CALGARY — The Calgary Flames have brought Olli Jokinen back into the fold, just months after trading him to the New York Rangers.
Flames general manager Darryl Sutter signed the Finnish centre to a two-year deal Thursday when the free agent market opened. The deal is reported to be worth US$3 million per year.
The move is controversial as Sutter dealt Jokinen and his $5.25-million salary Feb. 2 to the Rangers for forward Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik.
The 31-year-old Kotalik, who has $3 million per year left on a two-year contract, was placed on waivers by the Flames earlier this week. Higgins is an unrestricted free agent.
The Flames acquired Jokinen, 31, from Phoenix at the trade deadline in 2009 and gave up a first-round pick in this year’s entry draft to get him.
Jokinen had 11 goals and 24 assists in 56 games for the Flames last season. After his arrival from the Coyotes, he had eight goals in his first eight games for Calgary, but was held off the scoresheet the final 13 games.
The Flames also brought left-winger Alex Tanguay back on a one-year deal worth a reported $1.7 million. Tanguay had the best season of his career in a Flames uniform in 2006-07 when he had 81 points.