From the “breaking new ground” file comes this: According to multiple reports (see here and here), Ottawa Senators forward Erik Condra has agreed to join EV Fussen of the Oberliga -- the third tier of German hockey.
Fussen is a former powerhouse, having won 16 German championships and a pair of Spengler Cups. But the club has struggled in recent years to retain much of its top talent and, as a result, is now comprised of mostly young, inexperienced players (over half the Fussen roster was born after 1990.)
Condra, 26, is a huge get for the club. He posted career-highs across the board in 2011-12, appearing in all of Ottawa’s 82 games while notching 8G-17A-29PTS, finishing dead even with Jason Spezza with a plus-11 rating.
Condra also appeared in all seven of the Senators’ opening-round playoff games against the Rangers, averaging over 11 minutes per game while scoring his first-ever postseason goal.