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After holding a press conference to discuss the team's significant charitable contributions to the Ottawa area this morning, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk went on the radio to announce an important hockey move:
Breaking: Sens owner Eugene Melnyk tells @TSN1200 the team has signed Clarke MacArthur to a 5-year contract extension.
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) August 19, 2014
BREAKING: #Sens owner @MelnykEugene confirms that the #Sens have agreed to terms with Clarke MacArthur on a five-year contract extension.
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) August 19, 2014
DERNIÈRE HEURE: Les #Sens se sont entendus sur les termes d’une prolongation de contrat de cinq ans avec l’attaquant Clarke MacArthur.
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) August 19, 2014
Full news release on Clarke MacArthur extension. English version: http://t.co/wUTQOj6IxI and French version: http://t.co/CDvSV7xIn3
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) August 19, 2014
MacArthur's first season in the capital was a successful one. Pairing with Kyle Turris, MacArthur had a significant impact in Ottawa: playing on the first line and reaching the 20 goal plateau (24 goals, 55 points) for the third time in his career. The dollar breakdown is as follows:
#Sens five-year extension with Clarke MacArthur has an AAV of $4.65M ($4.5, $4.5, $4.75, $4.75, $4.75).
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) August 19, 2014
While MacArthur will get a raise on the $3.25M he'll make this season, based on his output in 2013-2014 and the underlying metrics, he's worth it. With an AAV salary of $4.65M, MacArthur's salary for the final year of his current deal (ends in 2015) and the five seasons after that is fairly economical for a top-six forward. In addition, it keeps a successful unit (Turris-MacArthur) together for the foreseeable future, provides some stability going forward, and locks up a piece of Ottawa's new leadership group.