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Senators sign Stutzle to extension

*Photo from Faces Magazine*
   The Ottawa Senators have had a very successful offseason, and even still, they found a way to make it better. The Senators and C/LW Tim Stutzle have agreed to a 8 year, $66.8 million extension, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The Senators have confirmed the deal.

   Senators GM Pierre Dorion said of Stutzle that "You look at every part of his game: He's competitive, he's dynamic, he's got speed, he's got skill, he's great hockey instincts. He's learned how to check. He's learned how to play center. This league can eat you up at times, and he did at times when he was 18 years old. Now, when he's out there, he's so dynamic that I think he can be a future superstar. He can be someone that as the center can be counted on pushing the play, generating offense, playing a two-way game and providing us with wins."

   The Senators have not made the playoffs since the 2016-2017 season, but the hope is that streak will end very soon. Stutzle is surrounded by a young core of Drake Batherson, Thomas Chabot, Josh Norris, and Brady Tkachuk. Stutzle was chosen with the 3rd overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.

   After this season, Stutzle was set to be an RFA. He'll make $925,000 this season in the last year of his entry level deal. The extension kicks in at the start of the 2023-2024 season. He has a $8.35 million AAV and has a modified no trade clause for the final 4 years of the deal, which is a 10 team no trade list.

   Negotiations between Stutzle and Dorion for a contract began in August, and after a month of working on it, the deal has been agreed to. When his extension kicks in, Stutzle will be the highest paid player in AAV, just topping Tkachuk's $8.2 million AAV in his contract.

   Stutzle said of signing his extension that "Every time you sign a big contract, I mean, there's pressure. I knew even if I wouldn't have signed this year, there would be pressure for me. I always expect myself to be the best hockey player I can, and I've been working really hard during the summer, so I think I'm ready for the year. I think it worked out pretty good and I feel better than I ever felt."

   Last season with the Senators was Stutzle's second in the league. He had a season of progress, tallying 22 goals and 36 assists, both career highs. He averaged a career high of 18:25 of ice time per game and posted a -27 plus/minus rating in 79 regular season games.

   In his career, Stutzle has played two seasons since being drafted, debuting in the short 2021 season. In that time, he has 34 goals and 53 assists, recording a -45 plus/minus rating over an average of 17:20 of ice time per game in 132 career games, all in the regular season.

   Stutzle said of playing in Ottawa long term that "It's really important that everyone was buying in, and for me the numbers are not important. It's just the team we have and I'm super excited about that. I want to show the team that I'm committed to stay here long term. I think that's really important too. It doesn't really matter to play one more year and maybe get some more money. It's just about playing with the team and with the guys and I just want to play my best hockey."

   To add to the core of Stutzle, Batherson, Chabot, Norris, and Tkachuk, the Senators had a productive offseason. Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot were added in trades, and Claude Giroux signed as a free agent. RFA's Mathieu Joseph and Erik Brannstrom also signed deals this offseason.

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