Ottawa Senators sign Thomas Chabot to massive eight-year extension
The Ottawa Senators are betting big on Thomas Chabot, as they’ve signed their young star to an eight-year extension worth $64 million.
The Ottawa Senators haven’t had much to cheer for over the past two years, but the emergence of Thomas Chabot as one of the NHL’s top young defensemen has been a huge bright spot. Given how the organization has handled young players in the past, fans were understandably skeptical of what the team would do with him.
On Thursday, Sept. 19, the Senators changed the narrative by signing Chabot to an eight-year deal. According to Bob McKenzie, the average annual value, or cap hit, will be $8 million per year.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
Chabot’s deal will go into effect after the 2019-20 season, as that’s when he will be a restricted free agent. As of right now, he will be the eighth-highest paid defenseman in the NHL next season, though certain players might sign more lucrative deals between now and then.
Here’s the salary breakdown per year, according to Chris Johnston. It doesn’t appear Chabot will get any signing bonuses.
- 2020-21: $7 million
- 2021-22: $7 million
- 2022-23: $4 million
- 2023-24: $8 million
- 2024-25: $10 million
- 2025-26: $10 million
- 2026-27: $10 million
- 2027-28: $8 million
The deal is pretty balanced, though it appears to be ever so slightly backloaded. Of the $64 million Chabot will get during the deal, $38 million of it will come in the final four years. The Senators are rewarding a huge leader on their blueline.
Related Story. Top 5 Senators To Get Excited For. light
He is only 22 years old and turns 23 in January. Chabot has emerged as one of the NHL’s most impressive play drivers on offense among defensemen. His play driving is borderline elite. Last season, Chabot put up 55 points, which ranked 10th among defensemen.
Chabot has proven he’s a top-notch talent on offense and the Senators are making a smart bet that this will remain the case. It’s an expensive bet, but if he producing like a top defenseman, he should be well worth his contract.
I’m not sold on the Senators paying him as a top 10 defenseman right now, though. While Chabot is terrific on offense, his defensive numbers aren’t impressive. He didn’t see the toughest competition last year on the Senators, as Cody Ceci held that honor. Chabot allowed the fourth-highest expected goals per hour on five-on-five among Sens defensemen.
He was, however, the only Senators defenseman to have an expected goals percentage of over 50% (minimum 600 five-on-five minutes). Chabot has to grow defensively to truly be worth his contract, but I’m optimistic he will do that.
It will be up to him to become the Senators true number one defenseman. With Ceci gone, Chabot will likely have to handle tougher minutes. Having Nikita Zaitsev around should help him with that, but he will have to take a larger role regardless.
Next. Each Team's Most Important Player. dark
The Senators had to do something to give their fan base a bit of optimism heading into the 2019-20 season. Chabot getting a long-term deal should accomplish that.