Senators GM Murray set to begin contract talks with agents of Ryan, MacArthur

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With the 2014-15 roster all but set, the Ottawa Senators are already looking ahead to next summer, when a few key players are set to become unrestricted free agents.

Defenseman Marc Methot appears close to signing a multi-year extension, and general manager Bryan Murray is expected to meet with the Newport agents of forwards Bobby Ryan and Clarke MacArthur (Don Meehan and Pat Morris, respectively) during the last week of July, according to Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen.

“All three contracts are being talked about,” assistant general manager Pierre Dorion said.

This will come as good news to the Senators' faithful, as Ryan and MacArthur represent two of Ottawa's most effective forwards last season, and will be counted on to produce even more in light of the departure of Jason Spezza. 

In fact, the line of Ryan, MacArthur and Kyle Turris ranked 2-4 in scoring by Ottawa forwards (behind only the departed captain), often displaying ridiculous chemistry.

[Stats via Extra Skater]

Per Capgeek, Turris is locked up through 2017-18 at a very team-friendly $3.5-million cap hit; depending on how they play this season, both Ryan ($5.1 million) and MacArthur ($3.25 million) could be in line for raises. The Senators are well under the cap for this season and next, meaning the pair's future presence in Ottawa may come down to whether the club is willing to pay.

Dorion, for his part, appears to believe the trio will indeed find continued success: “I really like our team now ... I don’t think we have the big name after Erik Karlsson, but if we bounce back, which we will, I like the way we’re going to play next year, we’re going to skate and play as a unit. I think we’re going to surprise quite a few people.”