Ducks Sign Goaltender Hiller to Four-Year Extension

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that they have signed goaltender Jonas Hiller to a four-year contract extension. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team, but according to the Sporting News via Twitter, the contract is worth $18 million, which averages out to $4.5 million per season. He would have been an unrestricted free agent on July 1. In 39 games so far this season, Hiller has a 21-15-2 record, one shutout, a 2.75 GAA, and a .916 save percentage. In 108 career NHL games, he has a 54-37-4 record, five shutouts, a 2.46 GAA, and a .919 save percentage. This is a good move by the Ducks, as Hiller has been a very steady and reliable goaltender for the team for the past few seasons. With the length of the deal, it shows that the Ducks have a lot of confidence in Hiller as their new starter and that J.S. Giguere's time with the team is likely numbered. However, that does not mean that the Ducks will trade Giguere on or before the March 3 trade deadline. He still has one more year left on his current contract worth $7 million, so a lot of teams would be hard-pressed to want to take on his salary, especially with his current struggles. If the Ducks do trade Giguere, I would expect it to happen at the trade deadline next season when his salary will be much more affordable. Whether Giguere ever gets traded by the Ducks, I don't expect them to re-sign him when his contract expires after the 2010-11 season.