After recording no points in seven games played for the Ottawa Senators in the 2023-24 season, Matthew Highmore re-signed with the Senators on a one-year, $775,000 contract to remain in Ottawa. Highmore was in need to earn NHL playing time.
In playing in his second game of the 2024-25 season in January, Highmore scored his first NHL goal since April 2022. However, the rest of the 2024-25 season was a struggle for Highmore. When the season concluded, Highmore finished with six points in 41 games played for the Senators.
This Summer, Highmore is an unrestricted free agent and is due for a new contract at 29 years old. However, not playing in the Senators' final five games of the 2025 playoffs might have the message for Highmore moving forward.
Senators not re-signing Highmore might need to be thought about
Highmore was inserted into the lineup for Game 1 of the Senators' first round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Highmore was in for his defensive play and being able to play on the penalty kill, but Game 1 was a struggle all around for the Senators and Highmore in the 6-2 loss in Game 1. In the loss, Highmore had a -1 rating and had four penalty minutes.
After the Game 1 loss, head coach Travis Green took Highmore out of the lineup and inserted Nick Cousins. Despite losing the series in six games, inserting Cousins into the lineup worked out as the Senators were in the remaining five games of the series with Highmore out of the lineup.
With not playing in the final five games of the series, something could be there that the interest in re-signing Highmore is potentially low for the Senators. Before the 2025 playoffs, Highmore at times became very unplayable for the Senators with his low ice time.
Highmore averaged over 14 minutes of ice time per game in February to averaging under 10 minutes of ice time per game in March with his low production.
At one point during the season, Highmore went 33 games without scoring a goal and 17 games without recording a point. The goal that Highmore did score to end his goal drought was an empty-net goal against the Florida Panthers on April 5.
Both Adam Gaudette and Cousins are due for new contracts this Summer, and both were bottom-six forwards this past season. Both Gaudette and Cousins were better fits for the Senators than Highmore was.
As free agency gets closer, the Senators will have decisions to make on who to re-sign. With little production when in the lineup, not re-signing Highmore might be the way to go for the Senators in free agency.