The Buffalo Sabres have re-upped with agitator extraordinaire Patrick Kaleta on a multi-year deal.
According to John Vogl of the Buffalo News, it’s a three-year deal worth $3.825 million -- so, an average annual value of $1.275 million.
Kaleta, 26, has spent all six of his NHL seasons with the Sabres organization, appearing in a career-high 63 games last year (while posting a career-high 116 penalty minutes.)
One of the league’s premier pests, Kaleta gained infamy last season upon being suspended four games for headbutting Philly’s Jakub Voracek. During NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan’s suspension explanation, it was revealed Kaleta was something of a serial headbutter.
Retaining Kaleta is part of Buffalo’s offseason initiative to become tougher to play against. Earlier, GM Darcy Regier traded Derek Roy to Dallas in exchange for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy, the former also regarded as one of the league’s preeminent pests.
Regier also inked 6-foot-8 enforcer John Scott, who promised nobody would be bowling over Ryan Miller without retribution next season.