6:17 PM: The folks at CapFriendly have reported on the financial structure of the contract, which is as follows:
- 2022-23: $2.5MM
- 2023-24: $2.7MM
- 2024-25: $3.3MM
- 2025-26: $3.3MM
6:16 PM: After a strong start to his tenure as an Ottawa Senator, Mathieu Joseph has earned a four-year extension from the team. The Senators announced today that the restricted free agent forward has been inked to a four-year deal worth a total of $11.8MM, or $2.95MM per season.
Joseph, 25, arrived in Ottawa at the trade deadline as part of the team’s trade of Nick Paul. Coming from a talented Lightning team, Joseph found immediate success in a larger role in Ottawa, scoring four goals and 12 points in 11 games. He looked to be a strong fit next to Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris, and its likely that this quality 11-game sample put him in a better position when negotiating this deal.
The Senators’ acquisitions of Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux could push Joseph out of the team’s top-six, but even in a third-line role, there is real potential for Joseph to provide surplus value on a $2.95MM cap hit. Joseph played on the Senators’ penalty kill and he could become a fixture on that unit going forward. If he does end up in a third-line role, $2.95MM is not bad value if he can maintain a level of production somewhere in between how he did as a Senator and his lesser production in Tampa Bay.
The Senators have been aggressive this offseason in improving their team. Joseph would likely have been ticketed for top-six duty on the Senators teams of years past, but that likely won’t be the case this year. Nonetheless, this is a solid, reasonable contract for both sides of the equation, and it’s the sort of deal the Lightning would have struggled to afford had they not traded Joseph.
If Joseph can continue the strong play he showed in his Senators tenure so far, this contract could be a fantastic bit of work from GM Pierre Dorion. If he doesn’t quite boom in 2022-23 the way he did in his first 11 games, Joseph could still settle in as a solid middle-six contributor who brings size, physicality, and scoring touch to the Senators’ second and third lines.
Good signing. Will be nice to have him on the 3rd line.
If they get Klingberg (or another top 4 RHD) I think the Sens can take Boston’s (or the Cap’s) playoff spot.
Real improvements in multiple areas plus the growth of young players…
Agreed. I think the sens are one top-4 guy away from being a playoff team. So yeah either klingberg or a guy like Sanderson or branstromm steals the show(unlikely tho)
Trade Branstrom + 3rd to the Avs for Girard, so they can re-sign Kadri. You both win!
Wish Joseph the best with the Sens. Miss him in Tampa, great positive attitude, hard worker, and fast.
Joseph’s speed and work ethic on pk will net him some great short handed scoring chances. Hope he develops more of a scoring touch to take advantage.
A lot of coin for a 30 point 3rd liner.
Agreed. The guy’s *barely* at 3rd line production. There are better players still out there that’d jump at that salary and term.
Thirded