SENSNEWS

Josh Norris has become the biggest question mark around the Ottawa Senators going into the 2024-2025 season.

Originally, people didn’t know what would happen with Shane Pinto, the goaltending situation, or the search for a right-shot defenseman.

What Is Next For Josh Norris

With all those questions answered, one big one remains: What will happen with Josh Norris, and will he finally be able to stay healthy for the Senators?

As a rookie and sophomore in the NHL, Josh Norris was absolutely excellent for the Ottawa Senators. He definitely exceeded expectations after being acquired in the Erik Karlsson trade six seasons ago.

Josh Norris quickly became a fan favorite and one of the very best up-and-coming centers in the NHL.

Has Shown He Can Be A Star

He was an absolute sniper, and we saw his career-high goals reach 35, which eventually earned him his massive contract paying $7.95 million annually.

But then things started to go off the rails for Norris after a pair of shoulder injuries in back-to-back seasons limited his availability to the team.

The Senators were left wondering whether they could rely on what they envisioned to be their second-line center of the future.

This is now three shoulder surgeries that Josh Norris has had ever since his original one back in college as a prospect.

Each time Josh Norris has come back in high spirits, but again and again, we have seen him go back down with the same injury.

It’s Time To Make A Decision

So now, Norris and the Ottawa Senators are at a crossroads.

The Senators have very high internal expectations, and the stakes for winning are becoming increasingly more important as we begin to wonder if/when players will want out of the organization.

Ottawa needs Josh Norris in the lineup, and while it looks like he will start the season healthy for 2024-2025, who can really say.

Especially considering we heard this message just last season when Norris surprisingly was too injured to play in the preseason and missed the first handful of games with Ottawa.

When he was healthy, Norris was fine, but he definitely wasn’t the same player as when he originally went down with his injury.

A large part of this would be comfort and just getting back up to speed with the NHL, but the Senators, unfortunately, are running out of time to wait.

Making almost $8 million per season, he would give the team a ton of flexibility if he were to be moved.

Josh Norris May Need To Be Moved

I certainly don’t want this to be the case, at least not yet, but we are getting very close to a point where the Senators may need to explore this option.

The problem is, there likely aren’t a lot of teams that would be willing to take him on at this price, considering his injury history.

At the very least, Norris needs to prove that he can be healthy for the majority of the season if the Senators want any chance of moving him.

It’s unfortunate that we haven’t gotten to see the trio of Tim Stützle, Josh Norris, and Shane Pinto in the lineup for any extended period of time.

There has been a ton of success when these three were in the lineup together, and it really helps with getting ideal matchups for each player.

Everybody Is Rooting For Norris

Nobody wants to see Norris succeed more than Ottawa Senators fans and his teammates. He has become a fan favorite in Ottawa, and his personality meshes so well with the group the Senators have put on the ice.

There’s no doubt in my mind that he will be incredibly motivated to get back to the level he was at and to help turn the Ottawa Senators into a legitimate contending team once again.

For now, things are really out of the control of Josh Norris. He just has to put his faith in the team doctors and his own body to get him back to playing.

2024-2025 will be a huge season for Norris, not just as he looks to get the Senators back into a playoff spot, but also to see whether or not his body will allow him to continue playing.

Everybody is rooting for this guy, and we all want to see him improve.

For someone who is only in his mid-20s, it would be heartbreaking to see his career cut so short, especially after showing so much promise in his first couple of seasons.

Norris has the support of Sens Army going into this year. With the level of dedication and positive attitude he has brought to the game, I am hopeful that we will finally see him back at 100%.