Report: Penguins sign Christian Ehrhoff

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defensman Christian Ehrhoff to a one-year, $4 million contract, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. The deal includes a full no-movement clause, per Elliotte Friedman.

Ehrhoff was a surprise compliance buyout candidate this week by the Buffalo Sabres after signing a 10-year, $40 million contract with the club in 2011. The former fourth-round pick of the Sharks in 2001 led the Sabres defense with 33 points this past season. In his three seasons in Buffalo, the former Shark and Canuck tallied just 16 goals. 

Ehrhoff is an excellent fit for a Penguins team that is sure to lose Matt Niskanen on the open market. At just $4 million per season, Ehrhoff comes in at a much more affordable price point than Niskanen will after today, and the German born defender is probably the better player.

It'll be a nice change of pace for Ehrhoff to have actual skilled players to pass the puck to again, after spending three years with the inept Sabres. The puck moving defender is particularly effective on the power-play, which will be a boon for a Penguins team that could use a player of Ehrhoff's caliber in that spot (Kris Letang, for whatever indecipherable reason, has never been as effective as you might expect at five-on-four). 

Basically Ehrhoff gets to go to a contending team with a chance to win and rebuild his value while tossing outlet passes to the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. It's maybe not the payday that many were expecting Ehrhoff to net in free agency, but it's certainly a win-win for the team and the player.