The NHL’s busiest week of the summer has now come and gone. Between the draft and the opening of free agency, the Ottawa Senators have welcomed five new members via free agency and five through the draft. With no draft picks in the top three rounds and limited money to work with in free agency, the Senators made out well and have given their fans plenty to look forward to.
They aren’t necessarily done with additions, as Alex DeBrincat’s future is still up in the air. But only a week after free agency opened, the Senators should be almost finished.
Joonas Korpisalo, The New Starter
The most exciting player to join the roster is goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, who signed a five-year, $20 million contract. Last season, the Senators went through every goalie in their organization due to injuries, and none of them played particularly well. Of course, Mads Sogaard and Leevi Merilainen have lots of potential but are too young to take the reigns just yet.
In an interview with Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, Korpisalo said, “There were a couple of options, and I think Ottawa stood right up there. Playing against them, it’s not fun being a goalie at the other end” (from ‘GARRIOCH: Ottawa Senators goalie Joonas Korpisalo excited about new chapter, Ottawa Sun, July 2, 2023).
This could be an indication that the Senators are becoming a more desirable free-agent destination. Some might not like the term, but as the cap rises, the contract will count for less against the cap, and with the structure of the deal, and at the tail end, it will be easier to move if it comes to it. However, there is a good chance that he performs up to his $4 million cap hit, and could exceed it if his play is similar to what he did for the L.A. Kings. He is a great starting goalie, and while most wouldn’t call him elite, he is knocking on that door.
Related: THW’s Free Agency Tracker
The starting job is his to lose, and Anton Forsberg will return after suffering two torn MCLs – a difficult injury to recover from. Korpisalo could end up with a significant workload, but he has given the team and fans a lot of reasons to trust him.
Matthew Highmore and Boko Imama
The Senators also announced two signings that could make an impact at the bottom of the lineup. Both Matthew Highmore and Boko Imama have spent time up and down from the American Hockey League (AHL) over the past few seasons. With the Senators’ current cap situation and after moving on from Austin Watson and Julien Gauthier, these two could be depended on for fourth-line duties throughout the campaign.
Highmore is another East Coaster the Senators have added alongside Drake Batherson and Egor Sokolov, who has become an unofficial Maritimer. Highmore has spent time with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues over the past two seasons, playing 90 games and recording 19 points. He spent most of last season in the AHL and scored 61 points in 68 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds. He has the potential to make the Senators out of training camp, but even if he doesn’t, he will likely be among the first call-ups to the bottom-six.
General manager Pierre Dorion said he wanted to add toughness after parting ways with Watson, and his answer was to sign Imama. While toughness is a great asset, Imama isn’t much of a point producer. He has nine NHL games of experience and a single goal in that time. In the AHL last season, he recorded 15 points in 50 games. If he can use his size and grit to adapt and show his defensive side, he could be a great addition to the Senators’ fourth line.
Garrett Pilon and Josh Currie have very limited NHL experience and will likely spend most of the season with the Belleville Senators in the AHL. It will be an uphill battle to earn a call-up as they will have both Imama and Highmore to compete with, as well as a number of youngsters ready to make the jump. Regardless, having experienced players in the organization never hurts, and as we saw with Rourke Chartier and Jake Lucchini last season, sometimes AHL players can surprise at the NHL level.
Senators’ Draftees
With a fourth, fifth and three seventh-round draft picks, it was hard to get excited about the draft. Now that the picks have been made, these are the names you need to be familiar with.
Hoyt Stanley was selected in the 108th overall in the fourth round. He is a 6-foot-2, mobile right-shot defender who could have a lot of upside. Some mock drafts had him around the 100th pick, but others had him as high as 64th. After a great season in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Stanley will be headed to the NCAA, where he may face some real adversity as this is quite the big jump. While we can’t discredit his play just because of the league he was in, we can also wonder how well he will transition and prove his ability.
Matthew Andonovski was drafted from the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and is the second defenseman the Senators selected – and the polar opposite. Andonovski doesn’t generate points or offence, but he is a big, physical player with strong defensive abilities. The Senators will now have a pair of blueliners on the Rangers, as he plays alongside Tomas Hamara.
Owen Beckner, another player drafted out of the BCHL and headed to the NCAA, took a huge step in the right direction last season. After producing just 10 points in 42 games two years ago, in 2022-23, he scored 50 points in 53 games. He is a skilled center who has great skating skills, and for a late bloomer being taken as a seventh-rounder, there is a chance that the Senators end up with good value from this pick.
Goaltender Vladimir Nikitin was drafted out of Kazakhstan after a great campaign in the under-20 (U-20) league and the under-18 World Championship. Nikitin led his U-20 team to the league championship after posting a 9-0-0 record, a .925 save percentage and a 1.56 goals-against average. This showing is very impressive, even if the league isn’t highly regarded. He will be headed to the BCHL (are you seeing a trend here?) to get used to the North American game this season.
Nicholas VanTassell is a big winger, at 6-foot-4, and had a good campaign in the USHL, scoring 37 points in 62 games. He is physical and skilled, a combination that management loves. He is committed to the University of Massachusetts in the NCAA for this upcoming season and will get a chance to prove his value. The league is a lot faster, and if he can use his skating to keep up, there will be a lot to like about VanTassell.
With no picks in the top three rounds and only one bonafide NHL player signed, some may consider the last week and a half as boring for the Senators, especially as we wait for the DeBrincat situation to be dealt with. But these are all great storylines to follow this season and an exciting group of new additions.