The Ottawa Senators have wasted no time in addressing their off-season roster by announcing they have signed defenceman Nikolas Matinpalo to a two-year contract extension.
The new agreement is a one-way deal and carries an average annual value (AAV) of $875,000, resulting in a total value of $1.75 million over its duration.
Matinpalo, a 26-year-old Finnish blue-liner, originally joined the Senators organization in 2023 as a European free agent. He has since spent two seasons within the system, splitting time between the NHL and AHL, appearing in 45 NHL games and 91 AHL games.
Commenting on the signing, Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios said in a team statement, “Nik took a significant step this season and proved he could be a valuable contributor at the NHL level. We look forward to his continued growth.”
During the 2024-25 NHL season, Matinpalo skated in 40 regular-season games for Ottawa, where he recorded one goal and four points. The six-foot-three, right-shot defender also featured in all six games of the Senators` first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, although he did not register any points during the postseason.
The Espoo native recently represented Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February and is scheduled to join Team Finland again for the upcoming IIHF Hockey World Championship later this month.
Tristan Blackwood