Ottawa Senators Sign Chris Kelly to 1 Year Contract
By Ian Smith
The Ottawa Senators have brought back a familiar face. They’ve signed Chris Kelly to a 1 year deal worth $900,000.
Kelly played with the Senators from 2003-2011. He was dealt to the Boston Bruins in a midseason trade that season for a 2nd round pick in 2011 that ended up being Shane Prince.
Prince was traded to the New York Islanders last season after playing in 42 career games for the Senators and scoring 13 points.
The Senators are now getting a second tenure with Kelly. The forward won a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins the first season he was there in 2011, and the Senators are hoping that his veteran leadership can help elevate a talented team to the next level.
During his time with the Senators, Kelly was a consistent contributor, usually racking up somewhere between 25-35 points per season.
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Kelly is also adept as a penalty killer, which is something that the Senators need to improve on. The gritty and industrious two-way forward can help aid in that regard. Ottawa had the 29th ranked penalty killing unit in the NHL, killing off just 75.8% of penalties.
Despite their struggles with a man down, they lead the NHL in shorthanded goals with 17. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Zack Smith combined for 12 of those 17.
Kelly has 10 shorthanded goals in his career, and is more than capable to providing a jolt to that penalty killing unit.
Kelly was the anchor of the Bruins’ penalty killing unit before he broke his femur last season. He played in only 11 games in 2015-2016, scoring 2 goals.
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Kelly can supply toughness for the Senators. His ability on the penalty kill will be utilized, and he may settle into a role as a 3rd-4th line center or left winger.