Anaheim Ducks restricted free agent defenceman Hampus Lindholm has ended his holdout and will rejoin the club. The Ducks and their Swedish defender have agreed to a new deal. According to TSN’s hockey insider Bob McKenzie, the deal is for six-years and has an AAV of $5.25 million.
Hampus Lindholm and ANA agree to terms on a six-year contract with an AAV of $5.25M. #TSNHockey
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) October 27, 2016
Anaheim Ducks Sign Hampus Lindholm
The 22-year-old defenceman was the Ducks first round pick, 22nd overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft. Last season he played in 80 games, scoring 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points. Lindholm was the Ducks top defenceman last year, playing in all situations and playing against the other team’s top lines. He helped the Ducks to a first place finish in the Pacific Division.
Lindholm’s best season came in 2014-15 when he scored seven goals and 27 assists for 34 points. He has played 236 career NHL regular season games, scoring 23 goals and 69 assists for 92 career points. He has also played in 34 career playoff games with two goals and 13 assists for 15 points.
The move puts the Ducks over the salary cap by $1.4 million. They do have temporary relief in the form of Simon Despres recently being placed on long-term injured reserve with a concussion. However, once Despres is ready to return the Ducks will need to clear space to activate him. Anaheim will be an interesting team to watch over the next several weeks, in order to see how they will get back in compliance with the league’s salary rules.
With this move, Winnipeg Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba is the only prominent restricted free agent who remains unsigned.
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