Ottawa Senators’ defenceman Jacob Larsson decides to head overseas

Article content

Some members of the Ottawa Senators are making their own decisions on their future and not waiting for the organization to decide.

Defenceman Jacob Larsson, who spent the last two seasons with the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, signed a two-year deal to suit up for SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers in the Swiss league.

Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, Larsson, 27, is the second Ottawa blueliner to head overseas in the last month. Defenceman Lassi Thomson, a first-round pick in 2019, signed a two-year deal with Malmo in the Swedish Elite League two weeks ago.

Article content

“Jacob is a two-way defender who can be used in all situation,” Lakers’ general manager Janick Steinmann said in a statement on the club’s website Friday morning. “He’s at the best age for hockey and has developed into an all-round defender in North America in recent years.

“I’m very excited to see how his development continues on European ice; he has a lot of potential in all situations.”

The Senators brought Larsson in for depth as a UFA from the Anaheim Ducks before the 2022-23 campaign. He signed a one-year, two-way extension last season with $300,000 salary guarantee.

Larsson suited up for seven games with the Senators during his first year in the organization but didn’t get any National Hockey League action last season. He did accompany the club to Sweden, but didn’t suit up in games against the Detroit Red Wings or Minnesota Wild in Stockholm.

He suited up for 116 games with Belleville over the last two years. Selected No. 27 overall by the Ducks in the 2015 NHL draft, Larsson finished with 11 goals and 50 points with the Belleville.

The reality is Larsson and Thomson didn’t have much of a future in the Ottawa organization, but both were depth pieces. They both saw the writing on the wall because they didn’t get called up at all last season and that’s why they likely both felt that it was best to move on.

Article content

There’s also talk that Belleville captain Dillon Heatherington, a UFA defenceman, is also exploring his options overseas.

While the Senators advanced to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history this spring, there will be no shortage of changes to the roster because Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, is starting to put his stamp on this team.

Not only does that mean there will be big changes in Ottawa to try to help this club make the playoffs for the first time in eight years, the trickle down effect means Belleville general manager Ryan Bowness will also have his work cut out for him with the club’s AHL roster.

Once the calendar turns to June, the action in the NHL heats up.

Staios, senior VP Dave Poulin and Bowness wrapped up three days of meetings with the pro scouts Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre and the talk will turn to action with the draft and free agency around the corner.

Next week, they’ll head to Buffalo with chief scout Don Boyd and members of the scouting staff to participate in the NHL Combine. There, they’ll interview and test approximately 75-to-100 of the top prospects for the draft, which will be held June 28-29 at The Sphere in Vegas.

Article content

From there, the focus will turn to the roster and to prepare for free agency on July 1.

We know the Senators need to address goaltending in Ottawa, the future of blueliner Jakob Chychrun and get centre Shane Pinto signed to an extension before training camp opens in September.

We’re told the two sides still have a wide gap on a five-or-six-year contract to bridge with Pinto’s camp. Postmedia has reported Pinto’s New York-based agent Lewis Gross is looking for a deal in the neighborhood of $5 million per-season while the Senators would like a lower average annual value.

The belief in league circles is the Senators would like to see if they can deal the rights to restricted free agent defenceman Erik Brannstrom and winger Egor Sokolov in the coming weeks.

The Senators haven’t decided whether they’re going to give Brannstrom a one-year qualifying offer of $2 million. He hasn’t lived up to expectations after being acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights for winger Mark Stone and Staios has no ties to Brannstrom.

The Senators will have until June 30 at 5 p.m. EST to determine if they are going to give Brannstrom a qualifying offer.

Article content

Though Sokolov will likely get a QO, he didn’t get called up last season from Belleville at all and his camp is hopeful he’ll get dealt before the draft. He always has the option of going to play in Russia, but there may be an opportunity for him with another organization.

Sokolov had 21 goals and 46 points in 71 games with Belleville last season and, if nothing else, may be able to get a high-end AHL guarantee with another organization on a two-way deal.

The club also has to decide if it will buyout veteran defenceman Travis Hamonic. He has one year left at $1.1 million with a full no move clause, which means he can’t be sent to Belleville, so it would cost the club $733,000 to buy out the final year.

Article content