The Anaheim Ducks have signed veteran center Antoine Vermette to a two-year contract, the team announced Monday. Due to team policy, the official numbers were not released, but according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register, the deal will come in at $3.5 million with a $1.75 million cap hit each season. His last two deals had cap hits of $3.75 million each, so this is a considerable discount for the Ducks.
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Agent Allan Walsh had previously announced that Vermette would be choosing his next destination by Monday, and the veteran forward stayed true to his word. This will be Vermette’s fifth team, having played for the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, and Arizona Coyotes in two separate stints. In 2015, Vermette was able to hoist his only Stanley Cup after being traded to the Blackhawks at the trade deadline.
While Vermette may not be as effective as he once was, there’s no denying he still has a lot left in the tank. While the analytic community would rather avoid Vermette and his ailing advanced metrics, a 17-goal, 38-point scorer (Vermette’s point totals from last season) still holds value in the NHL. The Ducks are buying low on the 34-year-old, and hoping that he can provide some much-needed secondary scoring to their lineup.