The Calgary Flames made yet another move on Friday by re-signing forward Lee Stempniak to a two-year deal, continuing what's been a busy week for the franchise.
Stempniak's deal will pay him an average salary of $2.5 million per season.
“We like what Lee Stempniak brings to our lineup, and our team missed him a lot with an injury last year,” said Flames General Manager Jay Feaste in a statement.
“We believe Lee continues to have strong upside offensively, and he has demonstrated that he can be responsible at both ends of the ice. His skating style and willingness to get in on the forecheck will fit-in nicely with Bob Hartley’s up-tempo style, and he provides the coaching staff with more options on the power play.”
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Stempniak was acquired by the Flames before last season in a trade that sent Daymond Langkow to Phoenix. In 62 games, Stempniak scored 14 goals to go with 14 assists. He would have been an unrestricted free agent on Sunday had he not agreed to a new deal before then.
While his goal and assist numbers aren't great, he did finish this past season as one of the Flames' best possession players -- he had the fourth-best relative Corsi rating on the team. He's best suited for a second- or third-line role.
His new contract is a $600,000 raise from his previous deal. The contract may seem like a bit much for some given his overall numbers last season, but it's far from the most objectionable thing the Flames front office did this week.
Also on Friday, the Flames agreed to terms on a two-year deal with defenseman Cory Sarich and signed forward Blair Jones to a two-year deal worth $650,000 per season.
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