The Ottawa Senators have re-signed pending unrestricted free agent forward Nick Cousins to a two-year, $3.17 million contract that carries an annual cap hit of $1.59 million.
The Senators also retained goaltneder Samuel Ersson on a two-year deal carrying a $2.2 million cap hit.
Cousins, 32, recorded nine goals and 23 points in 81 games with the Ottawa Senators last season. He added an assist in four playoff games as the Senators were eliminated in the first round.
The 5-foot-11 centre is coming off a one-year, $825,000 contract.
Drafted 68th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2011, Cousins has 86 goals and 218 points in 723 career games split between the Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, and Senators.
Cousins helped the Panthers win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2024.
Ersson inked
The Senators acquired the rights to Ersson in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs last week, sending a fifth-round pick back the other way. The team elected not to issue him a qualifying offer earlier this week.
Ersson, 26, was acquired by the Maple Leafs, along with defenceman Emil Andrae and a draft pick, from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for goalie Joseph Woll and defenceman Simon Benoit on June 16.
Ersson figures to compete for the role of Linus Ullmark’s backup moving forward after Leevi Merilainen and James Reimer split the role for the majority of last season. Reimer is a pending unrestricted free agent and his future is unclear at age 38. Merilainen was qualified as a restricted free agent.
The 6-foot-3 Ersson went 14-11-5 last season as a member of the Flyers with a 3.12 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage.
He is coming off a two-year, $2.9 million contract that carried a cap hit of $1.45 million.
