The Ottawa Senators announced a significant signing on Wednesday morning as the team locked up a key member of their defense.
Earlier this morning, the Senators signed defenseman Artem Zub to a large extension. As per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic:
“4 x $4.6M AAV as announced by the club. Important signing for the Senators.”
The 27-year-old Zub has been a key member of the team’s defense since he signed with Ottawa out of the KHL prior to the 2020-21 NHL season. Through 142 games, he has registered 11 goals, 29 assists, a plus-4 rating, and 296 hits.
The 6’2″ right-hand shot defenseman may not be known for his offense, but he is quietly one of the stronger shutdown guys in the league. Locking him up for the next four years continues Ottawa’s upward trend of rebuilding this team as they aim to get back into playoff contention.
Now that the Zub extension is out of the way, general manager Pierre Dorion will turn to get forward Alex DeBrincat extended as he is set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the summer.
The Senators currently find themselves in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 14-16-2 record. The organization and fans were hoping the team would take the next step this season but it seems they still require a few more moves to reestablish themselves in the best division in the NHL.
