Hammond's contract a lesson for Senators when signing Condon

Fool me once, shame on you.

The Ottawa Senators must not get fooled again when it comes to re-signing their backup goaltender.

A pending unrestricted free agent, the Senators have a decision to make when it comes to Mike Condon's future with the team.

With starter Craig Anderson away on a leave of absence, Condon stepped into the No. 1 job in Ottawa, holding down the fort as he posted a 16-9-5 record prior to Anderson's Feb. 11 return. That run included a .912 save percentage, 2.56 goals-against average, and 27 consecutive appearances.

Condon has been relegated to second-string duty since Anderson's return, and while his accomplishments during his time with the top job can't be ignored, the Senators don't have to look far to see how a similar story played out. Condon's case is familiar territory for the franchise.

Facing a netminding bind late in the 2014-15 campaign, Ottawa called on minor-leaguer Andrew Hammond to assume No. 1 goaltender duties, who then dragged the Senators to the playoffs on the back of a near-perfect 20-1-2 record.

Given that performance, then-general manager Bryan Murray signed Hammond to a lucrative three-year pact. But just over a year into that contract, "The Hamburglar" has since returned to the AHL, unable to keep up the pace of his magical run. In fact, in the ensuing two seasons, Hammond has come away with just seven wins in 30 outings, including an 0-for-6 mark this year.

As for Condon, there is no doubt he's earned a fair raise from his current $575,000 salary, but the Senators aren't forced to commit to a long-term deal with Anderson playing well and backups being a dime a dozen. Recall that it took all of a lowly fifth-round pick to acquire Condon in the first place.

The Senators reportedly have already been in talks with Condon regarding a new contract, but the team would be wise to keep Hammond in mind when it comes time for their newfound backup to put pen to paper.