The Edmonton Oilers announced on Tuesday afternoon that they have signed forward Joakim Nygard to a one-year contract extension. The new contract will carry a cap hit of $875,000—roughly $50,000 less than his previous deal.
He is currently out long term after undergoing surgery on on Jan. 31 to repair a broken hand. He suffered the injury on Jan. 29 in a 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames.
Nygard was never drafted to the NHL and spent the past seven seasons playing in Sweden. Last May he used his NHL out-clause to sign a one-year, $925,000 contract.
The biggest part of Nygard's game is his speed, and he proved that at the Oilers annual skills competition when he posted the best time in the fastest skater contest, even beating Connor McDavid.
Along with his speed, Nygard also has a bit of an edge to his game. He's a tremendous forechecker and he doesn't back down when things get a little rough in the corners.
The 27-year-old has three goals and nine points in 33 games this season.
There's no exact timetable for his return, but he is expected to be back before playoffs get under way.
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