Ryane Clowe Reportedly Signs 5-Year, $24 Million Deal with New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils made a splash in the NHL free-agent market on Friday morning, reportedly signing former San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers winger Ryane Clowe to a five-year contract.

ESPN's Pierre LeBrun had the report on Twitter:

The 30-year-old Clowe was a sixth-round selection of the Sharks in 2001. Beginning in the 2005-06 season, he played each of his first full seven professional seasons in San Jose, highlighted by a 62-point performance during the 2010-11 campaign. 

San Jose traded Clowe to the Rangers in April after he went scoreless in 28 games to start the lockout-shortened season. As noted by Kevin Kurz of CSNBayArea.com, the Rangers gave up three draft picks (two in 2013, one in 2014) to acquire Clowe at the trade deadline. Clowe waived his no-trade clause to join the Rangers. 

He got off to a hot start in the Big Apple, scoring two goals in his first appearance with the Rangers. He would finish with three goals at the end of the regular season. 

TSN's James Mirtle thinks Clowe got one heck of a deal from New Jersey based on the production he provided in San Jose and New York last year:

Clowe played in 40 games for the Sharks and the Rangers last year, picking up three goals and 16 assists for a total of 19 points. He helped the Rangers finish second in the Atlantic Division, but the club couldn't make enough noise to compete for the Stanley Cup. 

The Rangers lost to the Boston Bruins in the 2013 NHL Eastern Conference semifinals and Clowe dealt with injuries that limited him during the series. Clowe had an assist during two appearances for New York during the playoffs. 

Even so, it looked as though he wasn't ruling out a potential return to New York (via Rangers on Twitter):

But New Jersey stepped up to the plate to reportedly sign Clowe on Friday, giving the winger a contract that will take him through the age of 35. 

New Jersey missed the playoffs for the second time in the last three seasons this year, and hope the right winger's future production will return to the level of the early part of his career in San Jose.