Volchenkov signs with Devils for six years, $25.5M

Although Ottawa Senators fans have assumed it would be happening for weeks now, Anton Volchenkov is no longer a Senator: He signed a six-year, $25.5M deal with the New Jersey Devils today, worth $4.25M per season.

The deal was far less than the $5-6M people were predicting Volchenkov could make on the open market, but realistically, those were far-fetched. Still, compared to the Senators' reported offer of $20M over five seasons, this isn't much money for Volchenkov to be moving for. Still, might be that extra year that drew him to New Jersey--and the fact that, after signing Sergei Gonchar, the Senators had little money left to entertain the possibility of bringing Volchenkov back, even if he decided his asking price was too high.

But with the departure of the A-Train means a lot of Senators fans will have their hearts broken. He was an outstanding warrior for the Senators, left everything he had on the ice and rarely had injury problems despite the punishing style he played.