The Ottawa Senators have added to their forward depth on the first day of the NHL's official off-season by signing Norwegian centre Eskild Bakke Olsen to a one-year, entry-level contract. The deal, announced Monday, is worth $910,000 and will make Bakke Olsen a restricted free agent when it expires in the summer of 2027.
Bakke Olsen's Path to the NHL
Bakke Olsen, 24, hails from Hamar, Norway, and was passed over in three NHL drafts from 2020 to 2022. Despite this, he impressed at the 2026 World Hockey Championships in May, recording five points (two goals, three assists) in 10 games. He played 19:13 minutes in Norway's 3-2 overtime upset over Team Canada in the bronze-medal game, helping his country capture its first-ever medal in any IIHF top-division tournament.
Strong Season in Sweden
Prior to the World Championships, Bakke Olsen completed his first season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with Linköping HC, where he tallied 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 51 games, ranking second on the team in scoring. Before moving to the SHL, he played two seasons with BIK Karlskoga in Sweden's Tier 2 HockeyAllsvenskan, amassing 90 points (19 goals, 71 assists) in 97 games.
Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 203 pounds, Bakke Olsen is described as a playmaker with a deft touch around the net. Of his 11 SHL goals last season, five were redirections.
Challenges Ahead
No Norwegian-born player has ever dressed in a game for the Senators, and Bakke Olsen faces stiff competition to become the first. The organization is stocked with NHL centremen after signing Stephen Halliday to a two-year, one-way contract last month. Bakke Olsen will likely begin the 2026-27 campaign with Belleville of the American Hockey League.
