Senators make first signing of free agent season

The Ottawa Senators jumped the gun somewhat, making their first signing of the NHL free agent season ahead of the official July 1 opening.

The Sens locked up forward Nick Cousins on Tuesday, signing him to a two-year, $3.175 million deal.

The contract promises to bring back one of Ottawa’s most reliable, if relatively unnoticed players.

Cousins played a predominant bottom-six role, scoring nine goals and 23 points in 81 games. Those are fantastic numbers for a fourth-liner who plays under 12 minutes a night. His value, however, lies in the fact that Cousins can move up and down the lineup.

That’s something that teams pay a premium for.

When thinking that Cousins comes with a $1.587 million cap hit, the Sens actually got a good deal. The 32-year-old should be a crucial piece heading into next season. The club will need as much stability as possible, especially if and when injuries become an issue.

The Senators now have about $7.5 million in cap space. With a couple of additional lineup holes to fill, the money should suffice.

As noted earlier, the backup goalie position and depth defense should be at the forefront of any signings the Senators make on Wednesday. Of course, the biggest item on the docket will be bringing back Claude Giroux.

As Pierre LeBrun noted late Tuesday night, Giroux is likely testing the waters before making up his mind on a return to Ottawa.

While Giroux could return, perhaps the 38-year-old wants to see if there’s a team out there willing to give him a multi-year deal. With the season he had last year, it wouldn’t be ludicrous to think that someone out there might be willing to pony up a two or even three-year deal.

Let’s see what unfolds on Wednesday. But it wouldn’t be out of the question to see Senators go quiet on Day 1.

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