If there's one thing that's clear from the past week, it's that NHL teams are not afraid to spend cash.
The latest evidence comes from Columbus, where the Blue Jackets signed defenseman James Wisniewski to a reported six-year, $33 million contract.
Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson tweeted the news, while TSN's Bob McKenzie reported the terms on Twitter.
Wisniewski, 27, was traded twice last year. He was shipped in the summer from the Ducks to the Islanders, and on Dec. 28, New York traded him to Montreal. The Canadiens traded away his negotiating rights to Columbus earlier this week, receiving a conditional, late-round draft pick in return.
Wisniewski set a career high with 51 points last season, but he also had a career-worst plus-minus mark at minus-14. He played in two playoff games for Montreal against Boston, picking up a pair of assists and posting a minus-3 rating.
Wisniewski becomes the latest defenseman to sign a hefty contract prior to free agency's start. Christian Ehrhoff signed a 10-year, $40 million deal with Buffalo on Wednesday, Joni Pitkanen signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract with Carolina on Tuesday and Steve Montador signed a four-year, $11 million deal with Chicago on Thursday.
