Matinpalo is an undrafted 26-year-old defenseman that has spent the previous two seasons in Ottawa's organization. He played four games with Ottawa last season but has primarily been an AHL player, scoring 20 points (6G / 14A) in 84 combined games with Belleville.
Matinpalo made his NHL debut in 2023-24 with a short four-game appearance and has signed a one-year, two-way contract extension on Thursday. The 25-year-old defenseman moved to North America from Finland in 2023-24 and spent the majority of his season with Belleville (AHL), picking up four goals and 14 points in 67 games played during the regular season.
Matinpalo was an undrafted free agent from Finland, who had 16 points (7G / 9A) in 51 games for Assat Pori (Liiga) in 2023. Following his signing with the Senators, Matinpalo is a part of the 2024 plans but will likely have to work his way up from Belleville (AHL).
