As expected, the Ottawa Senators have signed Tyler Ennis to a one-year contract. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $900K and ends the professional tryout that Ennis had been in camp on. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a short statement.
"Tyler has had a strong training camp. He’s a highly skilled veteran whose leadership qualities should prove as valuable as they were here two seasons ago. He’s capable of generating offence both at five-on-five and on the power-play, and, with an ability to play both wing postions, he’ll be a good addition for us at forward."
Ennis, 32, spent the 2020-21 season with the Edmonton Oilers, scoring three goals and nine points in 30 games. Though those numbers won’t jump off the page, the undersized forward is versatile enough to move around the lineup and add a little offense wherever he is deployed. In 2019-20 with the Senators, he recorded 14 goals and 33 points in 61 games before being flipped at the deadline.
As with any other short-term deal for a team like the Senators, the trade deadline should be considered. Ennis once again becomes a chip for the team to cash in should they receive an offer, though his value around the league has certainly decreased over the last year. Depending on where he fits into the lineup, that value could bounce back, though it seems unlikely he’ll steal much ice time from the team’s younger forwards.
The key for Ottawa was also to add more salary to get closer to the cap floor. The team is technically still under it, but should be able to fix that with a late-camp waiver claim or a minor trade. Signing Brady Tkachuk, the last remaining major RFA, would also obviously fix that issue, though it isn’t clear how close the two sides are.
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