Senators sign Russian D-man Artem Zub to 1-year deal

The Ottawa Senators signed Russian defenseman Artem Zub to a one-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Friday.

Zub, a 24-year-old, right-handed-shooting blue-liner, spent last season with SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL, collecting a career-high 13 goals and nine assists in 57 games.

"We're pleased that Artem has elected to pursue an NHL career here in Ottawa," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. "Artem is a smart defensive defenseman who moves the puck well and who utilizes his strength and mobility to make plays. His extensive international resume will help him transition to a North American style of play but his key attribute is his sound ability to defend."

Zub has represented Russia several times on the international stage. In the 2018 Winter Games, he collected four assists in six games en route to the Olympic Athletes from Russia's gold-medal triumph.

"He’s got good size and range," NBC’s Pierre McGuire, who saw the 6-foot-2 rearguard play in PyeongChang, told The Ottawa Sun in March. "He plays a simple, smart defensive game, a stabilizing player in his own zone. He’s very solid, useful, and mature player. He should be able to crack the top four and it shouldn’t be much of an adjustment for him to play on the small ice surfaces."

The Senators have plenty of openings on their blue line, with Thomas Chabot and Nikita Zaitsev seemingly the only defensemen with guaranteed spots on next season's roster.