Senators may regret not signing Eeli Tolvanen

The Ottawa Senators made some significant changes this summer, reshaping their forward group around more speed and skill with the arrival of William Eklund. But as head coach Travis Green continues to build out his system, the question needs to be asked: will the Senators regret not adding Eeli Tolvanen to the top six for a cheap bargain contract?

Tolvanen recently signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the New York Rangers, and that could end up being a decision that the Senators and at least 25 other NHL clubs live to regret.

Senators missed out on a bargain buy

While skill and puck movement are important, teams still need players who can win the puck back and create extra possessions. That's where Tolvanen could have helped the Senators. He isn't just a physical winger who can forecheck. He is coming off a 36-point season with the Seattle Kraken. He is also just one season removed from scoring a career-high 23 goals, while adding more than 180 hits and leading his team's forwards in blocked shots last season.

For an Ottawa team adding more skill to its transition game, Tolvanen would have brought some of the physical play needed to replace Brady Tkachuk and complement players like Eklund, Tim Stützle, and Drake Batherson. It’s always good to have someone who can go into the corners, win battles and get the puck back to those skilled players. Especially against some of the bigger and more physical teams in the Atlantic Division.

Tovlanen can kill penalties and has a dangerous one-timer that could have been useful on the second power-play unit. That kind of versatility is valuable over an 82-game season because it gives a coach another player who can move up and down the lineup without completely changing what a line is trying to do.

In terms of the contract, signing a 27-year-old winger who can provide secondary scoring, play physically and contribute on the penalty kill for just $1.5 million is a steal. While the Senators still need to address other needs, adding Tolvanen at that price would have made them an even stronger team up front.