Speaking to the media via conference call, Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid called the decision to take a three-year extension with the B’s Thursday a “no-brainer,” adding, “I really couldn’t picture myself being with any other team or being anything but a Bruin.”

The 24-year-old would have been a restricted free agent after the upcoming season, but this deal will keep him in Boston until 2015.

B’s general manager Peter Chiarelli called McQuaid “a bit of a poster child” for the organization’s development program, as he spent over two seasons in Providence (AHL) before becoming a regular on the B’s blue line during their Stanley Cup championship season. After beginning the season as a healthy scratch, McQuaid saw action due to injuries on the Bruins’ blue line, and his work allowed the B’s to trade Mark Stuart.

“He found his way into this lineup and now is a really solid contributor with his size his toughness his range,” Chiarelli said. “We continue to see him improve, he’s still at a young age and we felt fortunate to be able to lock him up for the foreseeable future.”

Chiarelli noted that while it was good to get a deal done with one of the players entering the last year of their deals, it was not a sign that the B’s will also extend the others (a group that includes David Krejci and Tuukka Rask) before the season begins.

“This was a case of both parties coming together and reaching a real good deal for both parties,” Chiarelli said. “We don’t always go out early and try to sign guys before their deals are done.”

As for the Bruins’ current restricted free agent, Chiarelli offered no update on negotiations with forward Brad Marchand.

“I’m just not going to comment eye time i go to the media,” the GM said. “There’s been discussions, we feel there’s been progress, and that’s where I’ll leave it.”