The Ottawa Senators had an eventful first day of NHL free agency on Wednesday. The moves Ottawa made were intended to keep up with the Joneses of the Atlantic Division. In particular, we’re referring to the ridiculous day the Toronto Maple Leafs had.
The Senators started the day by re-signing one of their own. That would be Nick Cousins. This was a solid depth move, keeping the veteran forward in town on a two-year, $3.18 million deal.
That was just the beginning.
The Sens took a major step by inking Samuel Ersson. Interestingly, the Senators did not qualify Ersson, making him a UFA. But they ended up keeping him on a two-year $4.4 million deal. This move pretty much solves any lingering questions about Ottawa’s goaltending tandem for next season.
The rest of the day featured a number of depth signings aimed at rounding out the roster:
- Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Philip Tamsino inked a one-year, $900K deal with the Senators. He appeared in just nine games last season, registering one point. He was a former first-round pick from the 2019 NHL Draft, but it seems that both the Senators and the Nashville Predators gave up on him. The Penguins traded him at the deadline to the Philadelphia Flyers. There, he scored seven goals and 26 points in 38 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. So, there might be something there after all.
- The Senators signed former double division rival forward Sammy Blain to a two-year deal worth $1.85 million. Blais appeared in eight games for the Maple Leafs last season, scoring one goal and three points. He was claimed off waivers by the Montreal Canadiens, where he played 13 games, adding two more goals and five points. He spent the bulk of the season with the Laval Rocket, scoring 14 goals and 38 points in 35 games.
- The Sens re-signed their own free agent, forward Philippe Daoust, to a one-year, $850K deal. Daoust was a former sixth-round pick from 2020. He spent the entire season last year in Belleville, scoring 14 goals and 50 points in 63 games.
- Ottawa signed forward Ryan Suzuki, the younger brother of Habs captain Nick Suzuki, to a one-year deal worth $850K. The junior Suzuki was a first-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2018. He spent all of last year with the Chicago Wolves, scoring 13 goals and 48 points in 66 games.
- Lastly, the Senators inked defenseman Christian Kyrou to a one-year, $850K deal. The 22-year-old did not receive a qualifying offer from the Philadelphia Flyers. Kyrou spent all of last season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He played in 55 games, scoring 10 goals and 34 points.
All told, the signings on Wednesday were pretty much depth moves aimed to round out the roster and provide Belleville with some much-needed reinforcements. It remains to be seen if any of these players have a chance to make the NHL next fall.
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