The Winnipeg Jets announced on Wednesday evening that they have come to an agreement on a new contract with forward Jim Slater. The team did not release the terms of the deal as per team policy, but ESPN's Pierre LeBrun reports it's a three-year deal worth an average annual salary of $1.6 million.Had Slater not re-signed, he would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1.
Slater was originally drafted by the organization in the first-round of the 2002 draft (when the team was still based in Atlanta), and in 449 career games he has scored 60 goals to go with 61 assists.
He appeared in 78 games for the Jets last season, scoring 13 goals and recording eight assists.
Jets coach Claude Noel consistently called on Slater to play the toughest minutes of any player on the team last season, facing the toughest competition at even-strength while also starting the overwhelming majority of his shifts in the defensive zone. (He was on the ice for just 203 offensive zone faceoffs compared to 510 defensive zone faceoffs.) Along with that, he was also one of the best players in the league in the faceoff circle, winning over 54 percent of his draws, which was best on the team and in the top-20 league wide.
His box score numbers aren't going to jump off the page at you, but Slater plays an important role for the Jets and has an extremely valuable skill (winning faceoffs) that gives his team an edge.
Solid deal.
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