Three rare bottom-pairing defensemen still making bottom dollar.

If there’s one thing this is becoming transparent with regards to contracts being handed out to bottom pairing defensemen (and to be clear, I am referring to guys who would play a third pairing or less role on their respective teams), these guys have value to their NHL teams and these teams are not afraid to compensate them both in regards to dollars as well as term.

It’s becoming commonplace to sign these guys, off their entry-level contracts or even their bridge contracts, to new long-term deals. It’s also more common for these contracts to be for big money.  The past couple of seasons have seen more bottom pairing guys getting that contract right in the $3.5 – $4 million range.  The most recent contracts that fall under this placement went out to Mattias Ekholm (six years, $22.5M for an annual average of $3.75M) of the Nashville Predators and also to Simon Despres (five years, $18.5M, an annual average of $3.7M) of the Anaheim Ducks.  It’s been said many times by many people, if you are a defenseman and can skate and chew gum in the NHL, you can get something close to $4M per season. 

In this week’s Capped, we are going to take a look at a few other bottom pairing defensemen who are pending free agents at the end of this season and could very well getting a contract extension right in that vicinity, both in regards to term and also dollar amount. 

Eric Gryba – Edmonton Oilers

The 27-year-old Gryba is in the final season of his current contract that is paying him $1.25M and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year.

At 6-foot-4, Gryba is not afraid of the physical game and will throw his body around willingly.  He is something the Oilers, and many other teams desire; grit.  He’s come into Edmonton and played a sound role for the Oilers considering he’s constantly had to change defensive partners, either due to injuries or just a change from the coach; something most defensemen will tell you isn’t an easy role to play.

He isn’t flashy and won’t show up often on the score sheet, unless it’s in the penalty section, but brings a lot of leadership to the team. 

The fact that he is unrestricted could help drive his price up in the off-season, if he gets that far before re-signing.

Dmitry Orlov – Washington Capitals

The 24-year-old Orlov is currently making $2M and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the year. 

Due to injuries, the offensive minded defenseman has missed close to the last year and a half but is finding his way back and working his way up the ladder in regards to ice time.  As his confidence grows, so will his numbers. 

Orlov has top-four potential and if he can stay healthy long enough to show it, he may not be that far away from reaching it. 

Patrick Wiercioch – Ottawa Senators

The 25-year-old Wiercioch is coming to the end of his bridge contract that saw him make, on average, $2M for the past three years.  He is a restricted free agent at the end of this season and will be due a decent raise to go along with his rise through the organization.

Wiercioch played well enough last season to get the call to play for Team Canada at the World Championships, where he was lucky enough to win a gold medal.

He’s not the fastest skater, or an overly aggressive defenseman, but he’s a smart two-way player with offensive upside.  He is already seeing PP2 time and has the skill-set to be a consistent top four defenseman for the Senators for years to come.

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Thanks to Cap Friendly for the salary information and Frozen Pool for the statistical information.  Also, feel free to follow me on twitter @chrispudsey for plenty of regular updates and information.