Ottawa Senators sign Egor Sokolov to one-year deal

The Ottawa Senators have come to an agreement with restricted free agent Egor Sokolov on a one-year deal. The deal carries an NHL salary of $775,000 and $120,000 in the AHL. It is a two-way contract, meaning he can be sent down to the minors without requiring to go through waivers.

Sokolov was the scoring leader for the Belleville Senators this season, with 21 goals and 59 points in 70 games. He also played five games in the NHL, scoring one goal and two points. The 23-year-old Russian was originally selected in the second-round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Senators. He played his junior career for the Cape Breton Eagles in the QMJHL. There he met future Senators teammate Drake Batherson and they forged a life-long friendship when they lived together at a billet home in Cape Breton.

In his third and final year at Cape Breton, Sokolov scored 46 goals and 92 points in 52 games as a 19-year-old. As he was older than most other 2020 draftees, the former Eagle made the jump right away to the pros. He had a fantastic rookie year, scoring 15 goals and 25 points in 35 games during the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season.

Sokolov was among a half-dozen RFAs who have yet to sign with their respective clubs. They include fellow Senator Shane Pinto, Anaheim Ducks’ Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, Jan Jenik of the Arizona Coyotes, and Tim Berni of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Over the last three seasons, Sokolov has played 13 games in the NHL but has improved his game considerably at the AHL level. Through 169 games for the B-Sens, he has 55 goals and 134 points. He is the highest scoring player in B-Sens history, putting up 18 more points than Batherson who is in second-place.