The Ottawa Senators management has been busy this off season by locking up their own players, so it comes no surprise that they locked up their number one goaltender, in 33-year-old, Craig Anderson.
BREAKING: The #Sens have agreed to terms with goaltender Craig Anderson on a three-year contract extension. #Andy
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) August 25, 2014
The contract itself has an annual cap hit of a mere $4.2M. When breaking the contract down, it’s front loaded paying the Illinois native $4.7M for both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons and $3.1M for the 2017-18 season.
Prior to this signing the Senators locked up winger Clarke MacArthur for five years and restricted free agent, backup tender, Robin Lehner for the equivalent time of Anderson of three years and defenceman, Mark Borowiecki, for three years.
While playing 53 games for the Senators last season, Anderson posted up a 25-16-8 record that included four shutouts, a 3.00 GAA and a .911 save percentage. His team totals show Anderson has played 158 games and winning 81 of them in the nation’s capital.
Anderson helped push the Senators to the playoffs in both the 2011-12 and the shortened 2013 seasons, starting 17 games and winning 8 total, with a notable series win over the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, before the eventual loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last season saw the Senators unable to make the post-season.
Anderson was originally acquired by the Senators with a goalie swap trade with the Colorado Avalanche that saw Brian Elliott pack his bags on February 18th, 2011. Craig was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks back in 2001, 73rd overall.
With both Anderson and Lehner locked up for a few years, there should be no woes or interest of the Senators seeking out another goaltender. The main focus now for Senators management is trying to lock up their star winger Bobby Ryan, and their strong defenceman, Marc Methot, who are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after the upcoming 2014-15 season.
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