According to numerous Swiss and Finnish sources, Finnish defenseman Sami Vatanen, who currently plays in Switzerland’s National League for Genève-Servette, has already agreed to a two-year contract with Finnish club JYP Jyväskylä, starting next season.

The story appears to originate from the regional Finnish newspaper Keskisuomalaisen. Neither JYP, Genève-Servette, nor Vatanen have confirmed the deal.

Unlike in the NHL, where this would be a case of tampering, players under contract with Swiss clubs are free to negotiate and even sign with other clubs while still under contract. There are several players in the league – Noah Delémont is a recent example – who have already signed contracts to play elsewhere next season.

A native of Jyväskylä, the deal would see Vatanen return to his childhood club, and the team he turned pro with at age 18.

Vatanen was chosen in the fourth round, 106th overall, by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2012 and 2021, he played 473 NHL regular-season games for the Ducks, New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars, recording 200 points and 212 penalty minutes. He also played 51 playoff games for Anaheim, New Jersey and Carolina, recording 26 points and 24 penalty minutes.

Since 2021, Vatanen has played in Geneva, which has become somewhat of a haven for Finnish players. Other Finns currently on the roster include forwards Teemu Hartikaien, Sakari Manninen, Markus Granlund and goaltender Antti Raanta. Last season’s club included Valtteri Filppula, Henrik Haapala, Julius Honka and Jussi Olkinuora.

During his time in Switzerland, Vatanen has produced 111 points in 133 games with Genève-Servette as of Tuesday. In 2022-23, he helped the club win its first national championship since its establishment in 1905. Last season, the Swiss team won the Champions Hockey League, defeating Swedish club Skelleftea AIK at home in the final. 

Genève-Servette currently sits 12th in the 14-team National League with just six wins in 19 games. The team faces western Swiss rival Lausanne HC in the Champions Hockey League round of 16 this week and next.