The Ottawa Senators made a move that could help them vs. the online betting NHL odds next season as they signed defenseman Sergei Gonchar. He was signed to a three-year deal worth $16.5 million dollars. The Senators will definitely be more potent on offense with Gonchar in the lineup and they could win more games vs. the Internet betting odds.
Online betting on the Senators last year was pretty successful as the Senators won 44 games. Their offense was only 15th in the league though so they could definitely benefit from Gonchar’s offensive ability. He spent the last four seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins and he was on their Stanley Cup winning team in 2009. Gonchar had 11 goals and 50 points in 62 games last season.
Ottawa’s general manager Bryan Murray didn’t wait long to get Gonchar once the free agent period began. In fact, he had a deal done with Gonchar just minutes after the free agency period began. Murray had targeted Gonchar above all other free agents on the market. He knows that Gonchar will open up their offense and improve their power play. He is the first Russian defenseman to score 200 goals in his career.
Gonchar is excited to be with Ottawa. He wants to play in Canada and he believes the Senators can go a long ways in the playoffs next season. The Senators went 44-32-1-5 last season vs. the online betting odds. They were very good at home going 26-11-1-3. They were just below .500 on the road at 18-21-0-2 in online betting NHL odds. The team finished just behind Buffalo in the Northeast Division but they were well clear of Boston and Montreal. Daniel Alfredsson led the team with 71 points last season while Mike Fisher led the team in shots.
Ottawa should get a lot of help from Gonchar in terms of offense. The Senators were just 15th in the league last season in goals scored at 2.7 per game. Their power play was only 20th in the league so they will be thrilled to get Gonchar running the point next season. Ottawa’s defense was not that great last season as they were 18th in the league in goals against and Gonchar is not a great defensive player so that is a concern in Internet betting. The team was pretty good on the penalty kill though as they ranked 7th in the league.