Sens Cap Crunch Before Deadline | Ottawa News

Ottawa Senators face a tight salary cap race with just over $9 million to work with as they gear up for the final day of the season. Key decisions loom: forward Lars Eller is likely out, but Nick Cousins could return for around $850K; on defense, Dennis Gilbert or free agents like Lassi Thomson may fill the void after Nick Jensen departs. The real crunch? Goalie depth. They’re eyeing Samuel Ersson — who they passed on a qualifying offer — hoping to re-sign him for less than his $1.4M offer, while James Reimer and restricted free agent Leevi Merilainen are also expected to stay. With backup netminder priority, the Senators may need to make tough moves later to free up cap space — a high-stakes balancing act to keep the team competitive without breaking the bank. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c61cc06eb99816ce