Senators Sign Defenseman Richardson to One-Year Contract

The Ottawa Senators announced on Saturday that they have signed free agent defenseman Luke Richardson to a one-year, two-way contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Richardson had been attending the Senators training camp on a tryout basis. In 76 games last season with the Senators, Richardson scored two goals and added seven assists for nine points and 41 penalty minutes. In 1,415 games over 20 NHL seasons, Richardson has 35 goals and 166 assists for 201 points and 2,053 penalty minutes with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Ottawa Senators. The Richardson signing is a decent one for the Senators, as it gives them a veteran player with lots of toughness, gritty play, and leadership. However, with Richardson being on a two-way contract, his role with the Senators will likely be very limited in order to give some playing time to their prospect defensemen. Richardson will likely fill in for injuries as a depth player throughout the 2008-09 season.