For Antoine Vermette, he hopes his new contract is a stepping stone to bigger and better things. He'll either use it to where he wants to go, or he'll slip and fall.

The 26-year-old forward avoided an arbitration hearing less than 12 hours before it was scheduled when he signed a two-year, $5.525 million deal on July 31.

Vermette is coming off a 24-goal, 29-assist season, the best of his four in the NHL. The team's fastest skater and a wizard with the puck, Vermette has pleaded for a larger offensive role than he's usually given.

The self-confidence that he can handle it comes from his final full season of junior hockey—when Vermette scored 57 goals and had 62 assists in 71 games for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Victoriaville Tigres—and the ...More