Sens Place White on Unconditional Waivers

The Ottawa Senators announced that they have placed Colin White on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract.

Colin White (OTT) on unconditional waivers for a buyout. This is a one-third buyout because of his age

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 5, 2022

As noted by Elliotte Friedman, the Sens have opted to take advantage of a buyout clause in the CBA that enables them to payout White’s bought out contract at one-third of its value, which is possible because of his age.

Drafted 21st overall in 2015, White has amassed 224 games at the NHL level, scoring 36 goals and adding 62 assists in the process. In 2019, amidst the many downs of this Senators franchise, White was the first player to sign a long term extension, signalling a shift from a tear down to securing a core group of young players. His six year, $4.75M AAV contract looked good at the time, as he was coming off his best season having centred Ottawa’s top line between a young(er) Brady Tkachuk and former alternate captain Mark Stone. Since posting 0.58 points per game in the 2018-19 season, White’s production dropped off to 0.39 points per game over the next three seasons.

The Senators currently have to focus on extending players like Josh Norris and Alex Formenton, while bringing in win-now pieces, all while looking at the centre position which will be occupied by Norris, Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto for the foreseeable future. This makes White, at best, their third line right winger. As such, it’s no surprise to see White’s time in Ottawa end in this particular way.

While his offensive production may not be that of a top six forward, he’s still a positionally sound NHL player who can likely carve out a solid role as a defensive specialist on a third line somewhere - particularly since he’s unlikely to command a large salary on his next contract.

Let’s wish Colin White all the best in his future endeavours with this stunning snipe from the former first round pick.