While a lot of the off-season talk in Ottawa surrounds the future of the team’s Captain, that’s certainly not the only difficult decision facing Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion.
They also have important decisions to make when it comes to their restricted free agents. At the NHL level, that includes Mark Stone, Cody Ceci and Freddy Claesson. Nick Paul, Nick Moutrey, Ville Pokka, Patrick Sieloff and Chris Driedger also have RFA status.
We’ll start with the easy ones.
Ville Pokka, who was acquired in a late season trade for Chris DiDomenico, apparently has an offer with a team in the KHL and he’s likely to accept it.
Appears #BSens D Ville Pokka may be close to joining Avangard Omsk #KHL. Acquired by #Sens from #Blackhawks for Chris DiDomenico, Pokka compiled 33 pts (7-26) in 69 games this season. #AHL #IceHogs #BSens
— Murray Pam (@Pammerhockey) May 4, 2018
Chris Driedger hasn’t been able to separate himself as a legitimate prospect and with Filip Gustavsson and Marcus Hogberg expected to carry the mail in Belleville and it’s unlikely they have room for him going forward. During a recent appearance on TSN1200, Dorion also mentioned that the organization is still considering a more veteran option to pick up some starts in Belleville too. Driedger finished the year with an .885 sv% and a 4.04 GAA through 10 games at the AHL level last year.
Nick Paul has been on the cusp of being an everyday NHLer for a few seasons now but just hasn’t been able to break through. And now at 23 years of age, the clock is ticking on a potential NHL career. By all accounts, the Senators still see him as a part of the picture going forward but he’ll have to do it on a two way contract. Paul had 27 points in 54 games with Belleville last year and had one goal in 11 NHL games.
It was a beauty too…
Nick Moutrey was acquired in the deal that sent Ian Cole to Columbus so presumably they like him and want to keep him around. Moutrey, a 4th round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets back in 2013, finished with 11 points in 38 games with Cleveland and Belleville last year.
Patrick Sieloff may not be the most popular player with the fan base but he was one of the most consistent players in Belleville last year and earned an NHL look down the stretch. They definitely want to keep him around.
On to the NHL guys.
Freddy Claesson. In a year where a number of players took significant steps back, Claesson’s may have been the most disappointing. In 2016/2017, he looked like a player ready to break out. When the Senators lost Methot in the Expansion Draft, Claesson’s presence was supposed to help soften the blow. It really didn’t work out that way. And now Claesson heads into the summer with his future with the organization somewhat in doubt.
The same probably can’t be said for Cody Ceci. He has seemingly cemented his spot in the team’s top four but there remains a fairly significant gap between the player the organization wants him to be and the player he actually is. On paper, Ceci seems like a prime candidate for the RFA squeeze that the Sens have become known for the last few years. Arbitration makes a lot of sense but it might require the organization saying mean things about Cody Ceci, which I’m not sure they are capable of.
Of all the decisions the organization will make this summer, the Mark Stone one might be the most important. Or neck and neck with Karlsson anyway.
Dorion has gone on the record saying they would love to get something done longterm with Stone but that might be easier said than done.
Stone is in line for a significant raise with some projections suggesting he could land north of $7 mil on his next deal. Does Melnyk have the stomach for that? Apparently the talks between the two sides have been amicable to this point but there’s plenty of work left before they get something done. Offer sheets aren’t a real risk in today’s NHL but if someone really wanted to turn the screws on Ottawa a little bit, Stone would be a prime candidate. Arbitration is an option with Stone too but that’s a process the Senators should try to avoid with their best forward.
Mark Stone certainly sounds like a player that wants to be here though.
Dorion and Stone’s agent are expected to talk again later this month.
While some of the decisions look a little easier than others, there’s no doubt that Pierre Dorion and the Ottawa Senators have their hands full when it comes to their restricted free agents.
How would you handle the RFA decisions this summer?
