Ottawa Senators reportedly re-sign Englund, let Paajarvi go
By James Reeve
Things are beginning to heat up for the Ottawa Senators with the draft just a few days away, with reports of the team’s negotiations with free agents coming to light.
Hot on the heels of the Ottawa Senators and Anthony Duclair reconnecting, it appears that another RFA is back in the Canadian capital while one UFA is set to walk on July 1st.
According to a tweet posted by CapFriendly, left-handed defenceman Andreas Englund has signed a new one-year/two-way contract with the Senators.
The Sens’ second-round (40th overall) pick in the 2014 draft appears to be returning for another season, likely starting in the AHL again with the Belleville Senators.
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The Stockholm native has made just nine NHL appearances since arriving in North America ahead of the 2016/17 season but has been a centrepiece in the AHL with 206 regular season games under his belt.
The decision to bring back Englund is a sensible one for the Senators organisation, giving the B-Sens a solid defensive piece at a very reasonable price – with his one-year deal reportedly costing just $700,000 should he play in the NHL and just $80,000 when he’s in the minors.
Englund currently sits behind a number of left-handed defencemen in the Senators organisation, so the deal will likely just be viewed as an AHL move by the organisation unless something drastically changes over the summer.
One free agent that won’t be returning to the capital, however, is veteran left winger Magnus Paajarvi, who has reportedly been told by Pierre Dorion that the team will not be offering him a new deal.
The former tenth-overall selection of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2009 draft has been little more than a bottom nine forward since arriving in Ottawa, registering 11 goals in 80 regular season games in 2018/19 – the second-highest single season total of his career.
Reports appear to suggest that Dorion is ready to make some moves to help truly kickstart the beginning of the Ottawa Senators rebuilding process – with trades and free agent signings all expected to be on the cards as we approach July 1st.
With the Senators likely to be one of the youngest teams in the league next season, it’s understandable that Dorion would part ways with players that he feels may not be an upgrade on the young guys looking the make the jump next season.
Freeing up a roster spot for a young guy to compete for, and develop in, makes sense given the situation the Senators find themselves in and should provide plenty of interesting talking points for fans next season.
Next. Ottawa Senators give Duclair extension. dark
What do you think though Sens fans? Are you pleased to see Englund back in Belleville? Are you pleased or disappointed to see Paajarvi let go? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!