The positive vibes continue to flow in Ottawa this offseason. The Senators have inked a downtown arena deal; traded for Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot; and signed Claude Giroux. On Thursday, they announced they’d signed center Josh Norris to an eight-year, $63.6 million contract carrying a $7.95 million AAV.
That means the Sens have their entire top line locked up long term. Last year, left winger Brady Tkachuk signed a seven-year, $57.5 million pact paying him through 2027-28, while right winger Drake Batherson signed for six years and $29.85 million, paid through 2026-27. Norris, who completed his entry-level pact in 2021-22, was a restricted free agent and is now signed through the end of 2029-30.
Norris, 23, has quickly established himself as one of the game’s most promising young centers. After a three-game cup of coffee in 2019-20, he arrived as a full-time NHLer in the abbreviated 2020-21 season, scoring 17 goals and tallying 35 points in 56 games, finishing fourth in Calder Trophy voting and cracking the NHL All-Rookie Team. He levelled up this past season, piling up 35 goals and 55 points in just 66 games. His goal total pro-rated to 43 over an 82-game schedule. Per Natural Stat Trick, Among 387 forwards who logged at least 500 minutes of 5-on-5 play, Norris ranked 54th in goals per 60 this season, placing in the 86th percentile.
Norris, a Michigan native, was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the first round, 19th overall, out of the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2017 and spent a couple seasons playing NCAA Div. I hockey for Michigan. He came to Ottawa in the blockbuster trade that sent star defenseman Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks in 2018. The Senators also netted, among many other assets in the deal, a 2020 first-round pick eventually used on Tim Stutzle.
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