Ottawa Senators Sign Five Players

Pierre Dorion has been busy today after making a big move, landing goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and signing two defensemen, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Erik Brannstrom. Dorion has since signed five more depth pieces to two-way deals after the big Korpisalo move.

Each player will play on a one-year deal worth $775k annually. Dorion has signed center Garrett Pilon, winger Matthew Highmore, left-wing Bokondji Imama, forward Josh Currie, and center Rourke Chartier.

Garrett Pilon was drafted 87th overall in 2016 by the Washington Capitals; Pilon most recently spent his 2022-23 season in the AHL with the Hershey Bears. Pilon scored 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in 53 games. Pilon has played three career NHL games with the Washington Capitals, where he has posted one goal.

Matthew Highmore was undrafted and would enter the National Hockey League by signing with the Chicago Blackhawks. Highmore would play his entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks in the 2020-21 season. Highmore would find his way to the St. Louis Blue but would spend the entire season with the Springfield Thunderbirds, where he played 68 games, scoring 19 goals and 42 assists for 61 total points. In Highmore’s NHL career, he’s played 139 games, scoring 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 career points. His NHL career-high is five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 46 games with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2021-22 season.

Bokondji Imama was drafted 180th overall in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Imama wouldn’t find his road to the NHL until the 2021-22 season; though he’s been a career AHL player up until this point, Imama has shown a scrappy side to him. Imama has two career NHL fights and many more in the AHL. Imama has played nine total NHL games where he’s scored one goal and fought twice in two seasons for the Arizona Coyotes.

Josh Currie is an undrafted NHL player who has spent his career between the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and KHL. Currie most recently played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL, where he scored three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 48 games. Currie has played 22 total NHL games, where he scored two goals and three assists for five total points.

Rourke Chartier was drafted 149th overall in the fifth round in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Chartier is a depth signing and has most recently played in the Ottawa system. Chartier has played 19 total NHL games where he’s scored one goal and a point. Chartier recently played with the Belleville Senators, where he scored 20 goals and eight assists in 40 games.