Alex Galchenyuk signed a one-year, $1.05 million contract with the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old forward scored 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in 59 games with the Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins last season, including seven points (three goals, four assists) in 14 games after he was traded to Minnesota on Feb. 10. He did not have a point in four postseason games.
"I'm definitely hungrier than ever and motivated," Galchenyuk said Friday. "My body feels great. I feel great. Obviously there's been a lot of time off and I used that time well. To get better, I think, obviously, my foot speed, my explosiveness, and it's my consistency, and I know what I need to do to get that. I went through a really tough year ... and learned a lot about myself as a hockey player and what I need to do. And I'm really confident I can fix those parts of my game.
"Sometimes you need a year like this to center yourself and to love yourself, and to really understand what you want to become and how you want to play. It was a big moment for me to realize that. I have a lot to prove to myself, to other people, and it felt like Ottawa was the right fit. Obviously, I was traded two times last year and so I have not been happy with how things went. ... I'm just looking to bounce back. I'm going to elevate my game even more and I just can't wait to start already."
Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round (No. 3) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Galchenyuk has scored 320 points (135 goals, 185 assists) in 549 regular-season games with the Wild, Penguins, Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes, including 106 power-play points (41 goals, 65 assists).
"Alex's signing represents another good addition for us at forward," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said. "He's versatile in that he can play both left wing and center. He's gifted offensively, has been a solid power-play contributor and is a proven goal-scorer in this league."
Galchenyuk has scored 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 32 postseason games.
NHL.com Staff Writer Mike Zeisberger contributed to this report
