Wisniewski in Anaheim hits pay dirt with a settlement of 3.25M on a 1 year deal.
Nick Kypreos
RealKyper
THE TELETYPE:
Sportsnet analyst Nick Kypreos has reported via Twitter that the Ducks have signed defenseman James Wisniewski to a one year deal at 3.25M. UPDATE: OCR's Eric Stephens has confirmed.
If true, his would be the second time in as many years that the Ducks and Wisniewski signed a one year deal while scheduled for arbitration. Last year, the injury-prone defenseman admitted the sides were apart on term and the 09-10 campaign would be used to evaluate his performance in a full season of healthy hockey. Wisniewski suffered only one minor injury during the year, though he did miss additional games as a result of two suspensions, and yet, Ducks general manager Bob Murray has admitted in recent months that the sides remained far apart on a new contract.
The Duck's likely position in this summer's negotiation was, perhaps, best summed up by OCR beat writer Eric Stephens, who noted the following when the Ducks qualified Wisniewski:
It is believed that Wisniewski is seeking a salary closer to what a No. 2 defenseman makes while it’s likely that the Ducks don’t view him as that and had to play him so much more out of necessity than desire.
If Kypreos' report is true, this contract will take James Wisniewski to the age of 27 and thus make him an unrestricted free agent next offseason.