The New York Islanders took care of some restricted free agent business on Tuesday.
The team announced they’ve re-signed defenseman Calvin de Haan to a three-year deal and center Casey Cizikas to a two-year contract.
Arthur Staple of Newsday reports de Haan’s deal is worth $5.9 million and Cizikas’ deal is for $2 million.
Last season, de Haan got a chance to show why the Islanders took him 12th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft with three goals and 16 points in 51 games with the big club. In that time on Long Island he averaged just over 21 minutes of ice time per game.
Getting big minutes and providing solid production (as well as possession numbers) means he should factor into the Isles’ top-six on the blue line next season. Getting him for under $2 million per season makes this an outstanding deal for GM Garth Snow.
Cizikas has been a solid third and fourth line player for the past two seasons and earned a full season on Long Island this past year. In 80 games he had six goals and 16 points and played an average of 13:22 per game. Now that the Isles have Mikhail Grabovski joining John Tavares and Frans Nielsen up the middle, Cizikas’ role on the fourth line would seem to be set.