The summer is only a few weeks old, but the Ottawa Senators have quietly put together a solid summer so far. The Senators made the playoffs this past season for the first time since their 2017 run to the Eastern Conference Final, and they were short on salary cap space when the off-season started.
Still, that didn’t stop general manager Steve Staios from bringing back some of his veterans and making a couple of smart additions to the bottom of the Senators’ lineup. This strategy closely resembles what Ottawa did last summer when they signed veteran Cup winners David Perron, Nick Cousins, and Michael Amadio, resulting in a deeper, more mature roster.
Ottawa started the offseason by re-signing defenseman Tyler Kleven on a two-year deal worth $1.6MM per season. They then focused on recently acquired forward Fabian Zetterlund, signing him to a three-year contract worth $4.275MM annually.
The Kleven signing may have been a bit of an overpay, but Ottawa secured their 2020 second-round pick on a bridge deal that allows a closer look at a player who made significant progress last season. Kleven isn’t flashy or particularly skilled with the puck, but he performs well defensively and can throw his weight around.
He is well-suited for a bottom-pairing defensive role and is expected to see plenty of ice time next season. AFP Analytics projected Kleven’s value at just over $1MM on a two-year deal, so while the Senators paid a premium for Kleven, they value his contributions to the team.
Zetterlund was another overpay since he was projected to earn just under $4MM annually, but he’s another player the Senators hold high hopes for. The 25-year-old was a surprising addition at the trade deadline and didn’t have an entirely smooth transition to Ottawa, recording just two goals and three assists in 20 games to finish the regular season with the Sens. That said, Zetterlund has back-to-back 40+ point seasons to his name, and the Senators are counting on him taking the next step.
The Senators also re-signed two veteran forwards on very reasonable contracts – Cousins and Claude Giroux. Cousins signed for one year at $825K and should be a low-cost, low-maintenance option for Ottawa’s fourth line.
While Cousins isn’t strong defensively, he’s a good forechecker and brings a bit of offense and physicality to Ottawa’s bottom six. The 31-year-old was projected to earn nearly $1.1MM on a one-year deal, so Ottawa did well to keep his salary as low as they did.
One of Ottawa’s most significant achievements this summer was re-signing the veteran forward Giroux to a one-year deal worth $2MM plus a potential $2.75MM in bonuses. The 37-year-old can still perform at a high level, recording 15 goals and 35 assists in 82 games last season, his third with the Senators.
Giroux was forecasted for a two-year deal around $5.2MM per season, so Ottawa did very well to stay well below that figure, even if Giroux earns all his bonuses. There was a genuine concern about whether Ottawa could re-sign Giroux given their cap space. Still, the Ontario native enjoys playing at home and was willing to accept a significant discount.
Ottawa then shifted its focus to the trade market and acquired right-shot defenseman Jordan Spence. The Senators traded two draft picks – a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick – for the 24-year-old, in what can only be described as a great deal from Ottawa’s perspective.
Spence is on the smaller side (5’11” and 180 lbs), but he is a talented two-way defender who can contribute offensively and maintain solid defensive stats. He played sheltered minutes in Los Angeles with the Kings and is likely to face a more demanding role with Ottawa.
It’s hard to say precisely why Los Angeles moved him, but it’s likely because the Kings lacked space for him in the top four of their defensive unit and may have felt he wasn’t suited for the bottom pairing. This trade could prove to be quite one-sided if Spence develops into a top-four defender for the Senators on the right side. The big question, however, is whether Spence can handle tough, physical minutes against divisional rivals like the Florida Panthers.
Another subtle move Ottawa made was signing veteran center Lars Eller. It seems like the 36-year-old has been in the NHL forever, but he quietly logs 13-16 minutes of stable, unflashy hockey each night.
Eller can still produce offense from the bottom six, though he’s best suited for a fourth-line center role, which is what he should have with the Senators. Ottawa’s depth down the middle looks impressive heading into next season, with Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens on the top lines, Shane Pinto centering the third, and Eller on the fourth. Eller should provide defensive stability for the Senators in their own end and will likely contribute 20-25 points, which is not bad for $1.25MM on a one-year deal.
Finally, the Senators made several depth moves by signing goaltender Hunter Shepard and forwards Olle Lycksell and Arthur Kaliyev. Among these, Kaliyev is the most promising and likely offers the most significant upside.
The 24-year-old has proven to be a valuable NHL player in his brief career, recording over 25 points in consecutive seasons with the Los Angeles Kings. Kaliyev was signed to a one-year, two-way contract and may find his way onto the NHL roster if Ottawa faces injury issues during the regular season.
He has a strong shot, isn’t afraid to use it, and performs reasonably well defensively, particularly in clearing the puck from the defensive zone. He’s a player worth taking a look at if you are Ottawa, especially on a two-way deal.
Overall, Senators fans should be pleased with what the team has achieved this summer. They had a definite need to improve defensively in their bottom-six forward group and to acquire a right-shot defenseman.
They’ve accomplished both goals and remain well below the salary cap limit. Ottawa probably won’t add much more to their roster, but could make some significant moves at the NHL Trade Deadline if they stay well under the cap.
Photo by Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
I don’t like any of these moves. First two are an overpay. Then we have perpetually injured Cousins. The Giroux signing is a nice consolation but that space is essentially neutralized with the first two signings. Taking advantage of Holland and coming away with Spence isnt anything to write home about. Kaliyev might be the most interesting of all these moves, and may have the most upside as well.
You think the RFA’s are overpays?
Their best move was drafting Logan Hensler. Gonna be a very good NHL Dman.
It’s not hard to know why LA traded Spence, it’s been clearly stated.
He wanted a bigger role & guarantee he would be in the lineup on a nightly basic which he’s earned to some extent but the Kings wouldn’t do since they have a better version of Spence in Clark. Spence wouldn’t have been effective in the bottom pair role they would have asked him to play.
You can can disagree with the Kings choices but to insinuate the reason is unknown is just disingenuous.
Yeah the reasoning you laid out makes some sense, but the part I don’t get is why Holland essentially gave him away for free. 3rd and 6th round picks are unlikely to turn into NHL contributors and Spence is a 24 year old right-shot d-man with upside. Terrible bit of asset management and Ottawa was fortunate to be the beneficiary.
Not to be that guy but Spence was a 4th rounder & Kings are pretty good at developing defensemen.
Holland did Spence a solid and resolved a possible “story” that could have festered to start the season. I’m also not sure there was much of a market for an undersized defenseman who was consistently sheltered in the minutes he played.
With all that said I think offensively he will do well if they let him QB the PP2 but it’s still up in the air how effective he’ll be defensively.
Outside of goaltending, I’d put them ahead of the Leafs at this time. Overall, perhaps a dead heat. Still a lot of offseason to go.