Finally, Alex Alud Has Come Back To Ottawa!

Your Ottawa Senators spent the first few hours of Free Agency bringing back a familiar face. Returning to Ottawa for a second tour of duty is goal tender Alex Auld who will fill the back-up role behind starter Craig Anderson. Auld was signed to a one year contract worth $1 million dollars.

The 30 year old Auld spent the 2010-11 season with the Montreal Canadiens where he played 16 games, posting a 6-2-2 record with a 2.64 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. Alud last played in Ottawa during the 2008-09 season where he played 43 games with a record of 16-18-7 and a 2.47 GAA and a .911 SV%. In 223 career National Hockey League games, Auld has posted a 89-84-2-6 record with six career shutouts, a 2.77 goals-against-average and a .905 save percentage.

Auld is known as a team-first guy and will be good in the locker room. He won’t rock the boat and will play the back-up role perfectly. He knows the organization and the city well and is friends with starter Craig Anderson so the two should have a great working relationship. And with the one year deal, Auld won’t stop the development of Robin Lehner who is expected to play the back-up role for Ottawa in the 2012-2013 season.

Here is GM Byran Murray speaking about the Auld signing and a few other free agent issues. Video courtesy of SensTV.

Murray did look at other back-up goalie options, but as he said in the interview, term was an issue. Auld knows he is here for a one-off and will have to find a new home next summer again. The fact that he still signed here is good news for the Sens as Auld will come in here and be professional.

With a back-up goalie now in place, there are only a few forward spots open on the roster that need to be filled. With these spots expected to be filled by Ottawa’s RFAs, Ottawa will look to shore up their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators with a few AHL veterans and a goalie or two.

Ottawa also signed pylon enforcer Francis Lessard to a one year, two-way contract.

What are your thoughts on the Auld signing?

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