With Steve Staios seemingly looking to build the Ottawa Senators’ roster along the lines of the Florida Panthers’ model, how does he intend to deal with his six unrestricted free agents as July 1st approaches?

With UFAs Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins, Adam Gaudette, Matthew Highmore, Travis Hamonic and Anton Forsberg all needing new deals, the main question for Staios should be:

“How do these guys fit with what we are trying to do here?”

If the Panthers are the prototype, clearly the Senators are looking to become more difficult to play against through physical play, puck possession and structure. Those are three things that the Panthers have in abundance, and their three playoff opponents to date can attest to that.

This is the Senators’ current depth chart of players who are under contract on one-way deals for next season.

Forwards

Tkachuk-Stutzle-X
Perron-Cozens-Batherson
Greig-Pinto-Amadio
X-X-MacEwen

Defence

Sanderson-Zub
Chabot-Jensen
Kleven-Matinpalo

Goalies

Ullmark
Sogaard

So let’s take a look at the Senators’ pending UFAs and each of their situations.

Claude Giroux

RFA Fabian Zetterlund will surely get a qualifying offer that he can decline so that the Senators maintain his rights and then work with him to avoid arbitration.

The acquisition of Zetterlund, a gritty player with offensive upside, at the trade deadline last season came at the expense of losing a less-developed but more raw and gritty player in Zack Ostapchuk.

Given his age (25), right shot and commitment to physical fitness, it almost feels like Staios is planning for life beyond Giroux. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t want both in the lineup, but Giroux has much more past than future remaining, and the Senators aren’t likely to take a step forward with him in the top six.

At first glance, it would seem that rather than going after higher-priced free agents, Zetterlund might be signed to a longer-term deal to fill that hole in the top six.

Given his low level of production after being acquired, it would be normal to question such a move. However, the same thing happened when Zetterlund was acquired mid-season by the Sharks from the Devils in 2022-23. He only registered three points in 22 games.

The following season and this past season, he was trending upward until he got traded. Perhaps he just takes a little longer to get acclimated.

If that's what the Sens are counting on, is there a place in the current configuration for Giroux on the kind of contract he’ll want? There is talk that the veteran winger and the team are interested in making a deal and the number being bandied about is $3 million with some bonus structure.

Would Giroux accept a bottom-six role if he still got to be on the power play, penalty kill and to play up in the lineup when injuries arise? If the Sens sign Zetterlund to a longer, higher-paying deal, it may further diminish Giroux's role here.

Will RFA Fabian Zetterlund Get Paid On His San Jose Numbers Or The Ones In Ottawa?Fabian Zetterlund has only been an Ottawa Senator for a couple of months, and he’s already asking the club for a raise. That wouldn’t fly in a normal workplace, but that’s how it goes in the NHL when you bring in a pending restricted free agent at the trade deadline.

Nick Cousins

Cousins came in on a show-me contract for one year after winning the Stanley Cup. Cousins’ 15 points in 50 games were better than the 15 in 69 he had the year before. His veteran presence has value to the team, to be sure. However, if Zetterlund and Giroux are back, how many of the same guys are going to return?

The Senators can’t just ice the same squad that lost to the Leafs in round one.

Cousins would likely be re-signed if the money made sense. But he’s almost 32, and probably looking for more than one year at more than league minimum. With $16.6 million in projected cap space, the Zetterlund and Giroux deals, if they happen, might eat up close to half of that. Also, his being healthy-scratched in game one of the Leafs’ series was conspicuous to say the least.

Adam Gaudette

Gaudette established himself as a full-time NHLer last year, and it was a great story of reinvention. He may also want more term and money than one might want to pay. Gaudette may fit with what the Senators are trying to do, but again, what is his ceiling? And does he truly fit with a team trying to become harder to play against in a playoff series?

Look for Gaudette to find a home elsewhere and get a nice video tribute in his first game back.

Matthew Highmore

Highmore may not be a full-time NHLer, but Travis Green clearly likes him, and teams do need depth. Look for Highmore to return on one of those higher-paying AHL contracts with a league-minimum cap hit when he's in the show.

Travis Hamonic

It was all class the way the Senators made sure that Travis Hamonic got his 900th game in game 82 against the Hurricanes. With all due respect, if he gets to 901, it should be with another team.

Anton Forsberg

With Forsberg having a $2.75 million cap hit last season, it’s likely that the Senators will take those savings and let Sogaard and Merilainen battle it out for the backup job.

Why Is Ottawa Senators Defenceman Nick Jensen So Guarded About His Lower-Body Injury?Ottawa Senators defenceman Nick Jensen has reportedly undergone surgery for a lingering lower-body injury. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reported this week that, according to league sources, Jensen had the procedure done in New York on Monday and admitted the injury was something he played through for the final few months of the season. He rarely participated in practice because of it.

One big wildcard is Nick Jensen. Jensen isn’t a UFA, but the state of his health could affect the team’s spending plans. He’s projected to be ready for training camp, but the team was very cagey about his health status in the second half of the season. If the Sens have to bring in some impactful right-handed defence help, that could alter plans.

No matter what happens, it's going to be an interesting month.

Pat Maguire
The Hockey News Ottawa

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