3 Players Entering Final Season With Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators are hoping to be better this season and finally make a good push for a playoff spot. While this could be the year they do it, history continues to suggest that no matter what the team does, they have a bad start and take themselves out of the race. Whether the season goes the way the Senators hope or not, there are three players who are likely entering their final season with the team.

Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux left a strong Florida Panthers team to sign with the Senators for three years. This is going into the third season and the team hasn't even made the playoffs yet. He hasn't won a Stanley Cup and it appears like that is what he is trying to win before the end of his career. Giroux is going to be 37 years old next season and there isn't much time. If the Senators don't make the playoffs this season, I don't think there is a chance the veteran stays. It's likely he goes to a real contender on a cheap deal to win at the end of his career.

Anton Forsberg

The goaltending after the season for the Senators could be tricky. Both Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg are UFAs after the season, but Forsberg is a backup/potential tandem goalie at best. The Senators will likely push hard to keep Ullmark if he even has an average season. With the young goalies in the system, one should be able to take over the backup role and make it an easy decision to let Forsberg go in free agency.

Travis Hamonic

Travis Hamonic was brought back this season on a one-year deal, but even during this season he should be pushed down the lineup in favor of some of the young defensemen like Tyler Kleven and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Signing Hamonic for this season just gave the Senators a little safety net and a little more time for the prospects to be ready for full-time roles in the NHL.