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The Ottawa Senators have a goaltender conundrum

By James Reeve |
OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 20: Ottawa Senators Goalie Mike Condon (1) prepares to make a save during warm-up before National Hockey League action between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators on October 20, 2018, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 20: Ottawa Senators Goalie Mike Condon (1) prepares to make a save during warm-up before National Hockey League action between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators on October 20, 2018, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

With the re-signing of Anders Nilsson, the Ottawa Senators have quite a cramped goaltender group that will need to be dealt with this off-season.

At the time of writing, the Ottawa Senators have five goaltenders under contract and are reportedly working on a new deal for Marcus Hogberg, who is an RFA this summer.

Once Hogberg is given his extension, the Senators will have six goalies vying for just four spots split between the NHL team and the Belleville Senators in the AHL.

Some players it is clear where their immediate future lies, with Filip Gustavsson, arguably still the team’s future in net, along with recent FA signing Joey Daccord being placed in the AHL before the start of the season.

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The goaltender battle in the AHL will be one of interest to the team this season, with three goalies fighting it out to claim as many minutes as possible.

Hogberg is still expected to be the starter in Belleville, but the competition of Gustavsson and Daccord behind him will be one that the organisation will pay close attention to.

In the NHL, Craig Anderson, the longest-serving and most successful goaltender in team history, is more than likely to see out his final year in Ottawa – though his future in the NHL is significantly less clear once he becomes a UFA in 2020.

Anderson has been a great servant to the Senators organisation, but the team will likely move on from the 38-year-old American to help progress the development of their younger goalies.

With Anders Nilsson receiving a new two-year extension that will hold an annual cap hit of $2.6 million also indicates that the Ottawa Senators are comfortable with the 29-year-old Swede as their backup.

So that leaves Mike Condon as the logical odd man out, with the Needham, Massachusetts missing the majority of this past season through injury.

Condon has been a serviceable backup for the Senators over the previous two seasons, featuring often during the regular season and in two games during the team’s run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2017.

With the team committing to Nilsson, however, it shows that the American’s tenure in the Canadian capital is coming to an end.

But in what way will Condon find himself departing the Ottawa club?

One option could be to trade the former Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins goalie, with a number of teams around the NHL needing to address their own situations between the pipes.

Condon’s injury and performances this past season could see the Senators struggle to receive much value for him in a trade, but acquiring even a seventh-round pick for the 29-year-old could be enough to see Pierre Dorion ship him elsewhere.

This will undoubtedly be the preferred option for the team, but another way of parting ways with Condon could be a buyout.

According to CapFriendly, Condon is due $3 million in salary next season while carrying a $2.4 million cap hit.

If the Ottawa Senators opted to buyout Condon’s contract, they would save $1 million in real money – seeing his cap hit drop to just $400,000 in 2019/20 while increasing to $1 million in 2020/21.

Having Condon count somewhat against the cap is fine for the Senators, as owner Eugene Melnyk will save some money as a result.

If the Ottawa Senators are able to receive something in exchange for Condon, that should be the route that they take as they will remove 100% of his cap hit while also gaining something in return.

Next. Senators give Nilsson two-year extension. dark

What do you think Sens fans? Is Condon the odd man out in Ottawa? Who will win the AHL starting role? Will Anderson see out the rest of his contract in the Canadian capital? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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