JAROS THE FINAL PIECE OF SENATORS' ROSTER PUZZLE
Team looks to be done dealing after rugged defenceman agrees to two-way contract
The Ottawa Senators put the final piece in place for their roster Wednesday with the signing of Christian Jaros.
After a busy five weeks with no shortage of signings of restricted and unrestricted free agents along with three trades by
Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion, the belief is the club has all its pieces in place for the start of the 2020-21 campaign — whenever it gets underway.
We knew the Senators would look different after their 30th-overall finish last season, but Dorion, coach D.J. Smith, chief scout Trent Mann and the rest of the staff have made wholesale changes to this team — a team that should be more competitive when it does take the ice.
The 24-year-old Jaros, drafted No. 139 overall by the Senators in 2015, was scheduled to go to arbitration Saturday. He signed a one-year, two-way deal Wednesday that will pay him $750,000 in the NHL and $250,000 if he's with the club's American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville.
While Jaros has only suited up for 76 NHL games over three seasons with the Senators, the club didn't want to go to arbitration because he likely would have got a larger two-way award than the $250,000 guarantee he got from Ottawa, perhaps even a one-way deal.
Jaros has been a good utility defenceman who has just never been able to crack the lineup on a full-time basis. He was expected to make the next step in training camp last September, but only suited up for 13 games in the 2018-19 campaign and was hampered by injuries.
“Despite being limited by injury last season, Christian proved to be a reliable defensive defenceman,” Dorion said. “He's a big body who's rangy and who skates well. With his considerable professional experience, we'll look for him to challenge for a roster spot in Ottawa when camp begins.”
This does mean winger Anthony Duclair's days with the Senators are all but officially over.
Not given a qualifying offer last month after it's believed he turned down a two-year deal worth around $3 million per season, Duclair opted to go to market. He decided to represent himself instead of hiring an agent and Dorion has kept the lines of communication open.
But, there's just no room for him on the roster. He had 23 goals and 40 points in 66 games with the Senators last season. However, the organization feels it's in good shape with its forward ranks, so once the UFA market starts to heat up again, Duclair will most likely move elsewhere.
There have been several players the organization has decided to move on from. Veteran goalie Craig Anderson wasn't re-signed after a decade in Ottawa, while winger Bobby Ryan was bought out last month as well. Defence
man Mark Borowiecki signed with Nashville as a UFA, and blue-liner Ron Hainsey isn't being brought back, either.
The Senators signed forwards Evgenii Dadonov (Florida) and Alex Galchenyuk (Minnesota) as UFAs. Dadonov, who has had three straight seasons with 25-plus goals with the Panthers, should help the club's struggling power play, and Galchenyuk, a former No. 3 pick of the Montreal Canadiens, is hoping to regain his scoring touch.
Winger Austin Watson came to Ottawa in a trade with the Nashville Predators and he'll be someone more difficult for other clubs to play against.
The organization also has to make room for forward Tim Stuetzle, the No. 3 overall pick in last month's draft, who's recovering from surgery on a broken hand he suffered skating with Mannheim in Germany. The club is confident he'll be healthy by the time training camp begins, which could be sometime in January.
An area where Ottawa has bulked up is the blue line. Rugged defenceman Josh Brown was acquired from Florida to replace Borowiecki, while defenceman Erik Gudbranson was dealt here from the Anaheim Ducks.
That's an element that Smith likes to have on his team.
The biggest addition was the acquisition of veteran goalie
Matt Murray from the Pittsburgh Penguins on the second day of the draft. He's going to help bring stability to the net.
“You've got quality people, including getting a goaltender that's won a Stanley Cup, and I like the players that they've gotten with the contract they've done,” former NHLer and longtime broadcaster Nick Kypreos said Tuesday.
The Senators are building this team around the likes of defenceman Thomas Chabot, along with forwards Brady Tkachuk and Colin White. The hope is Belleville prospects Drake Batherson, Alex Formenton, Josh Norris, Vitaly Abramov, Erik Brannstrom and Logan Brown can all push for spots in camp.
The NHL hasn't changed its target date of Jan. 1, and the expectation is it will try for a shortened-season start in February.
The Senators are ready to go, they just need the green light.
He's a big body who's rangy and who skates well.