With the trade for Jakob Chychrun and some young prospects ready for prime time, veteran Senator defenceman Nick Holden will not be back with the Senators next season.
It's probably hard for the Ottawa Senators to picture their locker room next season without Nick Holden. The club announced on Friday it would not be offering a new contract to Holden, who'll head to NHL free agency on July 1st.
As a perfect iillustration of Holden's class, he still happily showed up to answer questions at the club's year-end media availability, just moments after GM Pierre Dorion had called him into his office to break the news. While it was disappointing to hear it officially, Holden says he understands the decision.
"I do," Holden said. "I've been around business and hockey. I've been around a lot of teams and I know the amount of (prospects) that are coming...Is it disappointing for me? Yeah. This is where things are going to get fun with this team. And so it would have been fun to be there next year to help the group still. But, yeah, I understand."
Holden was loved in the Sens' dressing room, quick with a laugh and a smile, and according to teammate Travis Hamonic, a player that younger guys like Jake Sanderson leaned on for support.
"Nick's got a huge voice in that dressing room and especially with the young defencemen," Hamonic said. "I played with Jake and I think a lot of people just made it out that it was me helping Jake along. But Nick did as well...a lot."
Sanderson says he will never forget Holden for everything he did for him during his rookie season.
"Right from when I came to training camp, (Holden and Hamonic) took me under their wing. Those will be two guys I'm going to remember for the rest of my life... They've been brothers to me all year and I honestly can't thank them enough."
Holden turns 36 next month and had a few months on Derick Brassard and Cam Talbot for the title of oldest player on the team. But Holden still has the fire to keep playing somewhere else.
"Yeah, I think I do," Holden said. "It's got to be the right fit...I gotta move the whole family and stuff like that. But I still love playing and I still feel like I have the ability to play. So we'll see."
Whatever Holden has left in the tank, and wherever he ends up next, his value there will be more than it first appears – supercharged by attitude and leadership.