Quoting: sensonfire
I think Petterson would be a decent player for Ottawa.
However, at the same time, if you give him a spot on the roster, that means you're taking away a roster spot from someone else.
There are 3 spots at LD on a hockey team and if Petterson gets one of those spots, that means there are just 2 spots left for players that can fill that role.
In the very near future, we'll have, at the very least, Chabot, Brannstrom, Sanderson and JBD in need of a spot on the team.
Also, if Petterson regresses, then the term on his contract could be difficult to get rid of.
So, although I might agree with you that Petterson has some value, I don't think he has a place on the Sens.
Exactly. I really like the player, but the contract doesn't make sense. That's why I think a UFA option makes more sense. I think a two year deal makes sense for Ottawa. Someone who can play a significant defensive role next year, then take a back seat in the 2nd year when Sanderson is in the lineup. Or possibly be traded after one year.
My preference would be Ian Cole or Ryan Murray. Both are strong defensive players, who would provide experience to the whole blueline, and would be smart mentors for JBD in particular who will be asked to fill a similar role in his career.
The way I would see it breaking down would be something like this.
Chabot playing his 24-26 min in all situations, Zub and Zaitsev playing around 19-20 min with PK usage, Brannstrom playing 17-19 min in a offensive PP role, UFA LD playing 16-18 minutes in a defensive role plus heavy PK deployment, and JBD playing 14-16 min mostly 5v5. Then J.Brown/Gudbranson as the 7th D.