The Winnipeg Jets signed prospect defenceman Declan Chisholm to a three-year contract this morning. The deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $825,000 and lasts through the 2022-23 NHL season.
#NHLJets have signed defenceman Declan Chisholm to a three-year, entry-level contract with an AAV of $825,000.
Chisholm’s three-year deal will begin next season.
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— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) June 1, 2020
Declan Chisholm Signs Deal With Jets
Chisholm spent the past four years of his hockey career playing for the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Peterborough Petes. In four seasons with the Petes, Chisholm racked up 22 goals and 120 assists for a total of 142 points. He was originally picked by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, 150th overall.
He served as an assistant captain for Peterborough in 2018-19 while also enjoying his best season to date. Chisholm broke the ten-goal barrier for the first time in his OHL career and also finished above a point-per-game pace, notching 13 goals and 56 assists for 69 points in only 59 games.
The entry-level contract is a two-way deal, meaning his salary will only be $70,000 per season at minor league levels. The cost breakdown is as follows, via CapFriendly:
2020-21: $700,000 NHL salary, $75,000 signing bonus
2021-22: $750,000 NHL salary, $85,000 signing bonus
2022-23: $750,000 NHL salary, $85,000 signing bonus
Chisholm is also eligible for $15,000 of performance bonuses in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 season, totalling $30,000 of potential performance bonuses.
What This Means for the Future
Chisholm has been a fixture on the blueline for years in Peterborough, but don’t expect him to immediately step in at the NHL level. Despite Winnipeg’s well-documented defensive shortcomings this year, Chisholm will need time to iron out his two-way game. He’ll most likely spend next season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
However, Chisholm is quickly looking like a late-round steal for the Jets as his offensive game has blossomed in recent years. He certainly has shown flashes of potential, and he’ll likely be seen in the NHL at some point in his hockey career.
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