The Ottawa Senators announced that goaltender Anders Nilsson agreed to a two-year contract. The contract average annual value is $2.6 million ($2.8 million in 2019-20, $2.4 million in 2020-21).
News Release: #Sens re-sign goaltender Anders Nilsson to a two-year contract: https://t.co/L4EEzXUJm9
Communiqué : Les remettent le gardien de but Anders Nilsson sous contrat pour deux ans : https://t.co/CWoUeolDsx pic.twitter.com/xj18lp5lVR
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) May 29, 2019
His Contribution to the Senators
Nilsson, 29, played in 24 games for the Senators in the 2018-19 season. During the season he had an 11-11-0 record with a 2.90 goals-against average,.914 save percentage and two shutouts. The Senators acquired him on Jan.2 in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks. The Swedish native stands 6-6, weighing 232 pounds. His size, experience, and performance convinced the Senator’s front office to re-sign him.
“He is a competitive, talented veteran who played well after being acquired last season. In addition, Anders is a great teammate and a hard worker, which makes him an excellent fit with our growing team. This signing provides us with stability at the goaltending position, which is very important to our success as our team continues to develop.”, said Senators general manager Pierre Dorion.
With the #Sens signing goaltender Anders Nilsson to a 2 year, $2.6M AAV contract, the club now has 5 goalies signed, and 1 RFA:
Anderson $4.75M
Nilsson $2.6M
Condon $2.4M
Daccord $925k (ELC)
Gustavsson $761k (ELC)
Högberg (RFA)https://t.co/uTUkZvmrKL— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) May 29, 2019
Career
Nilsson was drafted by the New York Islanders in the third-round (62nd overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. After the Islanders he played for the Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, and Canucks. He played 141 career NHL games with a 50-65-13 record with a 3.07 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and six shutouts.
Senators Offseason
The Senators had the worst record in the NHL last season. This signing is a really low-risk signing for the franchise. Nilsson is the only NHL-ready goalie they have outside of Craig Anderson, who is at the end of his career. With the hiring of the new head coach D. J. Smith, the Senators are focused on rebuilding the franchise and win back its fans.
Featured photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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