The Winnipeg Jets allowed Keaton Ellerby to become an unrestricted free agent when they decided not to present him with a qualifying offer. Despite that, the Jets announced today that he has inked a one-year, two-way deal with the club.
Ellerby will come with a $700,000 cap hit if he plays in the NHL. This is his first two-way deal since his entry-level contract.
The 25-year-old defenseman had two goals and six points in 51 contests in 2013-14. He averaged just 13:54 minutes per game.
He’s traveled quite a bit over the past few years. Ellerby was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers, but he was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings in Feb. 2013 in exchange for a fifth round pick. Like the Jets, the Kings decided not to present Ellerby with a qualifying offer in the summer of 2013, but signed him to a one-year extension anyways. They put him on waivers in November and he was claimed by Winnipeg.