Top key man has signed a seven-year contract worth \$59.5 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets, carrying an average annual value of \$8.5 million.
The 28-year-old defenseman recorded 33 points (seven goals, 26 assists) across 82 games last season with Columbus. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.
“I always wanted to stay,” Provorov said. “From what I understood, they wanted me back too. Of course, they considered other possibilities, so it was a stressful week.
“There were moments I wasn’t sure if I’d return, but the desire on both sides to get a deal done was clear. I’m happy we reached an agreement to stay together.”
Drafted seventh overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015, Provorov has tallied 282 points (77 goals, 205 assists) over 696 regular-season games with the Flyers and Blue Jackets. He’s also added 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 22 playoff appearances.
“We really wanted to keep Provy, and it was obvious he wanted to stay,” said Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell. “While conversations started weeks ago, the real progress came in the last 24 hours. Once you get close to a deadline, that urgency helps move things forward.”
This move comes on the heels of Columbus re-signing defenseman Dante Fabbro to a four-year, \$16.5 million deal on Sunday and trading for forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from Colorado two days earlier.
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