Andrew Ladd will be back in Chicago next season, but only for one game when he returns with the New York Islanders. The free agent forward signed a 7-year deal with a $5.5 salary cap hit Friday.
Andrew Ladd 7 yr deal to #NYI confirmed….$5.5 cap hit #NHL
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) July 1, 2016
Ladd, 30, scored 46 points between the Winnipeg Jets and the Chicago Blackhawks last season. The 2010 Stanley Cup winner was acquired in a trade from Winnipeg near the deadline exchange for Marko Dano and first-round pick. The winger also had a goal and assist in the Hawks’ seven-game first-round playoff series against St. Louis.
Ladd will look to fill the offensive void left by Kyle Okposo, who signed a 7-year deal with Buffalo, and Frans Nielsen, who has also left the Islanders in free agency. He’ll be on the Islanders top line alongside captain John Tavares.