Report: Islanders Bring Back Nabokov, Sign Hamonic To 7-Year Extension
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- According to reports from Newsday, the New York Islanders are bringing back their goaltender and one of their best defensemen.
Veteran netminder Evgeni Nabokov was signed to a one-year contract worth $3.25 million on Friday, the first day of NHL free agency. The 37-year-old was considered one of the best goaltenders on the free agent market after posting a 23-11-7 record and 2.50 goals-against average during the regular season.
Nabokov struggled during New York's first-round playoff loss to Pittsburgh, registering a 4.44 GAA and .842 save percentage, but the Isles chose stability over the unknown.
General manager Garth Snow then secured the team's future along the blue line, signing 22-year-old restricted free agent Travis Hamonic to a seven-year, $27 million contract.
Hamonic, who is considered by many the type of stay-at-home defenseman that may one day challenge for the Norris Trophy, told Newsday accepting the Isles' offer was a no-brainer.
"We're building something special here," Hamonic said. "I never would have signed for this long if I didn't truly believe that. Seven years is a long time. To me, that's enough time to win a couple Stanley Cups."
The Islanders also came to terms with Pierre-Marc Bouchard, a versatile forward who had 8 goals and 12 assists in 43 games for Minnesota last season, on a one-year, $2 million deal. The 29-year-old went No. 8 overall to the Wild in the 2002 draft and has 347 points in 565 career regular season games.
The Islanders also announced the signing of Danish forward Peter Regin to a one-year deal worth $750,000.
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