On Tuesday the Carolina Hurricanes announced that they have signed defenseman Fredrik Claesson to a one-year, two-way contract. The defenseman was originally brought into camp on a PTO the day camp opened. The contract pays him $700,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level, with $200,000 guaranteed.
The 26 year-old Swede has played seven professional seasons including four in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators and most recently with the New York Rangers. In this time he has amassed 150 games played with six career goals and 20 career assists.
He is the third free agent defenseman to join the organization this offseason, joining Jake Gardiner and Chase Priskie. He now joins a crowded group of blue-liners looking to crack the NHL roster which also includes Jake Bean, Haydn Fleury, and Roland McKeown. He will likely factor in as a depth defenseman that can be called up to the NHL in a moments notice and plug into the lineup.
He is the latest to be signed off of a PTO for the Hurricanes. Last season after Michal Cajkovsky impressed in camp and in preseason he was signed to a one-year deal, although he quickly jumped to the KHL in December after spending three months in Charlotte. This is further proving that the Canes want competition from top to bottom and they reward a good effort in camp and preseason.
He will not factor into the starting line up of the first pre-season game, but is likely to see significant action in the preseason. The release from the team is below.
CANES SIGN CLAESSON TO ONE-YEAR, TWO-WAY DEAL
Defenseman tallied six points in 37 NHL games with the Rangers in 2018-19
Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed defenseman Fredrik Claesson (KLAY-suhn) to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2019-20 season. The contract will pay Claesson $700,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level with a $200,000 guarantee.
“Fredrik adds a veteran presence to our blue line,” said Waddell. “This signing helps improve our defensive depth.”
Claesson, 26, registered six points (2g, 4a) in 37 NHL games with the New York Rangers last season. The 6’1”, 196-pound defenseman has posted 26 points (6g, 20a) in 150 career NHL games with the Rangers and Senators. Claesson has also skated in 285 career AHL games, all with Binghamton, recording 70 points (13g, 57a). Before coming to North America, he tallied nine points (3g, 6a) in 82 Swedish Hockey League games with Djurgardens IF. The Stockholm, Sweden, native won a gold medal representing his home country at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship. Claesson was drafted by the Senators in the fifth round, 126th overall, of the 2011 NHL Draft.