ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – The Anaheim Ducks signed holdout Hampus Lindholm to a six-year, $31.5 million contract through the 2021-22 season on Thursday, ending a stalemate with their talented Swedish defenseman.
The 22-year-old Lindholm scored 92 points in 236 games over the past three seasons, developing into one of the NHL’s top young blueliners with a fluid two-way game. He also has 15 points in 34 playoff games for the Ducks.
“I’m really happy to be back in Anaheim,” Lindholm said in a phone interview from Sweden. “That’s where I’ve been all my career. This is the only time when we had time to sign me, and we could still keep some players. It was kind of perfect that way to keep the team that we had last year.”
The Swede missed training camp and Anaheim’s first eight regular-season games while holding out as a restricted free agent. Both sides wanted a long-term deal that recognized Lindholm as one of the NHL’s top young players at his position, but the Ducks are run on a budget, and they’re nearly out of salary-cap room in a payroll filled with large veteran contracts.
“I was hoping to get this done in the summer, of course, but that’s just how it is,” Lindholm said. “I can’t do too much about that. You just have to try to get to the point where you agree.”