Mike Lundin signs with Ottawa today.
Lundin 'thrilled' to get fresh start with Senators
Veteran blueliner inks one-year deal in Ottawa, says he's recovered from injury woes
Sunday, 01.07.2012 / 1:54 PM / Features
By Rob Brodie *-*OttawaSenators.com
Mike Lundin is eager for a new beginning in Ottawa.
The veteran blueliner, who was plagued by back troubles during a lost season with the Minnesota Wild in 2011-12, inked a one-year free-agent deal with the Senators today. Though he's leaving his home state, Lundin says he's "thrilled" to head north of the border for the first time in his five-year National Hockey League career.
"It wasn’t the greatest year for me last year," said Lundin, a 27-year-old native of Burnsville, Minn. "With the injuries and everything, it didn’t work out. But I’m healed up and I know that my best hockey is ahead of me. I’m thrilled at the opportunity and that Ottawa was interested in me and I’m excited to come and play with a Canadian team with potential. After the season they had last year, they’re only looking to get better."
Lundin only saw 17 games' worth of action with the Wild season. He missed the first 23 games of the 2011-12 campaign with a back injury and later sat out the final 25 games with a sports hernia. Off-season surgery on March 15 repaired both a fracture in his back and the hernia, which Lundin said doctors believe were related ailments.
"Everything been great since then," he said. "I've been working out and training hard to be back in top shape."
Prior to last season, Lundin spent the previous four years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, totalling four goals and 29 assists in 224 games. He played all 18 playoff games for the Bolts during their drive to the Eastern Conference final in 2010-11.
In Lundin, the Senators are getting a defenceman with a stay-at-home reputation.
"I’m not a big guy, but I’m more of a defensive specialist," said the 6-2, 191-pound Lundin. "I’m not flashy — you probably won’t notice a lot of me out there — but hopefully, I’m just doing my job and staying kind of quiet. Hopefully, I can have the chance to skate against some other teams’ top lines and use my speed and good stick and be able to help control other teams’ offences.
"I'm still working on getting my point production, my offensive work in the NHL up. I know I have it in my game and haven’t necessarily shown it yet. Hopefully, I’m there to contribute (in that way), too."
