Ottawa Senators sign Johnny Oduya to one-year deal

The Ottawa Senators have brought Johnny Oduya on board with a one-year deal worth up to $2.25 million. 

Going into this offseason, the Ottawa Senators are looking to improve their depth on a team that nearly made the Stanley Cup Finals. They’re bringing in a two-time Stanley Cup champion to help with their blue line. The Senators have signed former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya to a one-year deal. It’s worth $1 million, but with incentives, it could be worth up to $2.25 million.

Oduya just turned 35 years old, so he’s clearly on the decline of his career. But he can still be a solid member of a third pairing and is still a force to be reckoned with on the penalty kill. The Senators have a relatively young blue line, with Dion Phaneuf being the only regular who was born before 1990.

Last season, Oduya split time between the Dallas Stars and the Blackhawks. With the Stars, he had one goal and six assists for seven points in 37 games while averaging 18:10 of ice time per game. Oduya had a goal and an assist for two points in 15 games with the Blackhawks while averaging 18:31 of ice time. He had no points in four playoff games with Chicago while they get swept by the Nashville Predators in the first round.

Oduya has also spent time with the New Jersey Devils, spending the first three years of his career there. He also played for the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets. A lefty, Oduya should expect to see third pairing minutes and maybe some time in the press box. He will have to compete with Dion Phaneuf, Mark Borowiecki, Frederik Claesson, Andreas Englund and Ben Harpur for playing time.

Known as a stay at home defenseman, Oduya has 182 points in 798 regular season games. The Senators are hoping he still has enough left in the tank to be a net positive to the team.