Senators’ Josh Norris expected to make season debut tonight vs. Capitals
Ottawa Senators’ head coach D.J. Smith announced forward Josh Norris is expected to make his season debut on Wednesday night vs. the Washington Capitals, The Athletic’s Ian Mendes reported.
D.J. Smith says the plan is for Josh Norris to play tonight.
Doesn’t appear there will be limitations on him for face-offs, etc.
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) October 18, 2023
Norris skated on a line with Dominik Kubalik and Drake Batherson at the morning skate, according to TSN 1200.
Norris only played eight games in 2022-23, re-injuring his shoulder and missing the rest of the season. He wasn’t able to play in the recent preseason and has missed the first three games of this year.
Norris signed an 8-year, $63.6 million contract in July 2022, with an AAV of $7.95 million. He scored a career-high 35 goals and 55 points in 2021-22
Fans are hoping the 24-year-old can get back on track for a Senators’ squad that’s hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17, where they lost in seven games to the eventually Stanley Cup-winning Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Norris was drafted 19th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. During his freshman season with the University of Michigan, he was traded to the Senators as part of a package that brought Erik Karlsson to the Sharks.
In two seasons with Michigan, Norris scored 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points in 54 games. In one season in the Senators’ AHL affiliate in Belleville, Norris had 31 goals and 30 assists for 61 points in 56 games.
Norris has 54 goals and 39 assists for 93 points in 133 career NHL games.