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Nick Jensen's Free Agent Signing Officially Ends His Time In Ottawa
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- Nick Jensen's Free Agent Signing Officially Ends His Time In Ottawa
Nick Jensen 's two-year run with the Ottawa Senators officially came to an end on the opening day of free agency Wednesday, as the veteran defenceman signed a two-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks worth an average annual value of $2.2 million.
That news was first reported by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman .
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Jensen arrived in Ottawa in the summer of 2024 after then-new general manager Steve Staios acquired him from the Washington Capitals in an effort to rebalance the Senators' blue line. Ottawa also received a third-round draft pick in the deal, but the price tag for the two assets was significant.
Steve Warne said earlier this week he believed that there's a 50/50 chance that Giroux leaves the Senators in free agency.
The Capitals landed Jakob Chychrun , who followed up the trade with back-to-back 20-goal seasons, including a 26-goal, 60-point campaign this year.
At the time, however, the 2024 trade made sense from Ottawa's perspective.
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Chychrun was just one year away from unrestricted free agency, and with Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson already occupying the left side while carrying cap hits north of $8 million, it was difficult to justify keeping a third expensive left-shot defenceman.
But that didn't stop a lot of Senators fans from feeling like Ottawa had sold low. Even acknowledging that Jensen was a better roster fit, many believed Staios could have extracted more than Jensen and a third-round pick in return.
Early on, Jensen looked like exactly the type of steady, veteran presence the Senators had hoped for. The veteran brought a calming influence to Ottawa's top four and was a perfect fit alongside Chabot.
But injuries soon became a problem.
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Jensen broke down near the end of his first season and underwent hip surgery in May of last year. Although he recovered in time for opening night this season, he never quite looked like the same player afterward. He managed just 61 games this past season, recording four goals and 13 assists before his year ended on injured reserve.
Both Jensen and the Ducks will be hoping a healthy offseason leads to a significant bounce-back campaign in Anaheim.
As for the Senators, Jensen and the third-rounder are both gone. But on its way out, that pick did help Ottawa land another asset back in March.
That selection was packaged with a second-round pick at this year's trade deadline to acquire forward Warren Foegele . That means the Senators aren't left completely empty-handed after moving Chychrun, even if the overall return remains one that many fans will continue to debate.
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By Steve Warne The Hockey News
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