The Ottawa Senators continue to make upgrades to their lineup — with former Toronto Maple Leafs. On Monday, they announced the signing of defenseman Ron Hainsey and forward Tyler Ennis to one-year contracts.
Hainsey will earn $3.5 million for the upcoming season, while Ennis will get $800,000.
Hainsey, 38, managed five goals, 23 points, 144 blocked shots and a plus-30 rating in 81 games last season. The 6-3, 205-pound blueliner is quite familiar with new Senators head coach D.J. Smith who ran the blueline in Toronto last season.
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A highly-valued right-handed defenseman, Hainsey will likely take over as the team's top-pairing right-handed blueliner. He'll be joined on the right side by fellow former Maple Leaf Nikita Zaitsev, who Ottawa acquired on Monday as part of a six-player deal.
The Connecticut native's main role will likely be to serve as a veteran presence and mentor Ottawa's up-and-coming young core while providing a leadership role as the team looks to get back on track and climb the standings.
Ennis will also be leaned on to bring leadership and experience, although his main focus will be getting his game back up to the level it was at years ago; he used to be a capable 20-goal scorer, last hitting that mark back in 2015. In 51 games this season with Toronto, he managed to put up just 12 goals, 18 points and a minus-6 rating.
Not only is the 29-year-old able to generate scoring chances and potentially compete for a top-6 role, but he's also a solid two-way player who performs well at both ends of the ice. He'll easily slot in as the fourth-line center to start while adding a veteran presence with Hainsey.
Ultimately, Ennis and Hainsey will work together with Zaitsev and Smith to turn things around. The quartet will aim to change the Senators' culture, something that has been much-needed over the last few seasons.