After signing Chris Kelly to a one-year contract Thursday, it appears the Ottawa Senators roster is nearly set, but two key restricted free agents remain unsigned.
Mike Hoffman - who scored 29 goals last season - has already filed for arbitration, but general manager Pierre Dorion is confident the two sides will come to an agreement.
"We can negotiate all the way until (the arbitration date)," Dorion said, according to Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen. "We still have lots of time to do things. Sometimes I feel there's a sense of panic and we've never lost a player going to UFA. And I can't see us losing a player like this."
Meanwhile, defenseman Cody Ceci is not eligible for arbitration, but remains a key piece for the Senators. The 22-year-old recorded a career-high 26 points last season, and Warren suggests Ceci may hold himself out of training camp if a contract is not finalized this summer.
"For me, again, he'll be playing for us when the season starts, whether it's a single-year contract or a multiple-year contract," Dorion said. "We've done these contracts in the past, whether it was a bridge (contract) and some got done a bit earlier than others. We have lots of time to sign them.
"They'll all be playing Oct. 12 against the Maple Leafs."
