Hurricanes agree to terms on three-year deal with forward Fast

RALEIGH,N.C» The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to a deal with right wing Jesper Fast on a three-year contract.

The team announced the agreement Saturday, saying it would the deal will have an average annual value of $2 million through the 2022-23 season. Carolina president and general manager Don Waddell called Fast “an intelligent, versatile player who fits the mold” of how the Hurricanes play under Rod Brind’Amour.

Fast, 28, had 12 goals and 17 assists in 69 games with the New York Rangers last season, his seventh in the NHL.

Avs get Saad from Blackhawks

DENVER» The Colorado Avalanche acquired rugged winger Brandon Saad in a multiplayer trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Colorado sent defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm to Chicago for Saad and defenseman Dennis Gilbert. The Blackhawks also will retain $1 million of Saad’s $6 million salary for next season.

Zadorov was a restricted free agent, but Chicago said he signed his qualifying offer of $3.2 million prior to the deal.

Saad had 21 goals and 12 assists in 58 games last season in the third year of his second stint with Chicago.

Sharks sign Labanc to $18.9M deal

More than a year after taking a teamfriendly contract to help the San Jose Sharks, Kevin Labanc is finally cashing in.

Labanc signed an $18.9 million, four-year deal that carries an annual salary cap hit of $4,725,000. That’s a significant raise from the $1 million he made last season after putting up a career-high 56 points.

Labanc’s production went down to 33 points last season as he struggled along with the rest of the Sharks, who finished thirdworst in the NHL. He was a playoff hero and had nine points in San Jose’s 2019 run to the Western Conference final.

Sens acquire Watson from Preds

OTTAWA,ONTARIO» The Ottawa Senators acquired winger Austin Watson from the Nashville Predators for a fourth-round pick in the

2021 NHL draft. The 6-foot-4, 204-pound forward was reinstated by the NHL in March

2019 after he entered the follow-up phase of the league’s substance abuse program.

Watson pleaded no contest in July 2018 to domestic assault and agreed to a judicial diversion program that enabled the misdemeanour charge to be dismissed if he served three months of probation and completed an in-patient treatment program and a batterer’s intervention program.