The long wait is finally over and the Anaheim Ducks soon will have their best defenseman back. Hampus Lindholm, who had to sit out Anaheim's training camp and first eight games as the restricted free agent remained without a new contract, has a new contract.
The talented 22-year-old defenseman singed a new six-year deal worth $31.5 million, allowing him to rejoin the team, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie. Lindholm still needs a new work visa, which could take a week or two to complete, according to McKenzie.
His arrival, whenever that may be, will be an especially welcome one for the Ducks. Though they're coming off of one of their best games of the season, a 6-1 win over Nashville, they've been off to a bit of a slow start overall with a 3-3-2 record.
Already tight to the cap, the Ducks surely would have preferred to get Lindholm a bit cheaper per year. However, with the contracts signed by other RFA defenseman coming off of their entry-level contracts this year, Lindholm had a great case for the payday he got. One of Lindholm's closest comparables is Rasmus Ristolainen, who also got a six-year deal with a $5.4 million annual cap hit from the Buffalo Sabres.
Getting Lindholm's contract done was further complicated by the Ducks' cap situation. With Lindholm signed, they're over the cap ceiling by $1.4 million according to CapFriendly.com. Anaheim waived forward Emerson Etem on Wednesday and may have to make additional moves to become cap compliant, so keep a close eye on Anaheim.
As for Lindholm, he has gotten off to a tremendous start over his first three seasons in the NHL. The former No. 6 overall draft pick has been a top-four defenseman for the bulk of his time in the NHL and has been trending toward being the team's No. 1. Last season, Lindholm posted a career-best 10 goals. The year before that, he hit his career highs with 27 assists and 34 points.
Most importantly, however, he has been a possession dynamo. Just last season, the Ducks controlled even-strength shot attempts at a rate of 57 percent with Lindholm on the ice. That was 7.2 percent better than they could manage without him out there. His excellent skating and puck-moving abilities have turned him into a vital piece at both ends of the ice.
The Ducks have really struggled in the possession department to start the season. That's fairly unsurprising under Randy Carlyle, who is back for his second stint as the team's coach. That said, Anaheim playing without Lindholm has a lot to do with those numbers as well. He's not the kind of guy the team can easily replace.
Getting him under contract and buying up two years of his UFA eligibility in the process makes this a winning deal for both sides. He is being paid like the team's No. 1 defenseman and he's still going to get better over these next few years, more than likely.
With Lindholm signed, that leaves Winnipeg Jets defenseman Jacob Trouba as the last remaining high-profile unsigned restricted free agent. So all eyes will be on that situation as many teams from around the league are said to be interested in acquiring Trouba, who has formally requested a trade out of Winnipeg.
