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Colin White Suffers Broken Wrist

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The Ottawa Senators announced a crushing blow today, revealing that young forward Colin White suffered a broken wrist last night in a preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and will be out six to eight weeks. Just yesterday we profiled White as one of the players to watch for the Senators this season, as he made the transition from top prospect to NHL player. That plan will have to wait for now, as eight weeks would cause him to miss 16 games.

It’s extremely disappointing for White, who left Boston College this spring to sign with the Senators and start his professional career. He even made it into three games for Ottawa down the stretch, including one playoff matchup. As we examined in their 2017-18 Primer yesterday, the Senators could have trouble scoring enough goals this season but White was a wildcard in that department. If he continued the offensive dominance he showed at the college ranks, he was ready for a full-time role right away with the Senators. With Derick Brassard still working his way back from labrum surgery this summer, there was an opportunity for White to start the year in the top-six.

Now, with Brassard uncertain for the season opener, White guaranteed to miss it and question marks still surrounding Erik Karlsson’s recovery, the Senators will already be limping when the games get under way. They’ll need players like Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone to make even more of an impact this year, and hope Bobby Ryan can recapture some of his previous skill.

Ottawa Senators Sign Parker Kelly To ELC

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The Ottawa Senators have added an undrafted forward to their prospect ranks, signing 18-year old Parker Kelly to a three-year entry-level contract. Kelly had taken part in the team’s rookie camp and is still at Senators training camp with the rest of the club.

Kelly has spent the last two seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL, after being selected in the seventh round of the 2014 bantam draft. That late-round pick paid off this year with a breakout campaign, scoring 43 points in 72 games to finish second on the team in scoring. Just 5’7″, 140-lbs when he entered junior hockey, Kelly is now 5’11” 172-lbs and took off in the second half of the year to push his way onto the NHL Central Scouting list. Still, he wasn’t selected in June but has earned a contract with his play at camp this summer.

While he’s still undersized for the NHL, it hasn’t stopped him from playing a professional-style game. Kelly works hard in the corners and has a quick release when he’s in a prime scoring position. While he may not have the elite upside of some of the players drafted ahead of him, he’ll never let any of them outwork him in pursuit of his goal. Though he’s still in camp, he’ll almost certainly return to the Raiders this year to play in the WHL.

Minnesota Wild Sign Mikko Koivu To Two-Year Extension

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The Minnesota Wild have signed captain Mikko Koivu to a two-year extension worth $11MM in total, reports the Athletic’s Michael Russo. The deal breaks down to $6MM in 2018-19 and $5MM in 2019-20. Koivu was sent to become an unrestricted free agent at this season’s end.

Last season Koivu put up 18G and 40A in 80 games, good for third overall in team scoring. He has been the model of consistency for the team over his career. Koivu is not a flashy player, but he gets the job done game after game.

It is not that far off to say that Koivu is the face of the franchise. The Finnish forward—Wild captain since 2009—leads the Wild in all-time games played, assists, points, shots on goal, power-play points, and short-handed goals. He is also second in goals scored and third in penalty minutes earned.

Evening Snapshots: Duchene, Preseason, Maple Leafs

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater reported that Matt Duchene spoke to media today, but said little to illuminate the uncomfortable situation surrounding his trade rumors. Duchene is taking things “one day at a time” and “not looking that far into the future.” The Colorado Avalanche center has been mired in trade rumors for much of the past year, and was expected to be traded at the deadline last season. Nevertheless, he is still with the Avalanche for now, and is focusing on training camp. The Avalanche are reportedly asking a high ransom for Duchene, and want to ensure a better return then what they received for Ryan O’Reilly.
  • Tonight marks the preseason debut of many NHL teams. Eight games are being played across the continent as young prospects and veteran players on PTOs try to impress coaches and management. Many teams are still carrying upwards of 50 players, so expect a deluge of cuts between now and opening night. One game that is not being played, however, is between the Los Angeles Kings and the Arizona Coyotes. That game was cancelled for bad ice and will not be made up.
  • According to the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan, the Toronto Maple Leafs have given out three As tonight. Wearing the alternate captain designations are Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly, and Matt Martin. The Maple Leafs have already announced publicly that they will not have a captain this year, and many insiders think that the team is grooming Matthews to become the new team captain. It should also be noted that preseason ’A’s are not permanent.

2017-18 Primer: Ottawa Senators

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With the NHL season now less than a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the Ottawa Senators.

Last Season: 44-28-10 record (98 points), second in Atlantic Division (lost to Pittsburgh in third round)

Remaining Cap Space: $4.81MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: D Johnny Oduya (free agency, Chicago), F Nate Thompson (free agency, Anaheim)

Key Departures: F Chris Kelly (PTO, Edmonton), D Marc Methot (expansion, Vegas), F Chris Neil (free agency, unsigned), F Viktor Stalberg (free agency, Switzerland)

[Related: Pittsburgh Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

"<strongPlayers To Watch: D Thomas Chabot – The next wave of talent is on its way in Ottawa, and it starts with a blue chip defense prospect in Chabot. The 20-year old played one game for the Senators last season but spent most of the year dominating junior opposition and being a key part of Team Canada’s World Junior team. He’s ready to take the next step to the NHL right now, but there is no guarantee he cracks the lineup in game 1.

Ottawa’s system relies on its defensive structure to limit chances for both teams, slowing the game down in the neutral zone and especially forcing it to the left side. After losing Methot, the team had a opening for a left-handed shot to fill some of those minutes. Chabot could have been an option—though he has played both sides throughout his junior career—but the team brought in Oduya to also compete for time and Fredrik Claesson looked like he could take over in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see where Chabot could fit in, and which side they’ll align him on.

F Colin White – The other half of that youth movement is present in young centerman White, who could fill various different roles for this club if given the chance. He’s talented enough to play up in the lineup on the wing right away, but could also be given the keys to the fourth line if the team wants to keep him at his natural position. Ottawa has its three top centers locked in with Derick Brassard, Kyle Turris and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, meaning minutes would be hard to come by for White down the middle.

That means it could even be the AHL for him to really get his professional career started. Coming out of Boston College last spring he suited up for three games in the minors and three games (including one playoff contest) with Ottawa. He’ll be given the chance to impress this preseason, but Zack Smith or Nate Thompson are more well-suited to the fourth line pivot role.

Key Storyline: When Erik Karlsson returns from his lingering injury, the Senators are expected to once again to be a frustratingly effective defensive team. They suffocate rushes in the center ice area and don’t give up their blueline very easily. Even when you do beat that trapping system, the duo of Craig Anderson and Mike Condon provide some solid goaltending and can steal games if given the chance.

The question for the Senators will be can they score enough to get them back to the playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup once again. Their top few scoring forwards in Mike Hoffman, Turris and Mark Stone all registered over 20 goals and 50 points last season, but after that their offensive depth falls off a cliff. Brassard was held to just 39 points in his first year with the team, while the high-priced Bobby Ryan scored just 13 goals. While Ryan played to a higher level in the postseason, it will be imperative for him to provide some elite wing play once again if this team is to really compete.

The loss of Clarke MacArthur this training camp—the winger failed his physical and doesn’t have a clear path back to the ice—weakens their scoring depth even further to the point where they may have to rely on Alex Burrows as a top-six option. Burrows of course is a former 30-goal man, but is now 36 years old and hasn’t cracked 35 points in the last five seasons. It may be a struggle at times for the Senators on the powerplay as well, after finishing 24th in the league last season even with the elite play of Karlsson.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minnesota Wild, Mikko Koivu Working Towards Contract Extension

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Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that the Minnesota Wild and captain Mikko Koivu are working towards a contract extension. The team’s captain is clear that he wants to play his entire career in Minnesota, and Russo tweets that they’re “trying to carve out a two-year extension” that would take Koivu through his 37th birthday.

Koivu has suited up for 843 regular season games with the Wild during his long career, and has been one of the most reliable two-way centers in the game for the majority of that time. Despite only cracking the 70-point plateau once, his incredible defensive impact makes him a legitimate first-line option in the NHL. Though he’s never won a Selke trophy as the league’s best defensive forward, he’s received votes in nine different seasons and likely should have in every year he’s been in the league. His dominance in the faceoff dot is just another way he contributes in ways other than scoring goals, and he still is one of the most dangerous penalty killers in the league.

The Wild will pay Koivu a whopping $9.18MM this season between his salary and signing bonus, but will only induce a $6.75MM cap hit due to the up and down nature of his contract (he receives signing bonuses only every second year). That number still falls above the new contracts for Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund, but could have to take a slight cut depending on how the Wild see him aging over the next few years. Though his play certainly didn’t deteriorate last year—he recorded 58 points, his highest total since 2010-11—he will turn 35 in March and will eventually start to slow down. The Wild have room to fit him in next year, but do have more restricted free agents (Matt Dumba and Jason Zucker in particular) to re-sign.

Brian Hart, Cameron Darcy Clear Unconditional Waivers

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The Tampa Bay Lightning placed both Brian Hart and Cameron Darcy on unconditional waivers yesterday for the purpose of a mutual contract termination according to CapFriendly. The pair each had one year left on their entry-level contracts, but will become free agents after the termination is made official.

Hart was drafted in the second round five years ago, but hasn’t been able to develop into the power forward that was expected. In three seasons at Harvard, and two professional seasons split between the AHL and ECHL, Hart never did bring the offensive game that he showed in his high school days in Maine. In 33 games with the Syracuse Crunch last season, he registered just seven points. He’ll likely have to settle for a two-way minor league deal somewhere.

Darcy on the other hand was a seventh-round pick who was exceptional in the QMJHL, but has had trouble at the professional level. Still, he scored 25 points in 20 games for the ECHL Kalamazoo Wings last season, and has always shown a knack for setting up his teammates.

Minor Transactions: 09/18/17

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As teams start into their preseason schedule, the first round of cuts will send mostly junior-aged players back to their respective clubs. Rosters will be pared down slightly, with teams like the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators already making moves earlier today. Below we’ll list some of the other cuts, as well as any minor moves around the league.

Dereck Baribeau Signs With Minnesota Wild

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The Minnesota Wild have signed goaltender Dereck Baribeau to a three-year entry-level contract, after clearly making an impression on the team at their rookie tournament. Baribeau is only 18, and went undrafted this year.

As with almost all NHL goaltenders these days, one of Baribeau’s biggest positives is his huge 6’6″ frame. While that wasn’t enough to make any team bite in the draft after he split this season between two QMJHL clubs, obviously the Wild believe that they can turn him into a professional goaltender. He hasn’t fared exceptionally well to this point in his junior career, but obviously has the measurables needed to take the next step.

In 35 games, he put up a 12-15-2 record with an .881 save percentage, but could easily see those numbers improve given the chance as an 18-year old. He’ll likely see his contract slide for the next two years, meaning the entry-level compensation won’t come into play for a while. The Wild have their goaltending locked up for the next several years with Devan Dubnyk, but don’t have a clear succession plan after that. Baribeau’s addition only strengthens their goaltending depth, but he’ll have to keep developing in order to ever sniff the highest level.

Flyers, Predators Reduce Training Camp Rosters

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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced two cuts to their training camp roster today, sending Anthony Salinitri back to the Sarnia Sting of the OHL, and Frank Hora to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Salinitri was a sixth-round pick by Philadelphia in the 2016 entry draft, but put up a solid age-18 season and should be considered a legitimate prospect. Playing on a pretty average Sarnia team, he trailed just blue-chipper Jordan Kyrou in scoring with 58 points in 66 games.

Hora on the other hand was an undrafted free agent, who spent time with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL at the end of last season on an amateur tryout. Now he’s headed to the Phantoms on an AHL deal, and will try to continue his development as a mobile two-way defender. The 21-year old was the captain of the Kitchener Rangers last year, putting up 22 points in 53 games.

The Nashville Predators have also reduced their roster by two, sending Pavel Koltygin and Jacob Paquette back to junior. Koltygin, a sixth-round pick this year, was a standout during his rookie campaign with Drummondville of the QMJHL, scoring 47 points in 65 games. He’ll likely challenge for the team lead this season.

Paquette was the Predators’ seventh-round pick, and is a big left-handed defensemen from the Kingston Frotenacs. He’ll wear an “A” as an alternate captain again this season, logging big minutes against the opponent’s toughest competition.

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