OTTAWA (AP) The Ottawa Senators will keep center Radek Bonk despite the two-year, $6.7-million contract he won in salary arbitration this week.

That was $1 million more than the small-budget Senators wanted to give him but new general manager John Muckler said Thursday the NHL club will not attempt to trade their No. 1 center.

"No, we haven't taken that route at all," Muckler said on a conference call. "We haven't talked to anybody about trading Bonk and I haven't received any calls from other clubs asking whether that was a possibility."

Bonk, 26, was seeking $3.5 million a year when he pleaded his case in a salary arbitration hearing in Toronto on Monday. The new deal will pay him $3.2 million next season and $3.5 million in 2003-04.

Bonk had a career-high 70 points with 25 goals and 45 assists last season when he earned $1.8 million. The average league salary last season was $1.6 million.

"We can live with the decision and we are going to live with the decision," Muckler said.

Even though Bonk nearly doubled his salary from last year, Muckler said the Sens won't have to shed payroll elsewhere.

"No, we won't have to cut back," he said.

Ottawa is also going to have to ante up for captain Daniel Alfredsson, who will make $4.55 million compared to $3 million last season.

The Sens still have four key restricted free agents to re-sign in tough guy Chris Neil, center Mike Fisher and defenseman Karel Rachunek.

"We don't foresee any problem at all signing the remaining players," Muckler said.

In fact, defenseman Chris Phillips, who was scheduled for an arbitration hearing next Thursday, signed a new two-year deal Thursday.

The 24-year-old had the best of his five NHL seasons last year, collecting 22 points in 63 games. He earned $1.05 million last year.

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