The Ottawa Senators have signed three depth options, inking Scott Sabourin, Jake Lucchini, and Kristians Rubins to one-year, two-way contracts. All three have NHL salaries of $750K. Sabourin will make $375K in the AHL while the other two will earn $130K.
At this point, with the Senators putting together a much more impressive NHL roster, it seems unlikely that any of the three will see extended play at the top level. Sabourin, while a fan favorite from his previous stint with the team, doesn’t offer much more than toughness and instigation. He was an important part of the Belleville Senators this season though, and will likely return to help their leadership group in 2022-23.
Rubins, left unqualified by the Toronto Maple Leafs, does have a bit of promise as a 6’5″ defenseman who moves well, though his overall upside is rather limited. The undrafted 24-year-old played three games for Toronto this year, his first taste of NHL action.
Lucchini, the only one of the three that hasn’t seen NHL time, actually had a breakout for Belleville this year, scoring 20 goals and 51 points in 72 games, leading the AHL Senators in scoring. His return, like Sabourin’s, is to keep that group together and build the “culture of winning” that is so often referenced in development circles.