Nick Jensen is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
According to the Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch, the 35-year-old defenseman is not expected to re-sign with the Ottawa Senators. The 2025-26 season was the final year on the three-year, $12.15 million ($4.05M AAV) contract extension that Jensen signed with the Washington Capitals during the 2022-23 campaign.
Jensen saw what could be his final season in Ottawa end early when he underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in March. He has played 132 games for the Senators over the past two seasons after they acquired him and a 2026 third-round draft pick from the Capitals in July of 2024, sending star blueliner Jakob Chychrun the other direction.
The Senators, recently swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes, expect to give highly-touted prospect defender Carter Yakemchuk a full-time role on their defense next season. With Yakemchuk, Artem Zub, and Jordan Spence occupying the top-three slots on the right side of the team’s backend, there is likely no longer room for Jensen in Ottawa.
Jensen saw his role diminish during the 2025-26 season, even sitting out as a healthy scratch. He saw his average ice time slashed by over three minutes, playing 17:00 per game, just a year after he averaged over 20 minutes per game (20:13) for the third time in his career.
In 61 games, Jensen recorded 17 points (4g, 13a). With the veteran rearguard on the ice at five-on-five, the Senators saw 49.2 percent of shot attempts, 51.3 percent of expected goals, 51.5 percent of scoring chances, and 50.1 percent of high-danger chances.
While the Capitals are seeking some help on the right side of their defense this summer, Jensen is likely a little older than the type of player they plan to target. However, as a cheaper depth option on a short-term contract, he could provide the team with a stopgap until Rasmus Sandin is ready to return from his offseason ACL surgery.
