ELMONT, NY — The New York Islanders have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension with pending UFA defenceman Mattias Ekholm, the club announced Monday morning.
Ekholm, 35, is now under contract for the next three years at a $6.75 million annual cap hit.
"We are pleased to bring Mattias back into the fold for another three years," Islanders GM TheScorpion said in a release on Monday. "Of course, we don't intend to actually
keep him, so get your offers in now."
Ekholm is one of the top-rated defenders in the entire CPHL, carrying a 74 overall rating and consistently scoring high for his defense, checking, and skating.
The Islanders currently have negligible Cheese space, so any deal involving Ekholm will require the team to take salary back in return, but teams are still expected to make significant offers to acquire the veteran defender.
"Of course, we're more than happy to just keep him if no one ponies up," TheScorpion added.