Ottawa Senators Sign 6 Players First Day of Free Agency
By Ian Smith
The Ottawa Senators have had an eventful first day of free agency. Although they didn’t land any high profile free agents, they were still able to improve their depth through numerous two-way contracts.
6 players were signed by the Senators to these two-way contracts, providing both NHL and AHL payments depending on what league each of the players are in.
5 of the 6 were one year deals, and symbolic opportunities to try to carve out a niche in the long terms plans of the Senators.
Defenseman Michael Kostka’s NHL deal gives him $800,000, while his AHL contract pays him $325,000.
Forward Casey Bailey’s NHL contract pays $874,125 and his AHL contract doles out $70,000.
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Forward Max McCormick is getting $650,000 for his NHL deal and $72,500 in the AHL.
Forward Phil Varone has signed for $700,000 in the NHL and $325,000 in the AHL.
Forward Chad Nehring signed for $600,000 in the NHL and $125,000 in the AHL.
The biggest news out of the group of signees was that of forward Michael Blunden, who earned himself a two-year two-way deal.
The Senators have committed more time for him to improve his skills than the others. The first year of his two-way deal is worth $725,000 in the NHL and $275,000 in the AHL. That total bumps up to $750,000 in the NHL for his second year, and remains constant in the AHL.
Kostka only played 15 games with Ottawa last season, but participated in the 2016 AHL All Star Game with Binghamton.
These moves were made primarily to solidify depth, and these players may be called upon to help the Senators when seemingly inevitable injuries strike during the course of an 82 game hockey season.
Next: Ottawa Senators Officially Begin Free Agency Period
The Senators will still have to figure out their situations with guys like Mike Hoffman and Cody Ceci in the near future, while also doing their due diligence in exploring the veteran free agent market for help in improving their team.