A four-year deal for a checking forward you say?



That’s a rare thing.



The first name that came to mind for me when Zach Hyman’s four-year, $2.25-million-a-season deal was announced this week was Calle Jarnkrok. Nashville gave the then-24-year-old a six-year contract after only two NHL seasons last July.



Six years, $12-million.



Before Hyman, that was the last four-year deal in the league with a cap hit of $2.5-million or less. There have only been 20 total — including Hyman — in the five seasons under this new CBA.



In that group are a couple enforcers (Matt Martin being one) and some depth defencemen. A few of the deals have been bought out. Only Ryan Ellis has signed one of those contracts and broken out to become a huge bargain.



Most of the forwards there are Dale Weise types, who received a nice payday to be low-level depth for the Flyers when he hit free agency last...