In the sixth instalment of our Canadian team-by-team Off-Season Primers, we take deep look at the key decisions — and salary cap considerations — facing the Ottawa Senators this summer.
Head Coach: Dave Cameron
GM: Bryan Murray
Salary cap space: $11,749,168 (assuming a $71.5 million upper limit, according to salary data found at generalfanager.com).
Front Office Outlook
Bryan Murray’s health is the most serious front office issue, as the venerable Sens GM battles cancer into his 70s. His energy will be taxed in taking a Senators club that made a Cinderella run to the playoffs, and transforming them into a club that doesn’t require a 22-4-4 run at the end of the season to snag seventh place in the East. There is only one UFA here — RW Erik Condra — so Murray is tasked with improving his roster via the trade market, without much money available for UFA’s. The extensions for Mark Methot and Bobby Ryan kick in this season, and there is significant money tied up for players like David Legwand, Chris Neil, Chris Phillips — all 34 or older — who weren’t driving the bus as the Sens went el fuego in the season’s final third.
Also, there are three goalies here, with freshly signed NCAA grad Matt O’Connor set to start in Binghamton. One of Craig Anderson or Robin Lehner will move this summer. But which one? And in a goalie market that doesn’t always return much, how can Murray sculpt a deal that brings back the Top 6 winger the Senators require.
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Players under contract for 2015-16 (annual average value and duration):
Bobby Ryan, RW: $7.25M AAV through 2021-22
Erik Karlsson, D: $6.5M AAV through 2018-19
Mark Methot, D: $4.9M AAV through 2018-19
Clarke MacArthur, LW: $4.65M AAV through 2019-20
Craig Anderson, G: $4.2M AAV through 2017-18
Milan Michalek, LW: $4M AAV through 2016-17
Kyle Turris, C: $3.5M AAV through 2017-18
Jared Cowen, D: $3.1M AAV through 2016-17
David Legwand, C: $3M AAV through 2015-16
Colin Greening, LW: $2.65M AAV through 2016-17
Chris Phillips, D: $2.5M AAV through 2015-16
Robin Lehner, G: $2.25M AAV through 2016-17
Patrick Wiercioch, D: $2M AAV through 2015-16
Chris Neil, RW: $1.9M AAV through 2015-16
Zack Smith, C: $1.89M AAV through 2016-17
Andrew Hammond, G: $1.35M AAV through 2017-18
Eric Gryba, D: $1.25M AAV through 2015-16
Mark Borowiecki, D: $1.1M AAV through 2017-18
Curtis Lazar, C: $894,166 AAV through 2016-17
Cody Ceci, D: $894,166 AAV through 2015-16
Restricted free agents (2014-15 salary):
Mika Zibanejad, C: $832,500; Alex Chiasson, RW: $900,000; Mike Hoffman, LW: $750,000; Jean-Gabriel Pageau, C: $660,000; Mark Stone, RW: $575,000;
AHL RFA’s: Garrett Thompson, C; Shane Prince, LW; Cole Schneider, LW; Darren Kramer, C.
The issues here aren’t who isn’t signed, but who is. At the time of this writing, the Sens were a Top 10 cap team. That will change by about July 3, but Eugene Melnyk’s club is not traditionally a top spender. Murray’s dilemma in goal is this: He’d rather trade Anderson and his $4.2 million cap hit, but that leaves Lehner and Hammond to mind the store. And we’re not sure either are completely ready for that.
As for RFA’s like Stone, Zibanejad, Hoffman and Pageau, they’re all the future of this team and must be signed, which will eat into improving the lineup.
An additional Top 4 defenceman would really help this group — maybe a second pairing player to play with Wiercioch — but that would likely mean dipping into free agent waters. Most importantly however, is the return of Bobby Ryan. He begins a huge, seven-year, $50 million deal, and he’s coming off a playoff series where he scored two goals (in the same game) in the entire first round series against Montreal. All told, Ryan scored in two of the Sens’ final 26 games last season. It’s not good when they’re talking buy out before the contract even begins.
Unrestricted free agents (2014-15 AAV):
Erik Condra, RW: $1.25M AAV
A depth winger who can help, Condra will stay if he wishes to remain a Senator. There is no jackpot here however, when you are turning 29-years-old in August and have yet to post your first 10-goal season.
Possible off-season targets
Christian Ehrhoff
Another Top 4, puck moving defenceman would help a club that is rich down the middle and in goal, but not as dynamic on the wing or the blue line — after Karlsson, of course — as they’d like to be. A shooter from the blue line would take some heat off of Karlsson, help the power play, and aid in possession numbers that were middle of the pack last season.
Justin Williams, T.J. Oshie
A steady, veteran scorer would fit nicely along a young centre ice corps that includes Zibanejad, Turris and Pageau. It’s not a great UFA crop this summer, so perhaps instead of a clutch scorer with Stanley Cup experience like Williams, perhaps Murray can package Anderson and a defenceman to free up T.J. Oshie from the St. Louis Blues.
Biggest off-season need:
Murray talks about a Top-six forward in a Lehner or Anderson trade.
Take your pick. Murray wants a scorer off the wing, likely to take some pressure off of Ryan, but many believe that Ottawa’s defence is solid, but full of a bland group after Karlsson. Being a seventh place team in the East is great, and comes with a few playoff gates. But let’s face it: there is a huge step to be taken before anyone fears the Sens as a Staley Cup contender.
Biggest-off-season question:
Has to be the goaltending.
If Hammond turns out to be the real deal, then the Sens are golden. They’ll deal either Anderson or Lehner to scratch an itch this summer, and next summer can trade the other one, assuming O’Connor is ready for a backup role after a year in the AHL. If the Hamburgler can not repeat his 2014-15 season, then all bets are off. It’s an internal conversation in Ottawa this summer: Just how good is Hammond, really? The answer to that question will chart a course for Ottawa, to be sure.
Read more off-season primers:
Calgary Flames
Vancouver Canucks
Montreal Canadiens
Edmonton Oilers
Winnipeg Jets
Toronto Maple Leafs
