The Ottawa Senators have dipped back into the unrestricted free agent pool, signing Johnny Oduya to a one-year, $1MM contract. The deal also contains bonuses that could earn Oduya up to an additional $1.25MM. The bonuses are as follows:
- 41 games played: $250K
- 65 games played: $250K
- Top-5 in TOI among team defensemen: $250K
- Top-3 in TOI among team defensemen: $250K
- Qualify for playoffs: $250K
We profiled Oduya’s free agent case just yesterday, and ranked him 32nd on our Top 50 free agent list back in June. At that point, we predicted a one-year $2.5MM contract for the veteran defender, which goes to show how respectable this deal is from the Senators stand point. Other 30+ depth defenders like Ron Hainsey, Trevor Daley, Matt Hunwick and Dan Girardi all got quite a bit more money guaranteed, and some term on their contract. The 35-year old Oduya is coming off a disappointing season, but still likely has something to offer the Senators.
When the Senators lost Marc Methot to the Vegas Golden Knights, a huge chunk of minutes were lost from the left side of their defense group. While an increased role for Frederik Claesson or Ben Harpur could fill in some of that, Oduya provides a much more experienced and reliable option. It will be interesting to see if he ever gets to skate with countryman Erik Karlsson on the top pairing, or if he spends more time with Chris Wideman on the bottom pair. The team still also has Dion Phaneuf (and Mark Borowiecki) on the left side, though the team seems hesitant to breaking up he and Cody Ceci.
Either way, adding a defenseman with over 100 playoff games and two Stanley Cups under his belt for just $1MM is never a bad thing. Oduya should be able to impart some of his knowledge on the young Senators defenders, including top prospect Thomas Chabot should he make the team this year. Oduya split last season between Dallas and Chicago, where he registered nine points in 52 games.