Free agency opens tomorrow, and the Ottawa Senators are still staring at a hole on the right side of their blue line. One of the biggest names on the market is Rasmus Andersson, and on the surface he looks like exactly the kind of defenseman Ottawa would want to chase.
He shoots right, he can move the puck, and he brings a little bite in his own end. Steve Staios reportedly already checked in on the Swedish defenseman before the deadline, so this is not exactly a brand-new idea. But the case for going all in on Andersson this summer gets shakier the closer you look.
After being traded by the Calgary Flames during the season, Andersson finished the year with the Vegas Golden Knights and reached the Stanley Cup Final. Even so, he never quite looked like the same player once he got there.
His underlying numbers dropped, and he and Noah Hanifin controlled just 41.76% of the shot attempts at five-on-five. He also landed near the bottom of the Golden Knights roster in high-danger chances against, which is not the kind of number that inspires confidence heading into free agency.
That matters because Andersson is turning 30 this year and is expected to land one last long-term deal. Reports have suggested his next contract could come in around $8.5 million per season. For Ottawa, that is a hefty price tag for a player coming off a rougher stretch, especially with Artem Zub eligible for a new contract next summer.
Then there is Carter Yakemchuk, who remains a major part of the Senators’ plans on the right side. Whether he gets there this season or next, the organization clearly sees him as part of its long-term core. Committing six or seven years to Andersson would not just tie up cap space; it would also make that path more complicated.
The Senators do still need help on the blue line. The question is whether Andersson is the right way to solve it. A shorter-term move makes more sense than another major contract that could become hard to move down the line.
In Other News...
Former Senators Goalie Prospect Is Getting Another NHL Chance
The Lightning kept building out their organizational depth in goal, signing Mads Sogaard, Olivier Rodrigue and defenseman Michael Callahan to one-year, two-way contracts. For Senators fans, Sogaard is the name that jumps out, since the big goaltender was once part of Ottawas pipeline and had become one of the more recognizable young netminders in the system before moving on to his next opportunity.
Sogaards path has been uneven enough to make this a noteworthy fresh start, with his most recent work split between Ottawa and Belleville. Tampa Bay is giving him another chance to push back toward the NHL picture, and the one-year, two-way setup suggests the Lightning want competition and insurance at the position while they sort out how all the pieces fit. [Read more 🡒]
Another Former Senator Is Following Brady Tkachuk To Florida
Another former Senator is heading to South Florida, with Lars Eller agreeing to a one-year deal with the Panthers in free agency and setting up a reunion with Brady Tkachuk. Ellers stint in Ottawa was a short one, but he brought veteran depth and a steady presence before moving on, and now he joins a Florida group that has been busy adding familiar names from the Senators recent roster.
Donovan Sebrango also landed a one-year contract with the Panthers after reaching free agency, giving Florida another Ottawa connection after he was previously claimed off waivers from the Senators. The Panthers have also brought in former Senator Boko Imama, making the pipeline from Ottawa to Florida even more noticeable as the two teams continue to cross paths in the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Claude Giroux Decision Could Change Everything For The Senators
The first day of NHL free agency brought plenty of movement around the league, but Claude Giroux was still sitting there as one of the biggest names left unsigned. For Ottawa, that matters because the market is already thinning around the kind of experienced forwards teams lean on when the money gets tight and the options get fewer.
Girouxs next step is shaping up to be one of the more important decisions of the summer for the Senators, especially with so many teams still sorting through their budgets and their depth charts. Ottawa has work to do in a market where scoring help is still available, but the longer this drags on, the more this becomes about where Giroux sees himself fitting for what could come next. [Read more 🡒]