The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed free-agent center Eric Fehr to a three-year contract worth $2 million annually. To make room under the salary cap for Fehr, the Penguins traded center Brandon Sutter, along with a 2016 third-round draft choice, to the Vancouver Canucks for Nick Bonino, Adam Clendening and a 2016 second-round pick.
Fehr, 29, had spent nine of is 10 NHL seasons with the Washington Capitals, who drafted him in the first round in 2003. In 75 games with the Caps in 2014-15, Fehr tallied 19 goals, 14 assists and was a plus-8. He is a right-handed shot and won 52.0% of his faceoffs for the Capitals last season.
He underwent elbow surgery on June 3 and will be out 4-6 months, which would put him in a Penguins sweater by December at the latest.
Bonino, 27, is also center. In 75 games with Vancouver, he had 15 goals, 24 assists and a plus-7 rating. Bonino, a 6-foot-1, 196-pound, left-handed shot, had previously spent five seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.
Bonino has two years remaining on his contract, which will pay him an annual average of $1.9 million.
Clendening, a 22-year old defensemen, came up with the Chicago Blackhawks organization, which drafted him in the second round in 2011. The Boston University product played in 17 NHL games with the Canucks in 2014-15, recording two assists. He also played 11 games with the Canucks’ top farm club, the Utica Comets, recording a goal and four assists.
He also played in 23 playoff games for the Comets as they advanced to the Calder Cup final. He scored three goals and five assists in the playoff run.
Clendening has one year remaining on his contract that will pay him $761,250 and he will be a restricted free agent after the 2015-16 season. Clendening will not have to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL again this season.
In Sutter, the Penguins lose a 20-goal scorer, but his $3.3 million dollar salary coming off the books was key for the Pens to be able to sign Fehr. With today’s moves, the Penguins added only $600k to their salary commitments for 2015-16.
Sutter is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and the Penguins were unlikely to re-sign him.
The third-round draft pick traded away by the Penguins will be the first of the two 2016 third-round picks they currently possess. The Penguins had previously acquired the Buffalo Sabres’ third-round pick as compensation for the hiring of former head coach Dan Bylsma.
Photo credit: NHLI/Getty Images
