The 23-year-old forward, who was a restricted free agent, had NHL career highs in goals (35), assists (20) and points (55) in 66 games last season.
"It's been kind of (an) exciting 24 hours," Norris said Friday. "Obviously a dream come true. I remember when me and (Senators general manager) Pierre (Dorion) had our exit meetings, we both kind of agreed to kind of get it done as soon as we could, and he kind of held his word on that, and I thought the negotiations went really well. Yeah, it was a smooth process, and I'm really happy with how it turned out."
Norris, who averaged his career-high in ice time per game (18:35), led Ottawa in power-play goals (16) and was second in power-play points (23), behind Tim Stutzle (26).
"We're very pleased to come to a long-term agreement with Josh," Dorion said Thursday. "He's a versatile forward who continues to mature into an exceptional NHL player. His scoring prowess has already shown to be a considerable asset for us and one that will help us reach the next level. His dedication and the pride he takes in his physical conditioning will serve as a great example for our next wave of young players."
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Selected by the San Jose Sharks in the first round (No. 19) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Norris has 90 points (52 goals, 38 assists) in 125 regular-season games. He remains with a young core that includes forwards Brady Tkachuk, 22,
Tim Stutzle
, 20, and Drake Batherson, 24, and defenseman Thomas Chabot, 25.
"I definitely wanted to be here for a long time," Norris said. "I wasn't exactly sure how many years, but kind of once negotiations were going on and numbers were being thrown around and stuff like that, I just really thought eight years would be an awesome time to do that. I love the city of Ottawa. I love being there. I think we're going to have a really, really awesome group going forward."
The Senators have added to that core this offseason acquiring forward
Alex DeBrincat in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks
on July 7 and
goalie Cam Talbot in a trade with the Minnesota Wild
on Monday. Forward Claude Giroux
signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract
Wednesday.
"Pierre's done a great job so far getting some pieces that we really need and that are crucial for us to take a next step," Norris said. "I'm not in Ottawa right now, so I don't exactly know the feel of the city. But you can feel it through social media and through messages. Like I said, it's such an exciting time, and we're just looking forward to the season getting started and getting this thing rolling."
The Senators (33-42-7) have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for five straight seasons, last qualifying in 2017 when they lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, 3-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in double overtime.
"We're going to be a lot better on paper, that's for sure, and with that comes a lot more expectation," Norris said. "I'm not going to get into playoff talk or anything like that. Obviously there's some buzz around that. ... We're just ready to hit the ground running come camp in September."
NHL.com columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika contributed to this report
