Hope you didn’t sleep in this morning.
Because if you did, you missed one of the biggest days in the history of the franchise.
First, the Ottawa Senators announced that forward Bobby Ryan had agreed to a seven year extension worth a total of $50.75 million. The good news didn’t stop there either as the Senators then named the 9th Captain in team history- Erik Karlsson. This wasn’t an easy decision for the Coaches and Management but in the end, they picked the right guy.
It has been a long time since the Ottawa Senators had a day like today. Maybe not since Daniel Alfredsson left, actually. With a new season just a week away, Ownership and Management have done a fantastic job of creating a positive vibe around this hockey team. Having a star player like Bobby Ryan commit to this organization long term is just a huge move on so many levels. It shows that this is still a desirable market for free agents. It shows that the organization is able to retain top talent.
And perhaps more importantly, it shows that the money is there to build a contending hockey team. You know Bobby Ryan and his agents talked about wanting to play for a winner during negotiations and obviously Melnyk was able to convince Ryan that the resources are there to build a winner. Bryan Murray also mentioned that he recently made a new proposal to Marc Methot and his agents. I expect that move to get done as well.
There has been a lot of negativity around this team the last couple years but today, it was like all that negativity disappeared. These two moves are a clear signal to the team, to fans and to the city that good times are ahead.
It’s a good day to be a fan of the Ottawa Senators.
