Matt Carkner opened plenty of eyes in the Nation's Capital with his excellent play during training camp. He has been rewarded for his efforts by signing a two-year contract worth a reported $1.4 million with the Ottawa Senators.
Although he is ineligible for the Calder trophy due to his age - he turns 29 in October - the rookie has been a great surprise for the Senators this season. He has spent time on both the blue line and on the wing and has added a great deal of toughness to a team that needs it.
The Winchester, Ontario native has one goal and one assist in seven games for the Senators this season, and is in a tie for fourth in the league with three fighting majors. He is also averaging more than 18 minutes of ice-time per game.
"He's proven that he deserves a chance in the NHL," general manager Bryan Murray told reporters. "He's competed a lot of years, he's played in the minors and he's developed his game to a point where we think he can be a real contributor."
Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round (58th overall) in 1999, Carkner did not play his first game in the NHL until the 2005-06 season when he saw action in a single game with the San Jose Sharks.
He signed with the Senators as an unrestricted free agent in 2007 and spent the past two seasons with the Binghamton Senators of the AHL, playing one game last season with the Sens. Murray believes that Carkner has become exactly the type of player that the team needs.
"He's shown in the first seven games this year that he is a guy who can add a real dimension to our team with character. He's tough; he's played real smart defensively. He's very positive in the room and a real hard-working guy. He's an example of what we want our young players to do coming in."