Wild Sign Eric Belanger

[blackngold]

SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Minnesota Wild President and General Manager Doug Risebrough today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed free agent center Eric Belanger (pronounced buh-LAWN-zhay) to a multi-year contract.

“Eric is a strong two-way center who can score, play a responsible game and bring consistent energy at both ends of the ice,” said Risebrough.

Belanger, 29 (12/16/77), tallied 35 points (17-18=35) and 26 penalty minutes (PIM) in 80 games with Carolina and Atlanta in 2006-07 and won 53.1% of face-offs taken (640 of 1206). The 6-foot, 190-pound center notched 20 points (8-12=20) in 56 games with Carolina before being traded to Nashville for Josef Vasicek on Feb. 9, 2007. Belanger was then acquired by Atlanta in exchange for Vitaly Vishnevski on Feb. 10. He collected 15 points (9-6=15) in 24 contests with the Thrashers and notched one goal in four playoff games. Belanger set career-highs with 17 goals and 37 points in 2005-06 with Los Angeles and tied his career-high with 20 assists. The Sherbrooke, Quebec-native has recorded 185 points (80-105=185) and 195 PIM in 403 career NHL contests during six seasons with Los Angeles, Carolina and Atlanta.

He was originally selected by the Kings in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.

[jkidd]

Not a bad signing... finally. I like the price as well. About right (around $1.75 million) for a 30-35 point guy. Should be a nice replacement to Todd White.

[DaveBrown69]

Decent signing by Minni.

[Isles4life]

He should fit in real well with the Minny system. Good pickup, and good work keeping it under 2 mill a year.

[cooke-swallows]

Wish he played more like Ken Belanger, but still not a bad signing. Anything beats Hall, Moore, or Smith.

[BrianTheAdsFan]

Good production for the money...good signing IMO

[DaveBrown69]

Originally Posted by cooke-swallows

Wish he played more like Ken Belanger, but still not a bad signing. Anything beats Hall, Moore, or Smith.

LOL. That'd be nice.

[Snipes19]

Originally Posted by jkidd

Not a bad signing... finally. I like the price as well. About right (around $1.75 million) for a 30-35 point guy. Should be a nice replacement to Todd White.

White is still a little better than Belanger IMO, but it's not a bad replacement. Either way, it's an improvement over Adam Hall and Wyatt Smith. Not a bad signing by the Wild...