Ottawa Senators: Josh Norris Signs 8-Year Extension
By Daniel Bruce
The Ottawa Senators ink Josh Norris to an eight-year contract extension worth $63.6M
The good news surrounding the Ottawa Senators organization continued with the announcement of a long-term extension that will keep the premier goal scorer in the nations capital for another eight seasons.
News Release: The #Sens have signed forward Josh Norris to an eight-year, $63.6M (7.95M AAV) contract: https://t.co/G838pQIYAn pic.twitter.com/K5sWpsR19m
— Sens Communications (@Media_Sens) July 14, 2022
Following a stellar rookie season where Norris recorded 17 goals and 35 points in just 56 games, the 23-year-old forward would put the idea of a “sophomore slump” in the rearview mirror, scoring a team-high 35 goals and 55 points in 66 games. Norris inserted himself as the team’s top centre shortly into his rookie season and hasn’t let up, continuing to improve his game, especially on the offensive end.
Norris has made a name for himself from his “office” on the power-play, scoring 16 goals with the man advantage last season, with most looking similar to this:
Pundits have been worried about the talented snipers inflated shooting percentage last season, which sat well-above NHL average at a remarkable 20.3% and it’s certainly an unsustainable mark, however, with Norris’ incredible shot and smart decision making that number should stay above the 15% mark. His finishing has always been a strength, with high shooting percentages becoming the norm for the newly crowned $63M man.
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Norris doesn’t boast the most gaudy assist stats either, finishing with just 20 assists last season, but his game is revolves more around finding the quiet areas on the ice where he can use his elite shot to find the back of the net.
Josh Norris, signed 8x$8M by OTT, is a top six sniper centre who provides the bulk of his value with his shot accuracy, powerplay contributions, and penalty differential. Not much of a passer and doesn't carry the puck too often, although he is active in the d-zone. #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/DKdC9yxNXA
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 14, 2022
The Senators pivot did see a decrease in production in the defensive zone, posting worst advanced numbers than he had in his rookie season, however, he’s still very active in the defensive zone and it’s likely that he continues to evolve his 200-foot game.
The extension of Norris continues a trend of Senators players committing to the team long-term, joining Thomas Chabot, Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson as players locked up for several seasons.