It has often been stereotyped that Ottawa is a market that free agents do not seek out. They say that Ottawa is boring and it is not appealing for current stars to go play for the Senators. I think that this is a narrative that is overblown. Matter of fact, I think they are wrong. Ottawa is a great market to play in, and these players seemed to think so in free agency.
Sergei Gonchar
Gonchar was a year removed from his 50-point campaign in Pittsburgh during their first cup run with Sidney Crosby. He was an aging defender but still has some solid play left in him. He signed a three-year, $16.5 million deal ($5.5 million AAV) in 2010. He had a lot of solid years in Ottawa putting up 20-30 point campaigns with the team. He was a high-volume shot blocker, getting 274 blocks in his time with the Senators. He was also solid physically, getting 127 hits as well.
Vladimir Tarasenko
In the 2024 off-season, Tarasenko was coming off a playoff run with the Rangers. He was a well-sought-after talent in free agency, and he chose to come to Ottawa. He signed a one-year, $5 million deal to try and push the team into the playoff picture. While the team could not make the playoffs that year, Tarasenko still had a decent season with the team. He put up 41 points in 57 games before being traded to Florida at the trade deadline. It was a good signing as he was putting up good production in the middle six.
Claude Giroux
In the 2023 off-season, the Ottawa native returned home to play for the Senators. He signed a three-year, $19.5 million deal ($6.5 Million) that July. It was money well spent, as he had 242 points in 327 games. Even when he was starting to slow down, his phenomenal hockey IQ and leadership never left him. He was one of the pillars to the new team culture that was built in Ottawa. He has re-signed twice with the team since his first contract, taking the hometown discount both times.
Add us as a preferred source on Google