Craig Anderson Re-signs with Senators, 3 Years, $4.2M AAV

Once again, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk kicked off a Sens news storm, this time with a cheeky tweet:

Will be another great day for the @senators! Busy, busy summer...

— Eugene Melnyk (@MelnykEugene) August 25, 2014

The big announcement came moments later, when the team's official account broke news of the re-signing of veteran goalie Craig Anderson:

BREAKING: The #Sens have agreed to terms with goaltender Craig Anderson on a three-year contract extension. #Andy

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) August 25, 2014

Dernière heure: Les #Sens s'entendent sur les termes d'une prolongation de contrat de trois ans avec le gardien Craig Anderson. #Andy

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) August 25, 2014

Full details on #Sens @CraigAnderson41'a contract extension, in English: http://t.co/pqR6bFLPVk and in French: http://t.co/k5zBGMGMLe

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) August 25, 2014

For those wondering how the starter/backup roles would shake down given Robin Lehner's recent extension, Andy will still be paid like a starter over the course of this deal:

The average annual value of #Sens @CraigAnderson41's three-year contract extension is $4.2 million ($4.75M, $4.75M, $3.1M). #MoreBeastmode

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) August 25, 2014

It's a good deal for Anderson in terms of dollars, especially since he struggled during the 2013-2014 season and forces younger netminder Lehner to grab the starting position and push Andy. If Lehner does grab the starter's job in the next season or two, Anderson's cap average of $4.2 million per season is still mid-level for a goalie, though might prove somewhat difficult to move if he's lost his spot. The Senators are hoping that by locking up both Lehner and Anderson long term, the team is cementing a stable goaltending tandem for the foreseeable future.

Do you like the Craig Anderson deal?