According to Frank Seravelli of TSN , Kevin Shattenkirk has agreed to sign with the New York Rangers. After numerous rumors that Shattenkirk was going to New York, it looks like he’ll end up making it happen. Shattenkirk isn’t a cheap defenseman though, and his contract showed it. His yearly earning is $6.65 million despite only being signed for four years.
Big news here. Expect a four-year deal: https://t.co/HJRd4ckaoE
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2017
Shattenkirk 4 years x $6.65
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 1, 2017
Kevin Shattenkirk Signs with the New York Rangers
Shattenkirk has faced a lot of drama since the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. That’s supposedly when his original team, the St. Louis Blues, began shopping him around the league. The Blues continued to offer him to various teams, but never landed any solid interest. Perhaps the most interesting rumor was that of a Shattenkirk for Tyson Barrie or Matthew Duchene trade. Sadly for the Blues, that’s not the deal that went through.
Shattenkirk was held until the trade deadline, and was then dealt to the Washington Capitals to provide playoff insurance. In exchange, the Blues acquired Zach Sanford and Washington’s first round pick. Washington seamlessly won the trade, but Shattenkirk wasn’t enough to push them to their first Stanley Cup.
This was a little surprising because he seemed to click with the Capitals. Playing with former teammate T.J. Oshie, amongst others, Shattenkirk had 14 points in 19 regular season games. Playing on the team’s top defensive line, Shattenkirk was a key role in a lot of plays. His production went down slightly in the playoffs, but was still a big player for the Caps. In the 13 games they played before being eliminated, Shattenkirk had six points.
The Capitals salary cap troubles means they sadly had to let go of Shattenkirk. In the combined 24 games he played in D.C., Shattenkirk was a big part of the team’s defense. His great play in Washington and St. Louis this season lead him to a handful of votes for the Norris Trophy and the second postseason NHL All Star team. In fact, he received considerably more than former defensive partner Alex Pietrangelo. Now New York is bringing that skill to their line-up. Shattenkirk will easily add a lot offense and defensive power, and should be a crucial role for his new team.
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