Devils avoid arbitration with Mark Fraser, sign him to one-year $550,000 deal
By Joe YerdonJul 26, 2011, 6:26 PM EDT
One would have to think that going into an arbitration hearing up against Devils GM Lou Lamoriello has to rank up there as one of the worst things to do when trying to win a case. You'd have to think that's just what was going through defenseman Mark Fraser's mind as time ticked away leading up to his arbitration hearing on August 4.
Fraser and the Devils agreed to have peace in Newark and settled upon a one-year, $550,000 contract to have Fraser provide blue line depth and toughness for a Devils team that's not likely to be lacking in aggression. Last season, Fraser played in 26 games in New Jersey amassing no goals and two assists while piling up 29 penalty minutes. Fraser had his season interrupted by a broken right hand suffered in October that kept him out of action for over a month. Fraser also suffered a scarier injury getting hit in the face with a puck in April.
Fraser will be part of the depth unit of Devils defensemen fighting for a job with Mark Fayne, Matt Corrente, Jay Leach, and Matt Taormina. Should Fraser get the minutes he's looking for, he'll join Eric Boulton and Cam Janssen as part of a unit that can fight for themselves and the puck as well.
With Fraser all set, the Devils will now no longer have any other distractions away from their last restricted free agent in Zach Parise. Those negotiations figure to be a bit more interesting in how they're settled.
Tags: arbitration, Lou Lamoriello, Mark Fraser, restricted free agent, Zach Parise