Ottawa Senators sign Josh Norris to entry-level contract
The Ottawa Senators today announced that the club has signed American centre Josh Norris to an entry-level contract.
Josh Norris, who was a key piece of the trade that saw Erik Karlsson sent to the San Jose Sharks, has today signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators.
Norris, the 19th overall selection of the Sharks in the 2017 draft, was sent to the Senators alongside Dylan DeMelo, Chris Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers, but remained at the University of Michigan for a second season.
While only making 17 appearances for his college this season, Norris had taken the next step in his development and scored 10 goals and had 19 total points in that time.
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His strong performances saw him named an alternate captain for Team USA at this season’s World Junior Championships – helping to guide his country to a silver medal, with three goals and six total points in seven appearances.
Norris now has a bronze and silver medal to his name in the Under-20s WJC as well as a gold medal he earned at the Under-18s World Juniors during the 2016/17 season.
The Ottawa Senators are entering a crucial rebuild that will see a number of young players given an opportunity to play over the next couple of seasons and Norris could become a key piece to the puzzle after performing so well in college.
The 20-year-old centreman has good size, standing at 6-foot-1, 194lbs, and could find himself developing his game with the Belleville Senators in the AHL this upcoming season.
A year in the minors could certainly help Norris make the transition from college hockey to the professional leagues and could even open the door to him stepping up to Ottawa early if he performs well during the opening months of the season.
The Ottawa Senators could have the youngest team in the NHL next season, with the likes of Erik Brannstrom and Logan Brown potentially being given extended opportunities with the team.
If Norris performs well, he could join them and see his development accelerate during what will be a critical season for the organisation – with the prize of Alexis Lafreniere in next season’s draft a real possibility.
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What do you think of Norris signing with the Senators? Are you pleased to see him brought on board? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!