Fansided

5 free agents the Senators can sign to get back to the playoffs

By Jeremy Lambert

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 5: Mark Stone #61 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on March 5, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 5: Mark Stone #61 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on March 5, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 26: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Cody Ceci (5) skates with the puck during a game between the Ottawa Senators and the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC on March 24, 2018. Carolina defeated Ottawa 4-1. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 26: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Cody Ceci (5) skates with the puck during a game between the Ottawa Senators and the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC on March 24, 2018. Carolina defeated Ottawa 4-1. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

4. Cody Ceci

No one divides Senators fandom quite like Cody Ceci. He and Dion Phaneuf made for one of the worst defensive pairings in the league before Phaneuf was shipped to Los Angeles.

Some see Ceci as a 24-year-old who still has a couple of seasons to fulfill his potential. He was the 15th overall pick in 2012 and already has five NHL seasons under his belt. He’s young, yet experienced. Maybe without the shackle named Phaneuf alongside him, he’ll be able to thrive in 2018-19. Say what you will about his numbers, he still logged 23-plus minutes on a team that went to the ECF two seasons ago.

Others see Ceci as a lost cause. He’s regressed each season, posting a career-low 43.8 corsi percentage last season. Sure, Phaneuf was bad, but maybe he was bad because he was paired with Ceci.

Ceci, like Stone, is a restricted free agent. No team is likely to offer him a big money contract. He carried a cap hit of $2.8 million the past two seasons. With regressing numbers, he’s unlikely to see a raise. Another two-year bridge deal might be in the interest of both parties. Should another team offer Ceci a similar contract, the Senators would only get back a second-round pick. Is a second-round pick worth it for Ottawa? If they’re rebuilding, probably.

But we’re talking about playoffs. If the Senators want to get back into the playoffs, having a big-minute defenseman with upside is necessary.

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