The Ottawa Senators have made a free-agent addition to their defensive lineup, announcing the signing of Finnish defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo to a one-year, entry-level contract. Per PuckPedia, Matinpalo’s deal carries a $855,000 cap hit which includes $800,000 base salary and an $85,000 signing bonus. He’ll earn a salary of $80,000 while in the minors.
During the 2022-23 season, Matinpalo recorded 16 points, including seven goals and nine assists, in 51 regular-season games with Ässät of the Finnish Liiga. Those were all career-highs for Matinpalo, 24, as he’s emerged as a highly-valued shutdown defender in Finnish circles.
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion expressed his enthusiasm for the acquisition in a statement:
Nikolas’ signing represents a good depth addition for us on defense. He took a big step this past season in improving his overall game in a short period of time. He has size, reach, and an active stick. He’s also a very good puck mover who competes and plays with urgency, which has helped him become a reliable defender.
Born in Espoo, Finland, Matinpalo entered the international stage this year, representing his country for the first time at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship. In seven games played thus far, he has recorded three points, including one goal and two assists, helping Finland advance to the quarterfinals.
Matinpalo is the second undrafted free agent signing out of Europe for the Senators this offseason. The team signed 26-year-old Czech forward Jiří Smejkal earlier this month.
A right-shot defender, Matinpalo will be competing with younger names like Jacob Bernard-Docker and Lassi Thomson to crack Ottawa’s roster next year. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound defender certainly has a size advantage over both of them, but it remains to be seen whether Matinpalo can be proficient enough offensively to avoid becoming a liability at the NHL level.