Ottawa's Off-season is Well underway!

Offseason Housekeeping

On Tuesday night, the Florida Panthers lifted the Stanley Cup for the second season in a row, officially bringing an end to the 2024-25 NHL season. It was an important one for the Ottawa Senators, who for the first time since 2017 qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Although a Round One exit to the Toronto Maple Leafs was hard to swallow, making the playoffs represented a big step for a franchise that’s been rebuilding for almost a decade.

Now, with the offseason in full swing, the Senators can turn their sights on the next big goal: making sure that qualifying for the playoffs was no fluke. The first bit of business before General Manager Steve Staios is dealing with the team’s pending free agents. To that end, here’s a list of the extensions that the team has handed out since getting bounced in Round One back in May.

Restricted Free Agents (RFAs)

Nikolas Matinpalo

The Sens announced that they signed Matinpalo to a very team-friendly two-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $875K. Right-handed defensemen are hard to come by in the NHL, and finding competent ones who add value to your defensive core is even rarer. Matinpalo provided the Sens with consistency as their sixth defenseman, effectively pushing Travis Hamonic out of the lineup. His chemistry with Kleven was evident, as they complemented each other’s games well. Having size on the back end to punish opposing forwards is always a bonus. I had expected Matinpalo’s extension to be worth over $1M, given that he’s a right-handed D-man, so this is a great piece of business by Staios and his team.

Tyler Kleven

Speaking of Tyler Kleven, he also signed a two-year contract this off-season with an AAV of $1.6M. This deal also feels like a win for Staios and company, as Kleven was one of the unsung heroes of the playoffs. His performance against the Maple Leafs was impressive, and he looked completely comfortable going up against Toronto's top players. Kleven’s game seemed to improve once he was paired with Matinpalo, as it no longer felt like he was being held back by UFA Travis Hamonic. His zone exits became more consistent, he was winning more puck battles, and he was laying the body more frequently. While Kleven is likely to remain the third left-handed defenseman on the team, this isn’t a bad thing. His game is evolving into something that Ottawa really needs.

Lassi Thomson

A bit of a surprise move came when the Sens signed Lassi Thomson to a two-way contract for the upcoming season. Thomson had a strong year in the SHL, scoring 17 goals from the back end with the Malmo Redhawks and being one of their most utilized defensemen. Having watched some footage of Thomson in the SHL, you can see why they brought him back, he’s a dynamic puck mover who creates offense with his skating. He has a lethal shot and uses it almost at will. I think he’s going to have to work on his defensive game a bit more but the tools and potential are still there for the former 1st rounder. This signing likely reflects the Sens' need to bolster their right-handed defense, especially with Nick Jensen recovering from surgery and potentially not being ready for the start of the season. With Belleville missing the playoffs last year, this could be an opportunity for Thomson to prove himself while helping to improve the farm team.

Fabian Zetterlund

The Senators announced on an early June morning that they had re-signed Fabian Zetterlund to a three-year, $4.275 million deal. So far, Zetterlund’s time with the Senators hasn’t quite scratched the surface—he’s registered only four points in 19 games. However, he finished the season with 19 goals, and had 24 the season before. It’s reasonable to assume he can be a consistent 20-goal (or even more) scorer in Ottawa.

One reason I can see why Steve Staios likes him is the “dog” in his game—you never walk away from watching Zetterlund feeling like he didn’t give full effort. He has a high-intensity motor, throws a lot of hits, and when he gets up to speed, he’s often the fastest player on the ice. Not being stapled to the fourth line and getting extended looks in a top-six role will benefit everyone involved.

Thoughts on Free Agency

The Sens are likely hoping that most of their changes will be made in free agency, but their decisions will depend on which players are available and who they have already re-signed.

Will the Senators bring back veteran backup Anton Forsberg, or do they believe Merilainen is ready to make the jump to a full-time backup role? If they move on from Forsberg, Sogaard would be the third goalie, but I'm not sure how confident I’d feel about him splitting duties with Ullmark or Merilainen. As such, the Sens may look for another lower-cost goaltender or see if Forsberg is willing to return for less money.

Claude Giroux's future is also up in the air. Many expected him to re-sign without issue, but the closer that talks inch towards July 1 the more doubts start to set in. For its part, the organization has made its position clear. At a Senators Season Seat Member event on June 10, Vice President of Hockey Operations Dave Poulin maintained that the team values Giroux’s on-ice and off-ice contributions and is working hard to re-sign him. Meanwhile, Nick Kypreos suggests the two sides are far apart in contract negotiations. Losing Giroux would hurt the locker room, as the team would lose important veteran leadership. That said, Ottawa can't afford to break the bank for a 37-year-old who had a noticeable drop-off toward the end of the season. If they can re-sign Giroux for $4M or less, that would be a win; anything higher than $5M, however, would be a hindrance.

As for players like Nikolaj Ehlers or Brock Boeser, I don’t think the Sens will be able to offer the kind of money they’re looking for, and personally, I wouldn’t want to give either more than $8M, so let’s not even go there.

Ottawa should also look to improve their depth, and I believe they’ll bring back Adam Gaudette on another low-cost deal. Matthew Highmore and Nick Cousins are likely out, and they’re both extremely replaceable via free agency.

One interesting name out there could be Brad Marchand. The veteran LW played a leading role in Florida’s recent Stanley Cup championship and has shown he can clearly be an effective contributor in a third line role. With 10 goals and 20 points in 23 GP this spring, Marchand is likely to command a higher salary than the Sens might be willing or able to offer. But it would be wise for Staios to kick tires on the dynamic depth forward whose deadline acquisition by Florida has set a new gold standard for what a rental player can deliver.