The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that the team has agreed to terms with restricted free-agent defenseman Dennis Seidenberg on a one-year contract worth $1.2 million. More info from the Hurricanes presser-
Seidenberg, 26, played in 47 of the Hurricanes’ 82 regular-season games in 2007-08, earning a career-high 15 assists and tying for third-best on the team with a plus-6 plus/minus rating. The Schwenningen, Germany, native has scored nine goals, earned 45 assists (54 points) and accumulated 76 penalty minutes in 225 NHL regular-season games with Philadelphia, Phoenix and Carolina over five seasons. The Flyers drafted Seidenberg (6’1", 210 lbs.) in the sixth round, 172nd overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He has represented his native Germany in international competitions, including the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships, and the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
The blueliner previously earned 850K, so that's not a bad raise for a player who only played in 47 games last year. But NHL defensemen are a commodity right now and Seidenberg has played pretty well when he has had the chance.
In an interesting twist, the signing reunites a pair of defensemen from the Philadelphia Phantoms AHL championship team of 2004-05. Joni Pitkanen also played on that squad.
Believe it or not, Seidenberg had better stats at the time.
- Seidenberg GP 79 G 13 A 28 TP 41 +18
- Pitkanen GP 76 G 6 A 35 TP 41 +9
Hopefully, the former team-mates can re-kindle the same mojo which helped the Phantoms to win the Calder Cup back during the lockout.
The signing gives the Canes eight defensemen currently under contract.
- Pitkanen
- Corvo
- Gleason
- Kaberle
- Wallin
- Babchuk
- Seidenberg
- Melichar
Tim Conboy and Casey Borer both have 2-way deals which means that they would start out in Albany if the team makes no other changes. But assumptions remain that either Frank Kaberle or Nic Wallin will be traded to the highest bidder and several teams seem interested.