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Senators sign Fabian Zetterlund to 3-year extension with $4.2 million cap hit
The Ottawa Senators have signed restricted free agent Fabian Zetterlund to a three-year contract with a $4.275 million cap hit. Zetterlund was eligible to file for arbitration this summer. The winger can be an unrestricted free agent in 2028.
Zetterlund scored 19 goals and 41 points in 84 games played last season, suiting up for the San Jose Sharks and the Senators. Zetterlund went pointless in six games with the Senators during their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Senators are Zetterlund's third NHL team since entering the league with the New Jersey Devils during the 2021-22 season.
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The Swedish forward was acquired by Ottawa seconds before the trade deadline in March from San Jose along with forward Tristen Robins and a 2025 fourth-round draft pick. Ottawa sent Zack Ostapchuk, Noah Gregor and a 2o25 second-round pick to San Jose in exchange.
The trade came after Zetterlund and his agent, Claude Lemieux, informed the Sharks they wanted to continue contract discussions in the offseason after being presented with an offer. A counteroffer was presented to the Sharks, but Lemieux told The Athletic he was unsure if negotiations played a role in his client being traded.
With Zetterlund signed, the Senators have approximately $11 million left in cap space. The Senators still have Claude Giroux and Adam Gaudette among their unsigned pending free agents.
The Senators want salary cap flexibility when they enter the 2025-26 season, meaning they'll more likely to tweak with depth acquisitions instead of a big-money add. This will especially ring true if Giroux and other pending UFAs stay. Of course, that doesn't mean the Senators can't make a trade to improve their team.
If you're wondering about how his contract compares to some of the projections out there, AFP Analytics projected a three-year, $3.915 million extension for Zetterlund while Evolving-Hockey said four years at $4.803 million per.
Zetterlund didn't have a consistent home on the Senators' forward lines during the regular season and playoffs. His tenure began on the Senators' fourth line at a time when the Senators had three solid lines that weren't worth breaking. That includes newcomer Dylan Cozens being flanked by David Perron and Drake Batherson. Zetterlund later got shifts with top-line centre Tim Stützle. Finally, they put the Swede alongside Cozens and Batherson near the end of their first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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The Swedish forward didn't score many goals in his first handful of games as a Senator, but he generated chances near the net. Zetterlund was acquired for his ability to produce points at five-on-five. He'll be leaned upon to help a team that finished second-last in goals at five-on-five during the regular season.
