Ottawa Senators extend veteran D Nick Holden on one-year deal

The Ottawa Senators have announced a new contract for Nick Holden, avoiding unrestricted free agency later this year. The veteran defenseman has inked a one-year extension that will carry a salary of $1.3M in 2022-23. Senators’ general manager Pierre Dorion released a statement:

"Nick has seamlessly integrated himself into our lineup and into our dressing room. His veteran presence and leadership qualities have been instrumental in helping our young group this season, while his strong defensive play and accountability on the ice has really helped with the maturity of our young defensive core."

Holden, 34, currently carries a $1.7MM cap hit in the second season of a two-year deal signed with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020. Last summer, he was acquired by the Senators along with a third-round pick in exchange for Evgenii Dadonov, who hadn’t really worked out in his short time in Ottawa. Holden, on the other hand, has been a reliable option for head coach D.J. Smith, averaging more than 19 minutes a night while seeing almost exclusively tough defensive deployment.

Once a player that could contribute on the power play, Holden had a career-high of 34 points in 2016-17 with the New York Rangers. He isn’t at all used in that way for the Senators, who have several young defensemen to take on those offensive responsibilities. Instead, he’ll slot in as a depth option to help cover some of the mistakes those young players make as they grow and learn in the NHL.