Antoine Vermette returns to Arizona a playoff hero after Hawks Cup run

Antoine Vermette got his Stanley Cup, and now he’s going home … to Arizona on a two-year $7.5 million contract.

Vermette scored three game winning playoff goals with the Blackhawks on their run to the 2015 Stanley Cup and won 58.9 percent of his face-offs. He was considered one of the top unrestricted free agent center targets and hoped to cash in on his playoff success, and he sort of did, getting the same type of contract monetarily as he had in his prior five-year $18.75 million contract.

Per Elliotte Friedman, Vermette has a no movement clause in his contract, which is so funny since it was a trade to Chicago that enabled Vermette to become a postseason hero. Two of his game winners came in the Stanley Cup Final.  

This is phenomenal – simply because it hardly happens, when a team trades a pending UFA player and the player goes back to the team that traded him.

If Vermette has a home in Arizona, and the money made sense, then why not?

For a 32-year-old two-way center, that’s a solid deal. But I’m just imagining Vermette rocking his Cup bling in front of his Coyotes teammates next season. Shane Doan may rip his head off.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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