Bergenheim avoids arbitration, signs 2 year deal with Isles

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

Forward Sean Bergenheim, who was the only Islander to file for arbitration, avoided a hearing when he reached agreement today on a two-year deal worth $1.725 million. It appears Bergenheim’s recent decision to change agents facilitated the process.

Bergenheim switched to Allan Walsh. His previous agents, Mark Gandler and Todd Diamond, have clashed with Islanders management several times in the past. Once he made the change, negotiations began in earnest. Bergenheim, who will have one more season as a restricted free agent when the contract ends, will make $800,000 this season and $925,000 the following season.

Read more from On the Islanders Beat here.

Bergenheim didn’t need to cause anymore distractions for himself prior to next season. Now that he has a new contract in-hand, he can just focus on playing and proving himself to be an important cog in the Islanders’ youth movement.