Kris Versteeg and Florida Panthers avoid arbitration as they sign 4-year deal for $17.6 million
Kris Versteeg became the 10th player to avoid an arbitration hearing, out of the 16 players who had decided to go to arbitration hearing to get their worth determined on 4th
of July.
He had an arbitration hearing on the second of August but like nine other players did before him, he did the same and thought not to go to hearing and solve the issue outside court instead.
Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, the Canadian hockey professional signed a four-year deal, which is worth $17.6 million, for which he will get $3.6 million in the first year, $4.6 million in the second year and $4.7 million in the third and fourth year, which
means he will get an average of $4.4 million an year, that is $1.317 million more than what he got in the previous contract.
The 26-year-old player has changed the team a lot in recent times and has played for four different NHL (National Hockey League) teams in last four seasons, before playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for four and a half years with three different
teams and American Hockey League (AHL) for three and a half years with three different teams.
So it means he has played for 10 different teams in 10 years of his professional hockey.
Florida Panthers’ general manager, Dale Tallon, is very happy to avail the services of the player who had his best season with them last year and signing him, that too in a long term deal makes him satisfied. In a press statement released by the team, 61-year-old
manager said,
"Kris played an important role in our club's success last season and we are pleased to have reached a long-term contract agreement. He is a skilled player who recorded career highs in goals and points (54) last season."
Kris Versteeg's excitement was also shown when he was talking to team's official website, as he said,
"It feels pretty good. It's been a bit of a whirlwind the last two years but right now security was the No. 1 thing for me. To play in Florida was a No. 1 thing. I mean it all came down to wanting to be in Florida and wanting to play here."
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