Ottawa Senators give Anders Nilsson two-year contract extension
By James Reeve
The Ottawa Senators have announced that goaltender Anders Nilsson has been given a new two-year contract extension by the organisation.
Heading into the 2019/20 season, the Ottawa Senators now look set to have Anders Nilsson performing backup goaltender duties once again after handing him a two-year extension.
According to the team’s official release, Nilsson will hold an AAV of $2.6 million – a slight upgrade on the $2.5 million he held over the past two seasons.
Nilsson will be paid $2.8 million dollars for the 2019/20 season while earning $2.4 million the following season – though how the money will be split has not yet been revealed.
More from Ottawa Senators News
- BREAKING: Vladimir Tarasenko Is an Ottawa Senators
- Former Ottawa Senators Forward Nate Thompson Retires
- Joonas Korpisalo: The Solution To The Senators’ Goaltending Problem
- Uneventful. Boring. Dull. The 2023 NHL Draft
- Meet the Ottawa Senators NHL Draft Picks
The 29-year-old Swedish goalie has performed well as the Senators’ backup since arriving in the blockbuster trade that saw Ottawa also acquire Darren Archibald in exchange for Mike McKenna, Tom Pyatt and a 2019 sixth-round draft pick.
In 22 games attributed to Nilsson, the 6-foot-6, 232lbs former third-round pick in 2009 had a dead-even 11-11-0 record, with a decent save percentage of .914 and a goal against average of 2.90.
The journeyman now looks set to play through the Senators’ rebuild, with the future of long-time starter Craig Anderson still a question mark beyond this season.
If Anderson opts to retire or the organisation moves on from him, Nilsson could find himself earning a lot of ice time while helping the organisation’s young Swedish goalies Filip Gustavsson and Marcus Hogberg through their own development process.
The goaltender tandem that the Ottawa Senators plan to have next season was a question mark prior to Nilsson’s extension, with a number of fans wondering whether or not Hogberg would be given an opportunity to compete for the backup role during camp this summer.
With Nilsson being paid $2.6 million a season on average, it’s clear the Senators are comfortable with the 2018 World Championship gold medalist between the pipes for the immediate future.
Bob Boughner could be an Ottawa Senators assistant. dark. Next
What do you think Sens fans? Are you pleased to see Nilsson brought back for the next two seasons? Were you hoping to see Hogberg make the step up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!