Hot Pierre summer continues, Joseph inked to 4-year deal
The Ottawa Senators avoided arbitration and signed left-winger Mathieu Joseph to a four-year extension worth $11.8M ($2.95M AAV), a well-deserved contract for the versatile forward acquired at the trade deadline in exchange for Nick Paul.
News Release: The #Sens have agreed to terms with forward @MathJoseph7 on a four-year, $11.8M (2.95M AAV) contract: https://t.co/k3rDg2iu2S pic.twitter.com/NyDSE4claY
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) July 28, 2022
Since being dealt to the Senators, Joseph performed admirably in his short stint, scoring 4 goals and 12 points in just 11 games, catching fire on a line with Josh Norris and Brady Tkachuk. While Joseph likely won’t be granted the same opportunities he had at the end of last season thanks to the acquisitions of Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux. Despite that, injuries always need to be taken into consideration, and it’s nice to know that Joseph can jump into the top-six seamlessly.
Once the season starts look for Joseph to start on the third line with Shane Pinto and Alex Formenton, forming one of the most exciting “energy lines” in the NHL. Over the course of the rebuild the Senators have struggled immensely with forward depth, now with recent additions and the emergence of young players like Pinto and Formenton, they boast a deep lineup littered with talent.
The 25-year-old forward plays at an insanely high-pace, he does a great job on the forecheck and makes life difficult on opposing defenceman, usually being the first player on the puck. Joseph is also lethal on the penalty kill, where he was extremely effective in his time with Tampa and in his brief appearance in Ottawa.
Mathieu Joseph, signed 4x$2.9M by OTT, is a useful and versatile defence-first forward and penalty killer who's got a good shot and draws penalties with his speed. #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/IT8Oh2If1F
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 28, 2022
With Connor Brown no longer with the team following his trade to the Washington Capitals, Joseph is a perfect fit to replace some of what Brown brought to the table. D.J. Smith loves his forwards to play a sound 200-foot game, and Joseph’s play on the defensive end is one of, if not the strongest part of his game.
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