As the Ottawa Senators head into a season filled with excitement and high expectations, general manager Pierre Dorion had some extra fun for fans as the media became available on Wednesday. The group agreed to an eight-year extension with Tim Stutzle, avoiding any restricted free agency with the young striker. The deal has a total value of $66.8 million and will carry an average annual value of $8.35 million. Stutzle is entering the final year of his entry contract and is scheduled to become an RFA next summer.
That’s a staggering number for the 20-year-old, who has only played 132 games at NHL level, but Stutzle last season showed that he’s on track to become a dynamic attacking player in a long time. With 22 goals and 58 points in 79 games, he is second only Brady Tkachuk to the team leader while making the transition to the hub. The Senators are betting that his stormy rise will only continue in the future, making the deal look like a bargain.
That bet, while a decent bet for a player this young and talented, also comes with some relative risk. The Senators don’t have unlimited funds to throw around, and with Tkachuk, Joshua Norris and Thomas Chabot all signed for large value transactions, things can get tricky if any of them take a step back. Remember, Senators will also face a tough negotiation with Alex DeBrincat at some point, who has only a year left to become an RFA after this season and will likely be looking for a big signing.
However, for a team that has struggled to retain its stars in the past, the idea of this core locking in essentially its entire early phase is great news for those who have not. Senator fans. The talents drafted and developed will stick together, at least until the team decides that this is the right time to move on.
Stutzle, the third overall pick from 2020, is placed at the center of the team’s second line for next season and can find itself among elite talent like DeBrincat and Drake Batherson, forming a pretty triple. For a team that has been near the bottom of the tournament for years, the Senators’ top six (and perhaps the top nine) looks pretty formidable.
This contract will certainly be executed by other restricted freelancers as well, given how much it depends on predictions versus actual results. Stutzle has just 34 NHL-level goals, less than Norris scored last season. However, he will be paid more than his former teammate, who will start his own eight-year contract this season.
