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Clarke MacArthur says he won’t lose any sleep if the Ottawa Senators choose not to name him as an alternate captain next season.

He does, however, plan on doing his leadership part, aiming to convince Bobby Ryan to join him in signing a long-term extension.

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“He’s a natural, he’s a player we want on the team,” MacArthur said Wednesday, talking publicly for the first time since signing a five-year, $23.25-million extension with the Senators on Tuesday. “If I can nudge him to stay, I’m going to try to.”

A Ryan deal won’t come easily or soon. General manager Bryan Murray said this week that Ryan, who is eligible to become a free agent next summer, could still be without an extension when training camp begins in September.

As for MacArthur, he’s ecstatic at the prospect of being under contract to the Senators for the next six seasons.

“My wife and I really like it in Ottawa – the people, the organization – a lot of things go into it,” the 29-year-old said. “Obviously, last year (not making the playoffs) was not what we were looking for, but we’re a young team on the up and up.”