Chris Wideman Re-signs with Ottawa Senators
Good news for the Sens, as they get back a much needed player on the back end
The bizarre season for the Ottawa Senators continues as breaking news is now dropping from the Wellington Diner instead of any official media personnel or the team itself. Yesterday, WD tweeted that Chris Wideman will be back with the Ottawa Senators next season, avoiding hitting the market as a UFA on Canada Day - confirming that it was him who announced the news at the restaurant. It is now confirmed from the team that the extension is 1 year at $1.0M AAV. Chris Wideman was a fourth round pick in 2009 and has been playing with the big club since the 2015/2016 season providing a stable and consistent performance averaging 15 points his first two seasons and only 8 points last season where he was out with a season ending injury in November.
While it is still unknown what will happen with Erik Karlsson, the news of Wideman coming back has been met with a sigh of relief. It will be interesting to see now how this affects Fredrik Claesson and also what kind of deal (if any) will the Sens give Cody Ceci who is a pending RFA this summer. Either way, if Karlsson stays the back end is in a lot less worrisome shape with Wideman’s return as well. I was hoping for a longer extension for Wideman, but for now I think most Sens fans will take any positive move they can get.
Chris Wideman became a fan favourite through his entertaining Instagram account but mostly when he invited fans to a local rink for a game of shinny back in February showing fans a fun and humble side of him which many appreciated. With the recent “character” issues in the room, most can agree Wideman is definitely a player they want to keep in the dressing room. After the horrendous injury suffered against the Pittsburgh Penguins back in November and season ending surgery, Wideman is officially ready to start fresh next season and hopefully bring some much needed help to the defense.
With some good news from the Sens, how are the fans feeling about this signing. Money wise, I think it’s fair for a player who is considerably better than every defenseman on the team not named Karlsson or Chabot. With more experience under his belt and now a new contract, I am expecting big things from Mr. Wideman. Let’s hope the next signing we hear about is the BIG ONE!
Go Sens Go!
