(UPDATE 3:01 PM)- Suddenly a busy day for the Senators in the middle of July. The organization has also announced that they have signed forward Jim O'Brien to a two year, one way contract with an average cap hit of $637,500. O'Brien played 28 games with the Sens last season and appeared in all seven playoff games.
What's interesting here is the fact that O'Brien has received a one way deal. Means they fully expect him to crack the roster again next season.
The Ottawa Senators have crossed another item from their off season to do list this afternoon, inking defenceman Eric Gryba to a two year, two way contract.
Gryba, who is coming off his second season of pro hockey, played 73 games with the Binghamton Senators last season, racking up 20 points and 95 penalty minutes. Gryba projects to be a reliable, defensive defenceman and is one of the players expected to push for a spot in camp next season.
With the signing of O'Brien and Gryba signed to a contract for next season, it leaves Stephan Da Costa and Kaspars Daugavins as the only remaining RFAs. Daugavins is headed for arbitration later this month.
During the chalk talk session I attended at Development Camp, BSens Assistant Steve Stirling spoke very highly of Gryba and mentioned his name with a group of players that is close to being ready to make the jump to the pro level.
With that said, the spots on the back end are fairly limited and right now anyway, it looks like Mark Borowiecki is the guy closest to cracking the Sens roster.
