Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman filled his vacancy for a right-shot defenseman with Justin Holl.
The 31-year-old was signed for three years with an annual average value of $3.4 million on Saturday’s opening day of free agency. The Wings had an opening after trading Filip Hronek at the deadline to the Vancouver Canucks.
Holl does not have the offensive skills that Hronek brought, but Holl will strengthen the Wings’ top-four defense corps.
Holl (6 foot 3, 197 pounds) adds size to the Wings’ back end. He’s a bit older than the core group that is in the mid-20s, but certainly not nearing retirement age. The Wings’ depth of right-shot defenders now reads Moritz Seider, Holl, and Gustav Lindström.
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Holl’s deal puts him under contract through 2025-26; Ben Chiarot and Jake Walman also have deals through then.
Holl has 11 goals and 71 assists and a plus-58 rating in 285 career NHL games, all spent with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Chicago Blackhawks drafted the Minnesotan at No. 54 in 2010.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Justin Holl to 3-year deal
