.

It’s a big step for the player who had difficulty finding a role with Pittsburgh last year, managing just a goal and five assists in 20 games.

“Obviously, it didn’t work out right away,” said Neal, who was initially acquired to boost an injury-riddled lineup that was playing without Malkin and Sidney Crosby. “But coming into this year, starting over, having a good feeling of things, things falling into place, it’s been a great feeling.”

Neal was in the final season of his contract, and is now locked up through the 2017-18 season.

Neal has been consistent throughout the year. He opened by scoring goals in each of Pittsburgh’s first eight home games, and also had an eight-game point streak, in which Neal had seven goals and four assists from Dec. 8-27.