The Tampa Bay lightning have signed center Valtteri Filppula to a five year, $25 million contract.
A former teammate of GM Steve Yzerman, Filppula had just nine goals and 17 points in 41 games last season, butYzerman knows Filppula’s ability and wanted an experienced center to take Vincent Lecavalier‘s place.
The Finnish forward is just one year removed from his best season in the NHL when he scored 23 goals to go with 43 assists in 81 games.
“Coming from the Detroit organization, we know what he can do, his strengths, where he fits on our team, the character and the work ethic,’’ GM Steve Yzerman said. “Everything about him is what we are trying to do here, his work ethic, his attitude, we like his two-way game and I think he’ll really help us in that department. And most of all he fills a need for us down the middle.’’
“He’s not coming in here as Vinny Lecavalier’s replacement, he’s coming in as a player that can a lot of little things for us, is a versatile guy,’’ Yzerman said. “We’re trying to establish an identity with our team and he is part of that new identity on this team. So he is not a replacement for Vinny Lecavalier, they are both centers but they are very different players.’’
“I spoke with Yzerman and I’ve known him from Detroit times, and I spoke to Sami Salo too and they have a really interesting, young kind of team that is going to be a good place for me,’’ Filppula said from Finland. “Those were sort of the main things that made me want to come to Tampa.’’
“I think playing center I can find my wingers well and that way be able to create some chances, and I’ll do my best on defense, for sure, and that’s one aspect of my game that I take serious, to make sure I play well in both ends,’’ Filppula said.
Despite Filppula having an off year last season, mainly due to injuries, the pedestrian free agent market coupled with Tampa Bay’s gaping hole at center forced GM Steve Yzerman to overpay for the former Red Wing center. The salary itself is not necessarily out of line, as the cap will increase next season, but signing Filppula for five years is questionable.
The Filppula deal now puts Tampa Bay roughly $3.5 million away from the salary cap ceiling.
The Lightning also signed physical forward Geoff Walker to a one-year, two-way contract. This is an organizational depth signing as Walker is expected to sign a one year, two way contract and will play in Syracuse.
Walker, 25, skated in 51 games last season with the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League, collecting five goals and 20 points to go along with 55 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound forward ranked 11th on the Monsters in assists with 15.
The Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island native has skated in 226 career AHL games with the Manchester Monarchs, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Monsters, recording 39 goals and 108 points to go along with 326 penalty minutes. Walker set career highs for goals (18), assists (26), points (44) and penalty minutes (114) during the 2011-12 season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He’s also appeared in 24 career Calder Cup playoff games, registering two goals and nine points.
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