Bobby Bevilacqua

Photo courtesy of Elsa Garrison/Getty Images.

New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton announced this morning that the team had re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Mat Bodie to a one year deal. He rejected his qualifying offer, but used that as the basis for his new salary.

Mat Bodie agreed to a two-way deal, with an $80,000 salary at the AHL level, and a $575k NHL cap hit. The potential NHL salary is actually less than his last contract, but he got a $10,000 raise in the AHL, which is realistically where he will spend the entirety of next season.

Bodie, 25, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Union College after his team won the NCAA Championship in 2014. He had 39 points in 40 games with Union while captaining them to the championship title.

In his first season of professional hockey with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Bodie totaled a respectable 32 points (5-27-32), adding an additional three goals and four assists in 15 playoff games with Hartford. He spent most of his time paired with Dylan McIlrath, and the duo was probably the best defensive pairing in the playoffs.

He stands at 6 feet tall, and he recently added some bulk to his frame, weighing 176 pounds. He’s known mostly as an offensive defenseman with great passing ability, playing with a lot of poise. He’s got a decent left-handed shot from the point, and there is room to grow. He can still work on his defensive coverage too, and will get that opportunity in Hartford.