Snapshots: Canucks, Johnson, Canadiens, Nugent-Hopkins
The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve placed defenseman Kyle Burroughs on injured reserve while transferring blueliner Tucker Poolman to LTIR. Burroughs has had his first taste of extended NHL action this season, playing in 36 games while collecting five points and was injured last weekend against Anaheim. The move was made to open up the roster spot for yesterday’s recall of Phillip Di Giuseppe. As for Poolman, he will be eligible to return at any time if the placement is retroactive to his injury in late January but it temporarily adds his $2.5MM to their LTIR pool, enabling them to recall other players if there are more injuries in the near future.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- The Blackhawks are expected to get center Tyler Johnson back in the lineup on Thursday against Edmonton, notes Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Johnson underwent artificial disk replacement surgery back in December, the same neck surgery Jack Eichel had. The veteran last played in late October and has a goal and two assists in eight games this season, his first with Chicago.
- The Canadiens are expected to hire Adam Nicholas in a player development role, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Nicholas has worked as a skills consultant with Toronto since 2019 and is the founder of a player development company called Stride Envy.
- Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins left today’s game with an upper-body injury with Sportsnet’s Mark Spector suggesting (via Twitter) that it looks like a shoulder issue. He took a hit from Florida’s Ryan Lomberg in the first period. Nugent-Hopkins only has seven goals in 45 games this season but still sits third on Edmonton in points thanks to his 30 assists.
This Day In Transactions History: Lightning Acquire Ryan McDonagh And J.T. Miller
Four years ago today was the 2018 NHL trade deadline, one that featured several notable swaps, including Evander Kane to the Sharks, Tomas Tatar to the Golden Knights, and Paul Stastny to the Jets. But the biggest one of all came from the Lightning and Rangers. New York had released their letter committing to rebuilding their franchise earlier in the month and had already made some moves to shore up their future. This was their biggest one with Tampa Bay moving out several future assets in an effort to win now.
The Lightning picked up defenseman Ryan McDonagh along with winger J.T. Miller in exchange for winger Vladislav Namestnikov, center Brett Howden, defenseman Libor Hajek, plus a first-round pick in 2018 and a second-rounder in 2019. It has only been four years but it’s safe to say it worked out a whole lot better for Tampa Bay than it did for New York.
McDonagh immediately became a stabilizing force on the back end for the Lightning. They didn’t need him to play upwards of 24 minutes a night as he was with the Rangers but gave them someone beyond Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman that was capable of shouldering a key load on the back end. Then-GM Steve Yzerman wasted little time working on an extension with McDonagh and as soon as he became eligible to sign one in July, McDonagh inked a seven-year, $47.25MM deal to ensure he’ll be sticking around for the long haul.
Miller didn’t exactly have the same fate. He was quite productive down the stretch for Tampa Bay, averaging nearly a point per game after the trade but struggled in the playoffs and didn’t produce as much the following year. That resulted in him being traded to Vancouver for a pair of draft picks, including the 2020 first-round selection that they ultimately flipped to New Jersey in 2020 as part of the Blake Coleman trade. Coleman, of course, played an important role on Tampa Bay’s Cup-winning teams in 2020 and 2021 so even though Miller didn’t have the type of impact they were hoping for, they still ultimately got a good return out of his inclusion in the trade.
As for what the Rangers got, things haven’t gone quite so well. Namestnikov was quiet down the stretch but his performance with Tampa Bay before the trade was still good enough to land him a two-year, $8MM contract that would take him to unrestricted free agency. One year later after a quiet season, he was flipped in a cap-clearing trade for minor league blueliner Nick Ebert and a fourth-round pick in 2021 that was used on Kalle Vaisanen. Not a great return on the impact forward they were hoping Namestnikov would be. He’s now in Detroit and is a candidate to be moved by March 21st.
Howden was a first-round pick of the Lightning back in 2016 (27th overall) and profiled as a key two-way center after putting up some impressive numbers in junior. However, that offensive output didn’t materialize in the pros and after scoring just 16 goals in 178 games over parts of three seasons with the Rangers, they gave up on him, sending him to Vegas for a 2022 fourth-round pick. Howden has actually done fairly well this season with 18 points in 39 games for the Golden Knights despite spending a lot of time on the fourth line.
Hajek was another player who impressed at the junior level and it looked as if he’d become a quality NHL defenseman before too long. While he was a regular for a lot of last season, he was a fixture on the third pairing with sheltered minutes and this year, he has been a frequent healthy scratch. They don’t want to lose him for nothing on waivers but this is a situation where if they move him, the return will almost certainly be as underwhelming as Howden’s was.
As for the draft picks, it’s a bit too early to make any significant conclusions on those. The first-rounder yielded defenseman Nils Lundkvist and while he has been fairly quiet in his first season in North America, his track record of offensive success in Sweden is promising. The second-rounder turned into center Karl Henriksson who isn’t putting up big numbers in Frolunda of the SHL but is holding down a regular spot in the lineup. Both could certainly be part of New York’s future with Lundkvist getting a sniff of NHL action earlier this season.
For New York to have any chance of salvaging any sort of value from this trade, they’ll need those prospects to become impact players. They’re down to Vaisanen, Lundkvist, Henriksson, a fourth-round pick, and Hajek (or whatever limited return they get for him). That’s not a great return from a trade that they were hoping would give them several long-term building blocks for the future, a cautionary tale for how even trading for players that appear to be quality prospects can still not work out as well as intended. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has won a couple of Stanley Cup titles since then and while McDonagh’s contract may not age great considering he’s signed through 2026, he’s still playing an important role for them. The biggest swap of the 2018 deadline looks like a clear-cut victory for them as a result.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Metropolitan Notes: Texier, Flyers, Capitals
While Blue Jackets forward Alexandre Texier was originally expected to miss four weeks with a finger injury (a time period that has come and gone), Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports (Twitter link) that the 22-year-old is still a few weeks away from returning. Texier is having the best season of his career so far with 11 goals and nine assists in 36 games but this injury will have taken away that momentum.
Texier has found his name in recent trade speculation with teams calling about him but the injury won’t help things on that front either. On that front, Hedger adds in a follow-up tweet that the team has no interest in moving him. He has long been viewed as a future building block for the Blue Jackets and since he has shown some promising signs in his development this season, it’s understandable that they’d want to keep him around.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Prior to their game this afternoon against Washington, the Flyers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated winger Joel Farabee and center Derick Brassard off injured reserve. Farabee has missed a little more than a month due to an upper-body injury but is still tied for third on Philadelphia in goals with 11 in 33 games. Brassard, meanwhile, has been battling hip issues all season long but has managed to pick up 11 points in 20 games. If Brassard can stay healthy, he could be a trade candidate for a team looking to add some depth before the trade deadline. Meanwhile, Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now adds that center Kevin Hayes could return late next week after being out for more than a month with an adductor injury.
- While Washington has very limited cap space that’s entirely based on Anthony Mantha’s LTIR placement, both J.J. Regan and Andrew Gillis of NBC Sports Washington believe that the Capitals need to find a way to add an impact goaltender by next month’s trade deadline. Vitek Vanecek is currently injured and while Ilya Samsonov was able to play this afternoon despite appearing to suffer an injury in the warmup, he has struggled with inconsistency this season. They’ve been previously linked to Chicago’s Marc-Andre Fleury but would likely need to get Chicago to retain half of his $7MM contract plus a third-party facilitator to take on another 25% of the contract to have a chance at fitting him into their cap structure.
AHL Shuffle: 02/26/22
It’s another busy Saturday in the NHL with 20 teams in action including Tampa Bay and Nashville who face off in the latest installment of the Stadium Series. There should be plenty of roster movement throughout the day which we’ll keep track of here.
Atlantic Division
TBD
Metropolitan Division
- The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve sent defenseman Jake Christiansen back to AHL Cleveland. The 22-year-old was recently brought up as extra depth with Zach Werenski injured although he didn’t see any NHL action on this recall. He has 26 points in 38 AHL contests this season.
Central Division
- Just one day after being recalled, the Blackhawks have sent defenseman Jakub Galvas back to Rockford of the AHL, reports Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). The 22-year-old has played in six NHL contests this season plus 32 more in the minors. Also rejoining the IceHogs is forward Lukas Reichel as Chicago continues to manage his games played to not burn the first year of his entry-level deal. Taking their place on Chicago’s roster will be winger Josiah Slavin and defenseman Isaak Phillips, per the AHL’s transactions log.
Pacific Division
TBD
This post will be updated throughout the day.
Injury Updates: White, Sundqvist, Jokiharju, De Haan
Senators center Colin White will return to the lineup tonight against Montreal, relays Ian Mendes of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 25-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder at the end of training camp and has yet to play this season as a result. Now three seasons removed from his 41-point campaign in 2018-19, White will likely spend time at both center and the wing as Ottawa looks to find what his ideal role for next season and beyond will be.
More injury news from around the NHL:
- Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist suffered a lower-body injury in last night’s game against Buffalo, Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes. The good news for St. Louis is that head coach Craig Berube indicated that the injury isn’t related to the hip or knee that he had recent surgery done on. Sundqvist has 15 points in 35 games this season – the highest point per game average of his career – and is set to be re-evaluated later today.
- After missing last night’s game against St. Louis, Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s contest in Colorado, reports Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). The 22-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in Wednesday’s loss in Montreal. The good news for Buffalo is that Jokiharju – who is logging more than 21 minutes a night – should be able to return early next week.
- Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan missed last night’s game due to a right groin strain, the team announced (Twitter link). The veteran is in the final year of his contract and is a strong candidate to be moved between now and next month’s trade deadline as someone that can provide some shot blocking and physicality.
West Notes: Karlsson, Lafferty, MacLellan
Although Erik Karlsson got off to a very strong start to his season, the defenseman told reporters, including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, that he actually suffered the forearm injury that has him out of the lineup now back in September. The veteran had 26 points in 33 games for the Sharks before the pain became too much to overcome. Karlsson has since undergone surgery and is believed to be roughly two weeks away from returning to the lineup and will certainly be a welcome addition to a San Jose squad that is trying to climb their way back into the postseason picture.
More from the Western Conference:
- While his time with Chicago has been limited having only been traded there last month, winger Sam Lafferty told reporters, including NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis, that he’s hoping to re-sign with the Blackhawks. The pending UFA has averaged nearly 15 minutes a game after being acquired from Pittsburgh and while he has only scored once, he has been praised by interim head coach Derek King for his energy and penalty killing ability. Lafferty is a pending unrestricted free agent with an AAV of $750K and could earn a small boost on that on the open market in July.
- The Kings were without head coach Todd McLellan last night as he was placed into COVID protocol, the team announced (Twitter link). Trent Yawney was the acting head coach for their win in Anaheim and should stay in that role until McLellan is cleared to return which should be in five days from now.
Trade Candidate: Phil Kessel
With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we continue our look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and March 21st.
Over the summer, the Coyotes moved out several veterans and really dove into their long-term rebuilding project. However, one veteran that wasn’t moved out at that time was winger Phil Kessel. With playoff-bound teams looking to add some scoring depth between now and the trade deadline, it stands to reason that there’s a good chance that Kessel will be on the move in the coming weeks.
Contract
Kessel is in the final season of his deal that carries a $8MM cap hit. $5MM of his money owing for this season was paid out in a signing bonus while his base salary is only $1MM. Toronto is retaining 15% of that amount so Arizona’s cap hit is $6.8MM. The contract also contains an eight-team no-trade clause.
2021-22
It has been a tough year for many Coyotes as Arizona sits in the basement of the Western Conference. It wouldn’t necessarily be fair to lump Kessel in with that majority, however. His goal total is down but his assist numbers are the best they’ve been in the desert. As a result, he sits second on the team in scoring behind Clayton Keller.
Despite several of their top players moving, it hasn’t really resulted in an increase in ice time for the 34-year-old which is in contrast to their other higher-scoring forwards. Keller is averaging more than three minutes a game more, so is Lawson Crouse, and Travis Boyd (who wasn’t with Arizona last year) is logging over four minutes a night higher as he has gotten the type of opportunity that eluded him in the past. Kessel, meanwhile, is averaging 13 seconds per game more than last year.
Unsurprisingly, his utilization is the same as usual – lots of power play time and the rest at five on five. Wherever he winds up going, that should stay intact as he’s never going to be the type of player that kills penalties and plays in key defensive situations but in offensive areas, he can still contribute.
Season Stats
51 GP, 6 goals, 27 assists, 33 points, -11 rating, 18 PIMS, 109 shots, 17:18 TOI, 48.0 CF%
Potential Suitors
Most contenders don’t have the ability to take on $6.8MM in a trade but Arizona has one retention slot left (Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Darcy Kuemper are the two they’ve used) and with his salary being as low as it is, it’s likely that the Coyotes will be open to using that last slot to retain half of the cap hit to help facilitate a move. Worth noting, Toronto’s retention means that Kessel isn’t eligible for the double-retention move we’ve seen some teams make the last couple of seasons but there should still be some interest.
In the East, the Rangers have the cap space to go after Kessel. While shoring up their bottom six is a priority, adding Kessel would allow them to push someone else down into that lower group which would still serve as an upgrade and he’d be an interesting shooter with Artemi Panarin on the opposite wing. The Panthers seem to be thinking big but Kessel would work as a fallback option, bolstering what is an already very strong offensive squad. If the Bruins strike out on some of their targets, a reunion with Kessel would make sense in terms of shoring up their production on the wing but would both sides be open to that?
There are more fits out West. Like the Rangers, the Predators have ample cap space and someone like Kessel would bolster what has been a middle-of-the-pack attack. The Wild are basically stuck looking at rentals with their buyout penalties looming large for next season and while they’re already one of the highest-scoring teams in the league, they could double down on their strengths and deepen their attack. The Pacific Division also has some reasonable options. If Anaheim looks to add, they have ample cap space and could certainly use some extra offensive depth. The Sharks are currently out but if they can win a few games to get back into the race, they’d be a good fit as well. The Kings currently have the space right now with their LTIR situation and would benefit from more firepower but their ability to add largely hinges on Alexander Edler’s situation.
Likelihood Of A Trade
There probably isn’t going to be a significant market for Kessel with the contract and as he is someone that’s going to be more of a secondary option than a primary target, it may take a while for it to materialize. But assuming the acquisition cost winds up in the mid-round pick range, the veteran should be on the move at some point before the deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacific Notes: Gaudreau, Archibald, Golden Knights
Earlier this week, Flames assistant GM Craig Conroy expressed confidence that the team would be able to re-sign pending UFA winger Johnny Gaudreau in an interview on Sportsnet 960 (audio link), going as far as saying “Oh, that’s a done deal. We’re going to get that done”. However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes that there haven’t been any substantive conversations of late between the two sides, suggesting a new contract isn’t as close as Conroy’s comments might infer. Gaudreau is on pace for a career year offensively with 20 goals and 44 assists in 50 games which has him well-positioned to land a sizable raise on his current $6.75MM AAV as he will be one of the top players to hit the UFA market if he remains unsigned into mid-July.
More from the Pacific Division:
- Oilers winger Josh Archibald has been given a clean bill of health from doctors after his bout with myocarditis, reports Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. However, it’s still believed that his COVID vaccination status would limit his usefulness to Edmonton as he’d basically be restricted to Canadian-based games only. Accordingly, the pending UFA – who carries a $1.5MM cap hit – may be more useful on a team based out of the United States although his trade value would certainly be limited. Archibald is currently quarantining and will need some time to get into playing condition so he can remain on LTIR for the time being.
- The Golden Knights have activated defenseman Zach Whitecloud from injured reserve, notes Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 25-year-old had missed the last six games due to a broken foot and has become an important part of their back end, logging more than 19 minutes a game. While Whitecloud returns, Vegas has also transferred goaltender Robin Lehner and forward Nolan Patrick to injured reserve.
Trade Deadline Primer: Buffalo Sabres
With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than a month away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Buffalo Sabres.
The trade deadline has been known as a selling time for the Sabres as they’ve missed the playoffs for ten straight years and are now embarking on a new rebuild as their postseason drought will be extended once again. While there is hope that some of their younger players will help them out of this playoff drought (they have performed better under Don Granato this season), Buffalo will be in an all too familiar position over the next few weeks.
Record
16-28-8, 7th in the Atlantic
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$41.49MM today, $66.38MM in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2022: BUF 1st, FLA 1st*, VGK 1st^, BUF 2nd, BUF 3rd, BUF 4th, NJ 5th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th
2023: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, PHI 2nd, VGK 2nd^, BUF 4th, BUF 5th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th
*-If Florida’s pick is in the top ten, the Panthers will instead transfer their 2023 first-rounder (unprotected).
^-If Vegas’ 2022 first-round pick is in the top ten, the Golden Knights will instead transfer their 2023 first-rounder (unprotected). If that happens, the 2023 second-round pick will become a 2024 second-rounder while Buffalo would keep their 2023 third-rounder and instead transfer their 2024 third-round pick.
Trade Chips
Cody Eakin has moved at the trade deadline before and checks off two boxes that contending teams often look to fill on the fourth line. The center can win faceoffs (56.5% success rate this season, a career high) and kill penalties. At $2.25MM, the pending unrestricted free agent is overpaid for that role but if Buffalo is willing to pay that down by up to the maximum of 50%, there should be some teams interested in his services.
Robert Hagg isn’t going to light up the scoresheet but he hits, blocks shots, and can hold his own on the third pairing as he’s logging a little over 17 minutes a game. That’s not a particularly exciting profile on the surface but as teams look to add some grit and depth, the 27-year-old pending UFA should intrigue some playoff-bound teams. At $1.6MM, his deal shouldn’t need to be paid down. Colin Miller is another pending UFA blueliner that could attract some interest although an upper-body injury will keep him out for a few more weeks which won’t help his value. His price tag is higher at $3.875MM and will need some retention but he’s a right-shot defender which is an area that several teams will be looking to fill.
Victor Olofsson remains a restricted free agent to keep an eye on. The 26-year-old has gone cold in recent weeks but is a capable shooter, especially on the power play. For teams interested in adding some firepower on that front, he can help and unlike the others listed so far, he has another year of team control. But at $3.25MM, the qualifying offer could scare some teams off, especially with his eligibility for arbitration where his 20-goal season in 2019-20 could help him earn a raise. He’s not a guarantee to move but he could be someone to watch for.
For teams looking for less expensive forward depth, rental winger Vinnie Hinostroza may be of interest. He should be able to return from his lower-body injury in the next little while and with 17 points in 36 games, he’d be an offensive upgrade in the bottom six for some playoff-bound squads. He won’t be a primary target but as a depth addition closer to the deadline, there could be some interest, especially with him having an affordable $1.05MM AAV.
Johnny Boychuk’s playing career is already over but he’s an LTIR-eligible contract. Buffalo hasn’t put him on there – it’s not as if they need the cap space – but a team that could fit him under their cap and then place him on LTIR to expand their pool could come calling. Such a move is rare but there is precedent for it happening.
Others To Watch For: G Craig Anderson ($750K, UFA), F Anders Bjork ($1.6MM through 2022-23), D Will Butcher ($2.823MM, UFA)
Team Needs
1) Bang For Their Buck – The Sabres have more cap space than anyone, putting them in a position to be willing to accept bad contracts or be a third-party facilitator with retention to add some draft picks. If ownership is willing to give them the okay to do so from a budgetary perspective, it’s something GM Kevyn Adams should be looking to utilize.
2) Future Goaltending – It’s easy to say they need picks and prospects (they’ll get more of the former than the latter with their rentals) but let’s look beyond that for a moment. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is getting close to being ready for the NHL but he’s going to need a quality veteran to work with and the collection of goalies they have making the league minimum (or slightly more) isn’t going to cut it. This doesn’t have to be a need they fill now but if they’re willing to take on a contract now, getting a goalie wouldn’t be a bad idea. The same idea could be applied to bringing in a veteran defender or even a forward as Buffalo could basically use longer-term upgrades everywhere.
Trade Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators
With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than a month away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Ottawa Senators.
Things haven’t gone completely according to plan for Ottawa this season. This was supposed to be the end of the rebuilding phase with GM Pierre Dorion going as far as saying before training camp that “The rebuild is done. Now we’re stepping into another zone”. As it turns out, the rebuild isn’t done and they’re in the same zone they have been as they’re set to miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season. While brighter days are certainly on the horizon with the depth of their prospect pool, they will be doing what they’ve been accustomed to in recent years at the deadline.
Record
19-26-5, 6th in the Atlantic
Deadline Status
Short-Term Seller, Long-Term Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$33.94MM today, $55.15MM in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2022: OTT 1st, OTT 2nd, TB 2nd, BOS 3rd, OTT 3rd, VAN 3rd, OTT 5th, OTT 6th, NYR 7th, OTT 7th
2023: OTT 1st, OTT 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 6th, OTT 7th, NSH 7th
Trade Chips
Ottawa’s biggest trade chip is one they’re hoping not to trade at all in forward Nick Paul. The 26-year-old has gone from the wing to playing down the middle in recent years while being a capable depth scorer. He has improved on that front a bit this season, matching his previous career high in goals with nine while playing a sound defensive game with a bit of physicality. This is the type of profile that many playoff-bound teams would want to add to their bottom six. The Senators would also like to retain the pending unrestricted free agent and Paul recently expressed some confidence that they’ll be able to reach an agreement. He’s heading for a sizable raise from his current $1.35MM AAV and we’ll find out over the next few weeks if it’ll be Ottawa giving it to him or if he’ll be on the move.
Anton Forsberg has done a nice job of re-establishing some value since joining Ottawa last season. He bounced around on waivers for the first half of 2020-21 but has basically been the starter for the Sens this year with Matt Murray struggling early on. His .917 SV% is certainly appealing to contenders but his $900K cap hit will be even more attractive. He could fit on some playoff-bound squads as a backup and others as third-string insurance and both of those options could apply to the Senators as well. If they can’t work out an extension, the pending UFA could be one of the goalies on the move.
Center depth is always something that’s in demand at this time of year and Chris Tierney fits the definition of a depth center. In the past, he has been capable of playing in the top six although that’s not the most ideal role for him now. He can still kill penalties and while he has been a bit below average on faceoffs this season, he’s not too far removed from being a little above the league average on that front. He could fit on the third line for some teams but he’d certainly boost the fourth line for many playoff-bound squads. The pending UFA has a $3.5MM AAV that Ottawa will need to pay down but assuming they’re willing to do so, they should be able to add to their stable of draft picks.
Another element that playoff-bound teams like to add is grit and that’s where Zach Sanford should draw some interest. Included as a cap dump in the Logan Brown trade, the 27-year-old has had a decent season for Ottawa with 15 points in 50 games but it’s the 104 hits that he has that will catch the eye of contenders. Again, some retention may be necessary here with a $2MM AAV before he hits the open market in the summer but Sanford would fit on the fourth line for quite a few playoff teams.
Others To Watch For: D Josh Brown ($1.2MM, UFA), D Michael Del Zotto ($2MM through 2022-23), F Tyler Ennis ($900K, UFA), D Victor Mete ($1.2MM, RFA)
Team Needs
1) Draft Picks: While none of the above names are going to yield significant draft picks, Ottawa has several players that could fetch a mid-round selection. With ten selections already for the 2022 draft, this may be an opportunity for Dorion to add picks in future years.
2) Center Help: This isn’t as big of a need for this season since they’re not in the playoff hunt but this year has exposed some holes in their depth down the middle. Josh Norris and Shane Pinto will be part of the future plans and oft-injured Colin White is still signed for three more years but most of their remaining options are pending free agents (RFA or UFA). A capable middle-six center would go a long way towards shoring up their depth, especially as they hope to be in the playoff mix next season.
3) Bridge Veterans: This is something that Dorion could look to in free agency but Ottawa’s cap space could make them a buyer for assets signed beyond this season. Every young team needs quality veterans to help them take that next step forward and right now, there simply aren’t that many in the organization. If there’s a chance to get one or two in the next few weeks by helping to facilitate a trade for a cap-strapped contender, it’d be one worth looking into.