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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OTTAWA, ON – NOVEMBER 2: Chris Wideman #6 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the Detroit Red Wings at Canadian Tire Centre on November 2, 2017 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON – NOVEMBER 2: Chris Wideman #6 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the Detroit Red Wings at Canadian Tire Centre on November 2, 2017 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) /

3. Chris Wideman

Wideman played just 16 games for the Senators last season. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent. There’s no telling how he’ll bounce back from the hamstring injury, but that mystery could benefit the Senators. Wideman has never made more than $1 million per season in his career. And due to his hamstring injury, he’ll likely be below that mark in 2018-19.

Maybe the Senators reward his past seasons and sign him to a one-year deal worth just over $1 million. That way, if things go sour for Ottawa once again, assuming Wideman is healthy, they can flip him at the deadline to anyone looking for a depth defenseman. It’s almost a guarantee that he won’t get a long-term contract.

Wideman has spent his entire career with the Senators, and while he’s not a big point producer, he is a reliable third-pairing defender. He’s comfortable in the Guy Boucher’s system and has produced for them in previous seasons. Some straw-grasping Senators fans believe that Wideman’s absence was a big blow to their playoff chances last season.

This isn’t a splashy move by Ottawa, but the team isn’t in a position to make a splashy move. They’re not going to have much money left over after they pay Mark Stone and how many players want to go to play in Ottawa after the season they just had? The Senators need to take what they can get. That means taking care of a guy who has proven himself to the organization in the past.

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