The good news is it’s getting increasingly difficult for the Toronto-based media to stir up trouble when it comes to the Ottawa Senators.
Over the weekend, we learned that Connor Brown, who is extremely under contract with the Senators, may not be interested in discussing an extension right now and may consider testing free agency next summer.
Well okay then. If this “news” seems wildly premature to you well you’re not the only one.
We haven’t even started 2022 free agency yet and we’re already going to start freaking out over who might be on next summer’s list? Nah. I’ll pass, thanks.
Honestly, it’s not surprising that Brown may want to consider the UFA route when his contract ends after this upcoming season and it’s equally logical that the Senators may want to take a bit of a wait and see approach when it comes to Brown.
Brown has obviously become a “glue guy” in the Ottawa lineup over the last few years and he is exactly the kind of quality veteran this team needs at this stage of the rebuild. He is also exactly the kind of player you have to be careful about overpaying.
Brown will be 29 years old by the time his current contract expires and he’ll be looking for a fairly significant raise over the $4 million he’ll make this year. Which means it’s going to be tough for the Senators to keep his cap hit as manageable as the $3.6 million AAV he carries on his current deal.
It just seems like Friedman is a little early with this report, is all. It makes sense that both sides would want to know where they stand a year out from free agency but it’s a little unusual that we would start talking about it so soon.
If Brown is set on testing free agency, then the Senators will obviously have to move him. Not now but at some point before the deadline. And if Brown is convinced that testing the market is the right move at this point in his career, well then he should probably score on a few more breakaways and have a career year. Of course Dorion could try to get ahead of this by looking to deal Brown this summer but unless there’s a big piece coming back, it creates a hole that will need to be filled. Wait it out may be the play here.
In the meantime, I will return my attention to the many items on this summer’s To Do list and stop worrying about future SensChirp’s problems.
