After a disappointing stint with the rebuilding New York Rangers, Kevin Shattenkirk now gets a legitimate shot at a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The team announced that it has signed the defenseman to a one-year, $1.75 million contract.
The Rangers bought out the last two years of the 30-year-old’s contract last week.
Shattenkirk played 119 games with the Rangers over the past two seasons, scoring 51 points (7 goals, 44 assists) with a minus-29. But his game never recovered after an injury-filled first season with the team, and his 1.4 shooting percentage last season was the worst of his career.
His contract carried an average annual value against the salary cap of $6.65 million through 2021. According to Cap Friendly, the Rangers will save $5,166,667 million against the cap this season, as Shattenkirk’s cap hit would be reduced to $1,483,333 in 2019-20.
The buyout will be spread out over the next four seasons, with the Rangers also paying him $6,083,333 in 2020-21, and $1,433,333 in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
After a year splitting time with the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals, Shattenkirk became a coveted unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2017 as one of the NHL’s better puck-moving defensemen. Spurning longer-term deals, he signed a four-year, $26 million contract with the Rangers on July 1, his favorite team as a child while growing up in New Rochelle, where his parents still live.
The Lightning had an opening on the blue line after Anton Stralman signed with the Panthers and Dan Girardi became an unrestricted free agent.
Information from ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski was used in this report.