Atlanta gets Eager for success, Hawks add some Skille
Eager re-signs with Atlanta: It never hurts to have someone with Stanley Cup experience on a roster and the Atlanta Thrashers had to have thought of that as they re-signed the recently acquired Ben Eager.
Thrashers General Manager Rick Dudley announced that Atlanta had re-signed the forward though in accordance with team policy he did not disclose the sum of the deal. However discretion is hard to come by and according to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Eager will be paid $965,000 next season.
The 26-year-old pest appeared in 60 games for the Chicago Blackhawks last season. During these showings, the managed 16 points on seven goals and nine-assists. He also led the team with 120 penalty minutes. This is actually a decline for Eager, who spent 233 minutes in the penalty box during his 63-game season with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006-07.
In the Stanley Cup play-offs Eager maintained similar production with three points from one goal and two assists in 18 total games. Uncharacteristically he was just the third-ranking Blackhawk in terms of penalty minutes with 20.
Eager’s only goal was an extremely important one as it was the game-winner in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, where Eager faced his former Flyers.
To maintain their salary cap, Chicago traded Eager to Atlanta along with Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, and Akim Aliu, for the 24th overall pick, the 54th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Marty Reasoner, Joey Crabb and Jeremy Morin on 23 June.
Eager is a great physical wing but if Atlanta wants to build a serious team, they need to get some offensive forwards. Two of the Thrashers’ best point producers, Maxim Afinogenov and Niclas Bergfors are currently free agents. Afinogenov, who had a team-leading 61 points, is unrestricted while midseason acquisition Bergfors is restricted.
Blackhawks retain Bickle and Skille: Although the struggle to keep its roster underneath salary cap restrictions has hurt Chicago’s off-season, they have just re-signed left winger Bryan Bickell and right wing Jack Skille due to the duo’s value.
Bickell received a three-year contract on Tuesday, while Skille was given a one-year deal. The 23-year-old Bickell posted career statistics by appearing in 16 games for the Blackhawks last season and scoring three goals and notching a total of four points. Over parts of three seasons with the Blackhawks, Bickell has five goals, six points and nine penalty minutes in 23 career regular-season games.
Skille, also 23, has appeared in 30 regular-season games for Chicago in the same time span. His career totals thus far is five goals, eight points, and five penalty minutes. Last season specifically, Skille had one goal and one assist for two points in six games.
Skille has shown a lot of promise during his time with American Hockey League affiliate Rockford IceHogs and ranked second on the squad with 23 goals last season. The more physical Bickell ranked fifth with 16 goals.
The two are a smart re-signing as they are inexpensive players in a Chicago system that has clearly proven itself able to develop prospects into NHL-ready players. Skille and Bickell should be making some noise in the NHL as they get more playing time this season.
Ducks sign Cam Fowler: The Anaheim Ducks have agreed to terms with their first-round selection Cam Fowler. The young defenceman was taken with the 12th overall pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft and has just inked a three-year deal with the Ducks. The length of this deal implies that Fowler is on the fast track to playing in the NHL and may not be spending too much time in the affiliate ranks.
The puck-moving 18-year-old had an impressive eight goals and 47 assists for the Windsor Spitfires last season during their run to the Memorial Cup title.
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