Team re-signs Pysyk to 3-year, $8.2M deal
SUNRISE After the surprising departures of forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights a few weeks ago, Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon explained that “defense wins championships.”
That’s why Tallon decided to protect 25-year-old restricted free-agent defensemen Alex Petrovic and Mark Pysyk instead of Marchessault, the team’s leading goal scorer with 30, and Smith, who had 40 goals in the past two seasons.
Thursday, Tallon resigned Pysyk, as expected, to a three-year deal worth a reported $8.2 million. He re-signed Petrovic to a oneyear deal at $1.8 million last Sunday.
Tallon said Pysyk, who was acquired last summer from the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, was “game in and game out our most consistent defenseman.”
“Mark is a young, intelligent defenseman who has become an important part of our future,” Tallon said. “He was one of our most consistent players last season and was a solid presence on our penalty kill. We look forward toMark being a steadying force on our blue line for years to come.”
The Panthers’ brass took some criticism for trading a veteran defenseman like Kulikov for Pysyk, who had bounced up and down from the Sabres’ AHL team in Rochester in his first four seasons, never having played more than 55 games in anNHLseason.
Meanwhile, Kulikov played his first seven NHL seasons in Florida and had become a dependable defenseman in the 2015-16 season.
Pysyk, 25, quieted the detractors and played 82 games with 14 assists and 3 goals for 17 points, all career highs. He led his defensive mates with a0 plus-minus, third best on the team.
Pysyk also logged a teamleading 232:26 and 23 blocked shots when shorthanded on Florida’s secondpenalty kill.
“I’ve been working on, coming into a newteam, being solid defensively,” Pysyk said on exit day in April.
Kulikov, 26, never got on track after a preseason injury and played just 47 games for Buffalo. He had 2 goals and 3 assists for a career5 points, with a team-worst minus-26. However, that didn’t deter the Winnipeg Jets from signing Kulikov to a threeyear deal worth $13 million lastweek.
Tallon also said that new coach Bob Boughner’s familiarity with Petrovic and Pysyk had something to do with the decision to protect the duo. Boughner, like Tallon a former NHL defenseman, coached the duo at the 2009 Ivan Hlinka under-18 tournament.
While Petrovic brings more of a physical presence to the blue line, as his 106 hits in just 49 games attests, Pysyk is more of a shutdown defenseman whose puck-moving ability gives his forwards a jump-start through the neutral zone.
“It’s something I take pride in, being consistent,” Pysyk said. “It’s tough to take positives out of a year we had.
“It was cool to get the 82 [games]. Obviously, that’s the goal every year, to stay healthy. Iwas lucky enough to play all the games.”
The top six Panthers defensemen heading into training camp appear to be Petrovic, Pysyk, Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle, Mike Matheson and, barring a trade, Jason Demers. Rookie Ian McCoshen and possibly MacKenzie Weegar may be in the mix.