Sens Lock Down Cowen

The Ottawa Senators finished up the last of their off-season housekeeping, just as training camp opens, as restricted free agent defenseman Jared Cowen re-signed with the club, inking a 4-year deal worth $12.4 million.  Cowen's cap hit for the duration of his contract will be $3.1 million per season and he will be a restricted free agent one last time afterwards.

Cowen had a rough 2013 season, only playing seven regular season games, thanks to a hip injury earlier in the lockout.  In those seven games, Cowen only registered a single goal.  Back in the 2012 season, his first full season, Cowen finished with 17 points in all 82 games for the Senators.

There are some pretty big expectations for Cowen in the 2014 season and if he can have a big year, that would mean the Senators would have an excellent one-two punch on the blueline between himself and Erik Karlsson.  I am expecting a pretty good season for Cowen, likely in the range of 35 points, which should make him into a very good pool player.

The Senators appear to be more of a budget team in the 2014 season, as they have all kinds of cap room remaining on their books, roughly carrying 20 players on paper and still have $9.4 million left underneath the cap ceiling.  That's a lot of space, which could be used with some more acquisitions throughout the year.