When Devin Setoguchi signed a 1-year deal last summer with the San Jose Sharks, it was a contract that screamed "show us something."
Show us you can put together consecutive impressive offensive seasons. Show us that while you're a streaky scorer, the hot times will be more prominent than the cold ones. Show us you're worth a multi-year commitment.
Setoguchi followed a 20-goal, 16-assist season with a 22-goal, 19-assist season that included 7 goals in the Sharks' 2011 Stanley Cup Playoff run. That was enough for GM Doug Wilson and the Sharks: The 24-year-old right wing was handed a 3-year, $9 million contract on Thursday before he hit restricted free agency.
He made $1.8 million last season.
According to Brodie Brazil of CSN Bay Area, who broke the news, Wilson describes Setoguchi as "trending up" and was happy to re-sign him.
As Fear The Fin blogger Jason Plank pointed out after the signing, Setoguchi put up 15 goals, 13 assists, and 28 points in the last 33 games of the regular season. The catch is that he put up 7 goals and 5 assists in his first 33 games of last season.
Maybe that elusive consistency comes with continued maturity. The Sharks feel comfortable enough to give him three years to find it.