A couple of the Florida Panthers division rivals were busy locking up some of their young talent yesterday.
The Ottawa Senators signed center Tim Stutzle, who will play this under the final year of his entry-level deal, to an eight-year contract extension worth $66.8 million. Stutzle, 20, was the third overall pick in the 2020 Entry NHL Draft. After a decent rookie campaign, he broke out in his second season, particularly in the second half, scoring 22 goals and 58 points in 79 games.
On Tuesday, the Senators inked defenseman Erik Brannstrom to a one-year deal worth $900K. In 2021-22, Brannstrom, 23, appeared in 53 games with the Senators and collected 14 assists.
For more on both signings visit Silver Seven Sens
The Montreal Canadiens have agreed to a four-year, $13.45 million contract with restricted free agent forward Kirby Dach. Montreal made two trades at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, first sending defenseman Alexander Romanov and the 98th-overall pick to acquire the New York Islanders 13th-overall selection. Then, they packaged the 13th-overall pick with the 66th-overall pick to acquire the 21-year-old from the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. Dach, the third overall pick in 2019, appeared in 70 games with the Blackhawks and produced nine goals, 17 assists and 26 points – all (modest) career-highs. (Eyes On The Prize)