Edmonton Oilers sign Markus Niemelainen to two-year extension
Credit: James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports
The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Markus Niemelainen to a two-year contract extension, the club announced Thursday.
The deal, according to PuckPedia, pays him an AAV of $762,500. Year one is a two-way agreement paying him $750,000 in the NHL and $300,000 in the minor leagues and has a guarantee of $300,000. Year two of the deal is a one-way agreement paying him $775,000.
Niemelainen, 23, has appeared in his first 20 games of his NHL career this season. While he has only tallied one point, he leads all defensemen who have played at least 260 minutes in hits per 60 with a whopping 18.64 — a full three-plus hits per 60 more than the second-place Mark Borowiecki.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.