Mikkel Boedker played his junior hockey in Canada, but after stints with three American clubs in 10 NHL seasons, an offseason trade will bring the Danish winger back to the Great White North.

A June trade sent Boedker from the San Jose Sharks to the Ottawa Senators, and while on the surface it looks like he's leaving a contender for a team in a tailspin, Boedker is intrigued by the Senators' potential.

"I'm very much (excited)," Boedker told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. "It's a good opportunity to play some good hockey and join a Canadian franchise that's about to turn the ship around. It's good to be part of something like that."

The hope is that Boedker will offset some of the production lost from forward Mike Hoffman, who was shipped to the Sharks in the same deal (then later flipped to the Florida Panthers).

Boedker finished with 37 points in 74 appearances last season, however 29 points came in the 45 games once the calendar turned to 2018. The 28-year-old believes the Senators can have a similar turnaround this season after finishing in 30th place last season.

"When people talk about Ottawa I don't think they give them enough credit because I think there's a lot of capable players and a lot players that have done some damage in their careers on the stats sheet," Boedker said. "I still think it's a very capable team and we've just got to get back to that. We've just got to get back to where it's all in every night and every night matters."

The Senators kick off the 2018-19 campaign against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 4.

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