Sami Vatanen’s stint with his favorite childhood franchise isn’t over yet.
The Ducks on Saturday re-signed the defenseman to a four-year contract extension worth an estimated $19.5 million that runs through the 2019-20 season. It was the team’s first major signing since Anaheim opted to bring back head coach Randy Carlyle for a second stint on Tuesday.
“The Ducks have been my favorite team since I was five years old,” Vatanen said, via the team’s website. “And it all started with the Mighty Ducks movies. I was watching those a lot when I was a kid, and from there the Ducks started being my favorite.
“Teemu (Selanne) played there and everybody here followed him. I’ve just always loved the team and now I love the place, the weather and everything. It was a dream come true when they drafted me, and now I’ve had a chance to be there four or five years. Now I’ll be there four more. It’s a very nice feeling.”
Before the deal was done, Vatanen was a restricted free agent after logging nine goals and a career-high 29 assists for a career-best 38 points last season. The 25-year-old also led the club’s defensemen in scoring, points per game and power play points (19).
After making $1.275 million last season, Vatanen will become Anaheim’s highest-paid defenseman next season.
“It’s always been my dream to play in Anaheim and I wanted to stay there. I can see they really wanted me there, so that helps a lot with negotiations and things like that,” Vatanen said. “It’s a big thing that they trust me there, and I feel like I have a chance to help the team. It’s just really exciting, and I’m happy it’s all done.”
With Vatanen’s contract extension locked up, the Ducks still have a number of key free agents to deal with before July 1, including goaltender Frederik Andersen and forwards Rickard Rakelland and Brandon Pirri.