In the wake of a Pierre LeBrun report in The Athletic describing the contract negotiations between the Ottawa Senators and impending unrestricted free agent Claude Giroux as a "grind," an intriguing domino fell that could have an impact on the talks here in the nation's capital.

The one-year contract is worth a base of $1 million, plus an additional $3 million in potential performance bonuses

Captain Jamie Benn re-signed with the Dallas Stars on a one-year, incentive-laden contract on Thursday. Benn's deal has a base salary of $1 million plus an additional $3 million in potential performance bonuses.