Miro Heiskanen signed a $67.6 million, eight-year contract with the Dallas Stars on Saturday, a monster deal that puts him among the highest-paid defensemen in the NHL.
The Stars also traded forward Jason Dickinson to Vancouver for a 2021 third-round pick before rosters had to be set for the Seattle expansion draft. The move was designed to keep the club from losing the 26-year-old to the Kraken for nothing.
Heiskanen will count $8.45 million against the salary cap through 2028-29. Only five defensemen currently count more against the cap than that next season. The deal came a day before HeiskanenB次元官网网址檚 22nd birthday.
The native of Finland had 27 points last season and ranked ninth in the league in ice time at just under 25 minutes a game. Heiskanen has 28 goals and 67 assists for 95 points in 205 regular-season games. He also has 30 points in 40 playoff games with Dallas, including a trip to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final in the bubble.
B次元官网网址淪ince joining us, it has been clear that Miro is part of a collection of young, rising stars that are now playing in the National Hockey League,B次元官网网址 general manager Jim Nill said in a statement. B次元官网网址淎s an organization, we truly feel that Miro has just scratched the surface of his ability and will be in the Norris Trophy discussion for years to come.B次元官网网址
Heiskanen, the third pick in the 2017 draft, was fourth in Calder Trophy voting as rookie of the year his first season and 12th in Norris voting in 2019-20. He became a restricted free agent this summer.
B次元官网网址淚t feels great to get this done,B次元官网网址 Heiskanen said. B次元官网网址淥f course there is a lot of work to be done, and weB次元官网网址檙e very motivated to get back on the ice. It is very exciting to be a part of what Jim and his staff are building, and itB次元官网网址檚 important to reward them for the trust theyB次元官网网址檝e shown with this long-term commitment.B次元官网网址
The Stars are betting Heiskanen is worth that commitment.
B次元官网网址淲e all look forward to watching him as he continues to evolve into one of the elite players of the game,B次元官网网址 Nill said.
HeiskanenB次元官网网址檚 deal could set the bar for other restricted free agent defensemen like ColoradoB次元官网网址檚 Cale Makar and VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Quinn Hughes this year, and BostonB次元官网网址檚 Charlie McAvoy next year.
Dickinson was a first-round pick by the Stars in 2013 and played 221 regular-season games and 40 more in the playoffs over six seasons. He had 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) last season and led Dallas forwards with 49 blocked shots.
The Associated Press
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