The Carolina Hurricanes have signed draft pick Vasiliy Ponomarev to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Tuesday.
The deal will pay Ponomarev $700,000 in the NHL in his first year, with the two subsequent years valued each at $750,000, or $80,000 in the AHL for all three seasons. He also received a signing bonus of $255,000.
"Vasiliy is a strong two-way player with a high hockey IQ," Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. "We were excited to get a player of his caliber in the second round of the draft and believe he has a bright future."
Ponomarev, 18, was selected in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, 53rd overall. The Moscow, Russia, native recorded 18 goals and 49 points in 57 games with the QMJHL's Shawinigan Cataractes last season.
