Fresh off a historic World Championship bronze and a standout SHL season, the Sens have signed forward Eskild Bakke Olsen.
On day one of the official offseason, Senators GM Steve Staios got right to work.
The club announced today that they've signed 24-year-old Norwegian forward Eskild Bakke Olsen to a one-year, entry-level contract.
Bakke Olsen spent this season with Linköping HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and ranked second in team scoring with 32 points in 51 games.
Bakke Olsen was part of the Norwegian team that shocked Canada with a shocking 3-2 overtime victory to win a bronze medal at the World Championships, the first World medal in Norway's history. He opened the scoring in that game with a fierce snap shot.
He had the third-most ice time among forwards in that game and put up 5 points in 10 games during the tournament.
At six-foot-2 and 203 pounds, he has good size, and Elite Prospects describes him as a playmaking, two-way centre.
Mats Zuccarello is, by a country mile, the most famous NHL player from Norway. Remarkably, he's one of only 8 Norwegians who have ever played a game in the NHL. Will Bakke Olsen be the ninth? The Senators wouldn't bother signing him if they didn't think there was at least a chance.
Whether he's here for depth in Belleville or has a chance to compete for a gig in Ottawa remains to be seen, but here are a few highlights of the newest Senator.