Pierre Dorion feels it.
In a summer spent trading Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot, releasing Matt Murray and signing Claude Giroux, the Ottawa Senators general manager took some time to extend one of the team’s core pieces, locking up Josh Norris to a maximum of eight years — futures contract on Thursday.
“We are very pleased to reach a long-term agreement with Josh,” Dorion said in a press release. “He is a versatile forward who continues to mature into an outstanding NHL player. His goalscoring prowess has already shown that he is a significant asset for us and one that will help us reach the next level.”
Norris will make just $8 million per season on a deal worth a total of $63.6 million. He can only take in slightly less on an annual basis than captain Brady Tkachuk and star defenseman Thomas Chabot in the team’s internal hierarchy, all three of whom are locked into lengthy deals.
It’s certainly a bit of a roll of the dice by the Senators, who only have two seasons of NHL data from a third-year pro. However, Norris was extremely productive in his 125 career games at the highest level, contributing 52 goals and 90 points along with a solid portfolio of advanced stats.
Ottawa’s core has suddenly become expensive, with Tkachuk, Chabot, Norris, Giroux, DeBrincat and Drake Batterson making more than $42 million combined, or more than half of the salary cap. That’s with DeBrincat, the team’s most reliable scorer on paper, who is due a new contract at the end of this upcoming season.
The Josh Norris deal is the latest move in what has been a busy summer for the Senators. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Dorion took on more than $8 million in salary by dealing Murray and wing Connor Brown earlier this weekend, creating the flexibility needed to add Talbot and Giroud and cover some of Norris’ extension.
The Senators are expected to be close to a team with over $11 million to spend and four or five contracts still to be signed.
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