Last season’s Hobey Baker Award winner Will
Butcher announced on August 27th that he has decided to join the New
Jersey Devils. The 22-year-old defenceman from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was
named the top player in college hockey for the 2016/17 campaign where he played
for the University of Denver. Butcher and the Devils agreed on a two-year entry
level contract which is worth $1.85 million. It was also reported that he could
earn as much as $850,000 a year in bonuses if he reaches certain
performance-based milestones.
There were numerous teams interested in
Butcher after he turned down a contract offer from the Colorado Avalanche on
August 15th. The Avalanche originally drafted him in the 2013 NHL
Entry Draft’s fifth round with the 123rd pick, but the player and
club couldn’t agree to terms on a deal. Butcher then became an unrestricted
free agent in mid-August. Since he’s on an entry-level contract, Butcher will
be making the maximum salary allowed for the next two seasons at $925,000 a
season and the $850,000 yearly bonuses are also the maximum allowed for current
rookie contracts.
Therefore, Butcher would have received the
same pay no matter which club he signed for, but he felt the Devils were the
best fit for his situation and style of play. He was also giving serious
consideration to signing with the Vegas Knights or the Buffalo Sabres. Devils’
general manager Ray Shero was thrilled to land the promising young defenceman
as his team is hoping to make the playoffs in the upcoming 2017/18 season.
Butcher is just the seventh defenceman to capture the Hobey Baker Award and he
helped his college team win the national title earlier this year.
The Devils fortunes seem to have turned
around since missing the postseason last year as the club also won the draft
lottery this year and chose centre Nico Hischier of Switzerland with the
first-overall pick. Shero then picked up 26-year old skilful forward Marcus
Johansson from the Washington Capitals just a few weeks later. The left-handed
shooting Butcher is expected to step in immediately and help the Devils in
their youthful rebuild. He finished last season with seven goals and 30 assists
for 37 points in 43 games and finished his career at the University of Denver with
103 points on 28 goals and 75 assists in 158 contests.
Butcher is now the second consecutive Hobey
Baker Award winner who chose to become a free agent after wrapping up his
career in the college ranks. Forward Jimmy Vesey, who was originally drafted by
Nashville, decided to turn down their contract offer last year and the club
traded his rights to the Buffalo Sabres. However, the Sabres and Vesey also
failed to come to terms and the former Harvard players shopped his services
around before deciding to sign with the New York Rangers. Vesey then went on to
a decent rookie season by scoring 16 goals and 11 assists for the Rangers in 80
games.
Labels: Ian Palmer