OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators avoided arbitration with Nick Paul, signing the forward to a two-year contract with an average annual value of US$1.35 million on Wednesday.
It marks the first one-way contract of the 25-year-old Paul’s career. He was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Nov. 1.
The native of Mississauga, Ont., set career highs with nine goals, 11 assists and 56 games with the Senators last season.
Paul started last season with the Senators’ American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, Ont., registering one goal and three assists in three games before getting the call to Ottawa.
The Brampton/North Bay Battalion graduate was acquired by Ottawa in a deal that sent former captain Jason Spezza to the Dallas Stars in the summer of 2014.
Paul, part of Canada’s gold medal-winning team at the 2015 world junior hockey championship, has 28 points in 112 NHL games with Ottawa.
“Nick Paul has worked hard to establish himself as an important player on our team,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said in a statement. “He brings size, competitiveness and a solid all-around game to our forward group. We’re happy to have him under contract for the next two seasons.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2020.
The Canadian Press
