After a busy off-season that saw the Ottawa Senators make three big splashes as they traded for Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot while signing UFA Claude Giroux, they continued to lock up their roster.
Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion continues his busy summer as he has announced a massive contract extension for forward Tim Stutzle, locking up the young center long-term.
Trusted NHL insider Frank Seravalli was the first to break the news:
With the new deal in place, the Senators will pay the 20-year-old $8.35 million per season. Stutzle still has one more year on his entry-level deal that pays him $925K, as his new contract will kick in for the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.
While this deal may seem like a major bet on the young center, it is in line with how the NHL is paying players with Stutzle’s potential. We saw this most recently with New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes last summer as he agreed to an eight-year deal as well.
Even at 20 years old, the German-born Stutzle has shown flashes of the player he will become. In just two NHL seasons, he has appeared in 132 games, with the Senators recording 34 goals and 53 assists, with 58 of those points coming in 78 games during the 2021-22 season.
If the Senators decide to line up DeBrincat on Stutzle’s wing, the two should thrive this upcoming season. Ottawa should be excited about the direction they are headed as Stutzle has a chance to cross the 30-goal mark and record 60-80 points while anchoring the second line.
