Cherry Hill, New Jersey native Bobby Ryan has signed a monster deal to remain with the Ottawa Senators for the next seven seasons.
Ryan thanked the Senators for "believing in me a year ago to bring me here" and "believing in me to sign me for the next seven years."
Many expected Ryan to leave Ottawa after this year, possibly for a second stint with the Ducks in Anaheim or a return to his South Jersey roots with the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Senators do not seem to be immediate contenders for the Stanley Cup. They're in something of a transition period after they allowed longtime captain Daniel Alfredsson to leave only a year before trading former cornerstone Jason Spezza.
There have also been talks of budget constraints.
Instead, the 27-year-old Ryan inked the seven year pact that will pay him a total of $50.75 million, which works out to about $7.25 million per season, and should put talks of budget constraints to bed.
"He is truly the type of player we want to build our team around," said Senator's owner Eugene Melnyk.
Along with defenseman Erik Karlsson, who hopes to return to Norris Trophy contending form after an injury plagued 2013 campaign; Ryan forms the core of an Ottawa team that has undergone serious change the last couple of seasons.
The losses of Alfredsson and Spezza cannot be understated, but Ryan and Karlsson, who was named team captain today, only the ninth in Senators history, are hoping to take the reins and right the ship.
"I think everyone is excited for this year," the 24-year-old Karlsson told USA TODAY Sports last month. "A lot of things have happened to this team, losing two players who were with the team a long time, but we are excited moving forward. We have great pieces on our team, players who are looking forward to stepping up."
