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Ducks sign Sami Vatanen to four-year, $19.5-million deal

Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen, who is ill, had a career-high 38 points and 29 assists last season.
(Kelvin Kuo / Associated Press)
By Helene Elliott
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The Ducks on Saturday announced they had signed defenseman Sami Vatanen to a four-year contract worth $19.5 million, a reasonable price for the 25-year-old Finn after he hit career-best marks in assists (29) and points (38) last season. Vatanen had been eligible to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

Vatanen’s contract breaks down to $5 million in the 2016-17 season, $5 million in 2017-18, $5 million in 2018-19, and $4.5 million in 2019-20. He has a partial no-trade clause that applies to only the last two seasons.

His signing maintains the Ducks’ depth on defense, with youngsters Shea Theodore and Brandon Montour expected to challenge for regular roles. With a surplus on defense — and mobile, young defensemen always in demand — the Ducks can make moves to fill other needs.

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General Manager Bob Murray has three more key players to sign before they can become restricted free agents: forward Rickard Rakell, defenseman Hampus Lindholm and goaltender Frederik Andersen.

helene.elliott@latimes.com

Twitter: @helenenothelen

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Helene Elliott

Helene Elliott was with the Los Angeles Times’ Sports department from 1989 to 2024, first as a staff writer and then, starting in 2006, as a columnist. She became the first female journalist to be honored with a plaque in the Hall of Fame of a major professional sport as the 2005 winner of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Elmer Ferguson Award, awarded to writers “who have brought honor to journalism and to hockey.” A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she has covered 18 Olympics.

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