The Ottawa Senators signed forward Zack MacEwen to an A.J Three-year deal at $775,000/year. The 26-year-old has bounced around with a few teams over the past two years, but has been a consistent member of the bottom six throughout that time.
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Known for his toughness and willingness to fight, MacEwen certainly brings a lot of that to the table. He’s recorded 150 or more hits in each of the past three seasons, something the Six Senators lack. With young players like Shane Pinto and Ridley Gregg expected in the third row, having another great body to deploy against the other teams’ top lines would be beneficial. There is not much difference between McEwen and Austin Watson, who both had a successful time in Ottawa.
MacEwen doesn’t produce many points, scoring a career-high 10 points in 56 games split between the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings last year, but he does get plenty of shots to the net and checks in with power. Having someone willing to get into the dirty spots, tire an opponent and take a hit to make a play makes his teammates better.
MacEwen fits into DJ Smith’s mindset
Senators head coach DJ Smith He loves physical players (From “How DJ Smith Plans to Change His Training Tactics: ‘I’m Going to Train Them Differently’, the athleteJune 30, 2023). This is why players with depth like Watson adapt so well. This team is built on fitness from top to bottom. Mark Kastelic is expected to be the fourth central midfielder, and he isn’t afraid to play this type of game either. Having Kastelic and MacEwen on the same line is the definition of difficulty to play against. The top nine is skilled enough to let the fourth line take over in crushing opponents. With less than 12 minutes per night, someone like MacEwen could fit nicely into this group of Senators.
In a statement following the signing, General Manager Pierre Dorion stated, “Zac is a player with a strong personality who adds even more physical strength to our lineup. He is a tough, competitive player and a tenacious up front checker who routinely shows a willingness to go into tough spots.”
Again, this is how the Senators build their team.
MacEwen’s toughness far exceeds his jab and check pawns. In his 186 games, he has 29 fights, with more fights against a team than any other team…the Ottawa Senators. He has fought Dillon Hetherington, Austin Watson and then Brady Tkachuk twice. Moreover, he has had encounters against some of the toughest matches in the league like Zdeno Chara, Tom Wilson and many more. His willingness to defend his teammates is unparalleled.
The Senators stated that they wanted to add toughness to the lineup after announcing Watson’s departure. Not only have they signed MacEwen, but they also have Boko Imama in a two-way deal that could also be brought into the lineup.