The Ducks are getting their alternate captain back for one more year.
That’s the news out of Anaheim today as the club announced Saku Koivu had agreed to a one-year extension. (Eric Stephens of the OC Register reports it’s a $3 million deal plus bonuses.)
Koivu, 37, appeared in his third season with Anaheim in 2011-12, scoring 11-27=38 points with a +7 rating and 50 penalty minutes (PIM) in 74 contests. He co-led the team in takeaways (35), ranked second in shifts-per-game (24.5), tied for second in plus/minus and third in assists. The 5-10, 180-pound center led the club in faceoff wins (646) and faceoff percentage (52.4), while ranking fourth among team forwards in time-on-ice (18:07).
As that stat-heavy excerpt suggests, Koivu’s coming off a solid campaign with the Ducks. He was especially strong as the Ducks surged in January and February, scoring 15 points in 27 games while posting a plus-11 rating.
It’s not surprising that Koivu wanted back in Anaheim.
“We’ve enjoyed it a lot,” Koivu told the OC Register in early April. “Everything that we looked for has happened except the success in the playoffs. When you’re family’s happy, you feel comfortable. I don’t see a reason why I should go and look for something else.
That said, it’ll be interesting to see if the Koivu deal plays a role in Teemu Selanne returning for another season. The 41-year-old is close to Koivu, a fellow Finn, and served with Koivu as one of Anaheim’s two alternate captains this past year.