Ducks Sign Saku Koivu to One-Year Extension

The Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have signed center Saku Koivu to a one-year contract extension worth $3 million.  He would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer.  In 74 games this past season, he had 11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points.  He missed eight games in December with a lower-body injury.  This is a decent signing for the Ducks, as Koivu brings plenty of leadership and two-way skill to the team, as well as lots of talent on the faceoff.  While his offensive skills have waned over the past few years, he's still a quality player on the ice and will likely center Anaheim's third line next season.

Ducks Add Lydman, Re-Sign Koivu

The Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have signed defenseman Toni Lydman to a three-year contract worth $9 million and re-signed center Saku Koivu to a two-year contract worth $5 million. Lydman's deal averages out to $3 million per season, while Koivu's averages out to $2.5 million per season. These are decent signings for the Ducks, as both players will bring plenty of veteran depth to the club. Lydman has decent puck-moving skills, while Koivu brings plenty of offensive depth at center and lots of leadership.

Ducks Sign Saku Koivu to One-Year Contract

The Anaheim Ducks added some offensive depth to their roster last Wednesday by signing center Saku Koivu to a one-year contract worth $3.25 million, ending his 13-year tenure with the Montreal Canadiens. It became more apparent as free agency approached that Koivu would not re-sign with the Canadiens and instead sign in Minnesota to play alongside his brother, Mikko. In 65 games last season with the Canadiens, Koivu scored 16 goals and 34 assists for 50 points. In 792 career games, all with the Canadeins, he has 191 games and 450 assists for 641 points. He won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2002 for perseverance after missing much of that season recovering from Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This is a great signing for the Ducks, as Koivu has excellent offensive skills and plays with some grit. He will make a great addition to the team’s power play and penalty kill, as he excels on both. Look for Koivu to play alongside fellow Finn Teemu Selanne on the second line next season.