Jamie Drysdale signed a four-year extension with the Philadelphia Flyers worth $6.5 million a season, avoiding an arbitration hearing entirely.
Around The Horn Hockey confirmed the deal earlier this week, closing the book on what had been a lingering restricted free agent case.
Drysdale was originally scheduled for a hearing on July 20th, but the two sides got a deal done first.
The new deal runs four years, a significant jump in term and dollars from his previous $2.3 million cap hit.
That is nearly triple what he was making on his entry-level deal.
The raise reflects real progress on the ice. Drysdale posted 8 goals and 24 assists for 32 points over 78 games this past season.
He also picked up real playoff experience, adding 4 points over 10 games as Philadelphia advanced through the first round.
His new cap hit nearly triples his old one
Philadelphia beat Pittsburgh in six games that round before Carolina swept the Flyers out in the second round.
This is the same core group general manager Daniel Briere locked up around Trevor Zegras just weeks earlier.
Zegras signed his own four-year extension worth $9.125 million annually, giving Philadelphia two young pieces signed well into the future.
Both deals came together during the same stretch that saw Briere publicly address the team's failed offer sheet for Leo Carlsson.
Between Zegras and Drysdale, the Flyers have now locked up a meaningful chunk of their young core without touching much of next season's cap room.
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Two extensions in, and Philadelphia still projects real cap space heading into next season, exactly the kind of flexibility Briere has said he wants to protect.
Is $6.5 million a season the right price for Jamie Drysdale?
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