The Senators put all speculation to bed when they inked the 2020 3rd overall pick
With worries over the course of the last month as to whether the Senators prized possession would be released from his contract in Mannheim allowing him to sign an entry-level contract and join the Senators, which all transpired today.
News Release: The #Sens have signed forward Tim Stuetzle to a three-year, entry-level contract: https://t.co/FYziGXVsq3 pic.twitter.com/qEjdnt2HyF
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) December 27, 2020
While the specifics of the contract aren’t disclosed yet, it’s likely that it’s for the max which carries an AAV of $975,000.
After an already impressive World Juniors so far where Tim Stuetzle has 2 points in 2 games on a severely short-staffed German team, he’s been playing more than any forward should be expected too. Noted to have put on significant muscle in the offseason, Stuetzle has surprised people with his increased physicality, throwing his body around at every opportunity. This hit on Team Canada’s Bowen Byram sent Twitter into quite the stir:
Tim Stutzle (OTT) with a big hit on Bowen Byram (COLO) pic.twitter.com/VIZMur6Knj
— Kevin Papetti (@KPapetti) December 27, 2020
It appears to be in the Senators’ plans that Stuetzle will begin his NHL career on the wing instead of at his natural centre position. He played all of last season with Mannheim on the wing however and the comfortability is there for the talented forward.
With a combination of the Senators’ lack of established NHL talent at forward and Stuetzle’s high-end talent, it’s expected that this year’s 3rd overall pick will settle into a crucial role in the top-six. Now, this begs the question; who will he play with? With only two surefire top-six forwards on the roster in Brady Tkachuk and Evgenii Dadonov, there’s a variety of players who could be lining up alongside Stuetzle. Chances are that the coaching staff will like to pair Stuetzle with a veteran, seeing as they traded for Derek Stepan yesterday, that could be a potential pair that the team would like to experiment with. If they want to develop chemistry amongst their younger players, look for Logan Brown or Josh Norris to get a shot with Stuetzle.
Most people regarded Stuetzle as the second-most NHL ready prospect in the draft behind Alexis Lafreniere, many people, including myself, expect the future star to continue his ascent this season in the NHL.