East Notes: Desrosiers, LeBreton Flats, Senators
According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the New York Islanders have fired assistant coach Benoit Desrosiers. Desrosiers was hired by the Islanders, along with Patrick Roy, partway through the 2023-24 season.
As Rosner noted, Desrosiers was particularly focused on New York’s play in the faceoff dot. The Islanders weren’t a bad faceoff team when Desrosiers was hired, but he was able to make them one of the best in the league. The Islanders were the best team in the faceoff dot in all situations during the 2024-25 season with a 54.9% success rate, and finished fifth this year with a 52.65% rate.
For his next role, it’s anyone’s guess. Given that he followed Roy from the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts to New York, it would make sense that Desrosiers will go wherever Roy does. Unfortunately, it’s not altogether clear if Roy will pursue a different opportunity this summer or remain with the Islanders as a scout. If he does, Desrosiers may seek a role with the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, or Tampa Bay Lightning, each of which finished at the bottom of the league in faceoff percentage.
Additional notes from the Eastern Conference:
- Later this year, the Ottawa Senators are expected to finalize the purchase of land in LeBreton Flats from the National Capital Commission to eventually build a new arena. In an update from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, Commissioner Gary Bettman believes that the deal will be finalized, saying, “As recently as when I walked in here today, things are continuing on a positive track. I’m hoping that is an express track, as opposed to a long one.” Although the Senators are likely to purchase the property, it may take several years to build a new arena due to the numerous regulations that need to be met.
- Sticking with the Senators, Bettman also commented on his decision to return Ottawa’s first-round pick to them for the upcoming draft. The Senators had originally lost the selection due to not including Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade protection when they traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights. In reversing his decision, Bettman said, “I thought it was important, particularly for other clubs, how seriously we take the processes of how you must comply with a trade. I was comfortable that some adjustment might be fair based on the due diligence and everything leading up to the transaction, without completely eliminating it. I thought it was fair under all the circumstances.”
Senators’ Jake Sanderson Out With Concussion
As the Ottawa Senators cling to their season in Game 3 of Round One against the Carolina Hurricanes, the team may have lost its top defenseman for the foreseeable future. In a report from Sportsnet, Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson left the game with an injury.
The morning after Sanderson’s exit, it was revealed that the star defenseman has sustained a concussion per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch. Head coach Travis Green told Garrioch that Sanderson is, “not doing well” and will be out for Game 4.
In a breakdown from Kevin Bieksa on Sportsnet, Sanderson seemed to have been injured from taking a hit to the head from Carolina Hurricane Taylor Hall.
In any case, Sanderson’s absence will be detrimental to the Senators’ chances for Game 4. As Bieksa noted, he is the team’s best defenseman, and his absence puts Ottawa in a nearly inescapable hole. Although they did return Tyler Kleven tonight, the team is already without Artem Zub and Nick Jensen.
Like the rest of the team, Sanderson was quiet in Game 1, but showed up in a big way in Game 2. He recorded an assist on both of Ottawa’s goals and has averaged over 35 minutes thanks to a nearly five-period contest on Monday.
Sanderson’s role as the team’s top defenseman is unquestioned. He led the team in scoring among defensemen, registering 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games with a +16 rating. Additionally, he led the team in ATOI by a significant margin with 24:50. The next was Thomas Chabot, who averaged 22:35 throughout the 2025-26 campaign.
Morning Notes: Boeser, Hall, Norris
Team USA is expected to add a goal-scoring punch to their roster for the 2026 IIHF World Championship. Top Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is expected to suit up for the Stars and Stripes in the summer tournament per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK News.
Boeser notched 22 goals and 48 points in 75 games this season. The performance continued his downward turn after posting a career-high 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games of the 2023-24 season. Boeser earned All-Star recognition that season, an accolade that he hasn’t received since his rookie season in 2017-18. He followed the career year with just 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games last season.
This will be Boeser’s first chance to suit up for the USA’s men’s national team. He played in three international tournaments during his days in junior hockey, including captaining USA at the 2014 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He scored eight points in five games at that tournament, then later notched five points in four games at the 2015 World Junior-A Challenge and three points in seven games at the 2016 World Junior Championships. Boeser has stood out as a shoot-first winger dating back to those international appearances and should bring a similar impact to USA’s middle-six at Worlds.
Other notes from around the league:
- Carolina Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall is not expected to receive supplemental discipline for his hit that injured Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson, per hockey insider Frank Seravalli and TSN’s Bruce Garrioch. Senators head coach Travis Green criticized the decision, saying that the hit was blatantly high. Hall seemed to contact Sanderson’s head, and even knocked off his helmet, with a corner hit in the third period of Thursday night’s game. He was assessed a minor penalty on the play, while Sanderson left the game with 15 minutes to go. The star defenseman will now move forward with a questionable tag for the rest of the first round series. That will be a major absence with Ottawa at risk of being swept on Saturday. Sanderson is the only Senators defenseman to record a point this series. He has two assists.
- It seems the Buffalo Sabres could be without Joshua Norris for the foreseeable future. After being designated as out day-to-day, head coach Lindy Ruff shared that Norris is currently questionable to practice with the team. Norris sat out of Game 3 with an undisclosed injury. He has battled routine absence all season long and ultimately sat out of 38 games. Norris was a major part of the Sabres’ offense in his healthy stretches. He scored 34 points in 44 games and gave the team an extra motor in their top-six. Unfortunately, the Sabres will have to revert to their backup lineup with Norris again on the mend. His absence will be, in part, filled by rookie Noah Ostlund who scored two points in his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut in Thursday night’s win.
Senators’ Tyler Kleven Returning For Game 3
Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven will make his 2026 playoff debut in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Hurricanes tonight, he told reporters at Thursday’s morning skate (including Joshua Clipperton of The Canadian Press).
Kleven has been out of commission since April 2 with an upper-body injury sustained while blocking a shot in a game against the Sabres. At a time when the Sens were already down Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot, it was a crushing injury that removed all three of their left-side regulars from the lineup. Sanderson ultimately returned for their next game, and Chabot followed suit soon after, but Kleven’s injury – plus Nick Jensen‘s continued absence due to meniscus surgery and Artem Zub‘s departure in Game 1 with a lower-body injury – has still put a strain on Ottawa’s defense to begin the postseason.
Now, Ottawa will be down “just” Jensen and Zub as they try to climb out of a 2-0 hole at home. After dressing Dennis Gilbert and Lassi Thomson as their third pair for Game 2, both of them will come out while Cameron Crotty steps in on Kleven’s right side to make his first-ever playoff appearance, head coach Travis Green said (via Claire Hanna of TSN).
Kleven, coming off his second full regular season, was quite reliable as the #3 lefty on the Sens’ depth chart this season. Selected 44th overall in 2020, Kleven set career highs in assists (15), points (18), hits (126), and average time on ice (17:21) while suiting up in 70 contests. He emerged with a +2 rating and had spectacular results when paired with Jordan Spence, controlling 60.4% of expected goals in 657 minutes together at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck.
Jensen’s and Zub’s injuries mean Spence has been elevated to top-four duties, so Kleven won’t have that kind of support on his right flank tonight. Nonetheless, he’s a significant plug-and-play upgrade over Gilbert, who actually had a solid go of things in his limited minutes in Games 1 and 2. Kleven’s higher ceiling – plus his strong performance in their first-round loss to the Maple Leafs last season – makes him an appealing option to get back in the lineup while likely seeing some penalty-kill time as well.
Evening Notes: Kleven, Tippett, Ostlund
Defenseman Tyler Kleven is continuing to progress in his recovery from an upper-body injury sustained in April 2nd’s win over the Buffalo Sabres. He has now taken two practices with full contact and a face-guard and could be back in the lineup soon. Despite that, head coach Travis Green would neither confirm nor deny if Kleven was an option for Thursday’s Game 3 per TSN’s Bruce Garrioch. Meanwhile, Artem Zub remains out of practice since sustaining what appeared to be a lower-body injury in Saturday’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Green did not have an update on Zub’s availability either per Sportscenter’s Claire Hanna.
It seems Ottawa will be forced to roll out the same blue-line that led them to a double-overtime loss on Monday. That will mean heavy minutes for usual stars Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot, as well as rising depth defender Jordan Spence who has taken over top-four duties in Zub’s absence. Nikolas Matinpalo should also stay up the lineup, though the Senators could rotate him with Lassi Thomson and Dennis Gilbert. Sanderson is the only Senators’ defenseman to score so far this postseason. He has two assists in as many games. So long as he can continue to elevate the blue-line, Ottawa stands a chance of hanging on against the Hurricanes.
Other notes from around the league:
- Top Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett missed the team’s Wednesday practice to nurse an injury that he has been playing through, head coach Rick Tocchet told NBCS’ Jordan Hall. He is expected to suit up for Wednesday’s Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins despite the injury. Tippett has one assist in two playoff games so far, while Philadelphia holds a 2-0 lead over the Penguins. He should continue to line up next to Tyson Foerster and Trevor Zegras, maintaining a trio that has proven explosive in the early postseason.
- Buffalo Sabres rookie center Noah Ostlund could return to the lineup in Thursday night’s Game 3 against the Boston Bruins per Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic. Ostlund has not played since sustaining an injury in Buffalo’s March 25th matchup – an overtime loss to the Bruins. The rookie emerged as a reliable, fourth-line center for Buffalo. He played through his first NHL season and racked up 11 goals and 27 points in 60 games, to go with 10 points in seven AHL games. He should take on a fourth-line role over one of Beck Malenstyn, Joshua Dunne, or Jordan Greenway if and when he returns to full health. The decision of who to pull out of the lineup will be a delicate one for Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff, as the fourth-line has currently brought a lot of physicality to a hard-nosed matchup. Ostlund is still adjusting to NHL physicality and will be making his Stanley Cup Playoff debut when he makes it back into the lineup.
Senators Sign Lucas Beckman To Entry-Level Contract
The Ottawa Senators have signed 2025 fourth-round pick Lucas Beckman to a three-year, entry-level contract set to begin in the 2026-27 season. Beckman is currently playing in the QMJHL Playoffs with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. He has gone undefeated in the postseason, recording an 8-0-0 record, .962 save percentage, and 0.75 goals-against average. The Sagueneens allowed the fewest goals against in the QMJHL this season.
Beckman was a major part of Chicoutimi’s league-best defense. He began the season with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar where he recorded a measly four wins and .905 save percentage in 23 games. That slow start, and a month-long absence due to injury, were enough to prompt Baie-Comeau to sell-high on Beckman before the QMJHL Trade Deadline. That move proved to benefit both sides, as Beckman quickly found his way into a key role for the Sagueneens. He recorded 13 wins and a .940 save percentage in 15 games with Chicoutimi to close out the season – and is now on one of the greatest playoff runs that the QMJHL has seen. Through QMJHL history, only four other goalies have posted undefeated records in at least eight playoff games. Detroit Red Wings prospect Rudy Guimond is the only to join Beckman in doing it this century. Beckman’s .962 save percentage is higher than any of his loss-less peers – as are his two shutouts.
The second-half of the season has ramped up excitement for Beckman’s future outlook. He recorded 31 wins and a .914 save percentage in 52 games with Baie-Comeau last season, playing through what was his first full season at the junior level. Beckman looked poised and confident all season long, flashing a great glove-side and strong ability to stay composed when facing a flurry of shots. His game was still in need of ironing out, which pushed Beckman to the 97th-overall pick in 2025 – a mark that some draft pundits still argued was too high. One year later, he seems to quickly be silencing doubters. An NHL entry-level contract will force the 18-year-old Beckman to either return to the QMJHL, or jump to the NHL, next season. Given his fortunes in Chicoutimi, and his lack of even 100 regular season games of QMJHL experience, a return to Quebec seems to be the likeliest outcome.
Artem Zub Game-Time Decision For Game 2, Tyler Kleven Ruled Out
The Senators won’t see defenseman Tyler Kleven step back into the lineup tonight as they try to even their first-round series against the Hurricanes at one apiece. Despite shedding his non-contact jersey in this morning’s practice, he’s not quite ready to go and won’t dress, head coach Travis Green told reporters (including Alex Adams of Sportsnet). And, although Artem Zub didn’t take the ice this morning after leaving Game 1 with an apparent mid-body injury, he’ll be a game-time decision, Green said. In the event Zub can’t go, it’ll be Lassi Thomson stepping in on the right side to replace him, per Graeme Nichols of The Hockey News. Nikolas Matinpalo, who had started on the third pairing with Dennis Gilbert in Game 1, will get the elevation to top-pair minutes to serve as Jake Sanderson‘s shutdown complement in place of Zub. It would be the playoff debut for Thomson, a 2019 first-round pick who had three assists and a +3 rating in 11 games in the regular season.
Senators Recall Six Players
This afternoon the Ottawa Senators announced that six skaters have been recalled from AHL Belleville. Carter Yakemchuk, Arthur Kaliyev, Tyler Boucher, Xavier Bourgault, Graeme Clarke, and Oskar Pettersson will all join the club.
In the midst of their first round playoff series against Carolina, the group will serve as typical “Black Aces”. Belleville failed to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs, finishing 27th in the league with a 28-35-8 record. As a result, they have nothing to lose in adding depth players who will benefit from getting a closer look with extra practice time before the offseason, and experiencing the day-to-day of the NHL playoff routine.
Out of the bunch, Yakemchuk stands out as the most likely to actually get in a game, although still unlikely, barring any major developments. The Sens’ top prospect, chosen seventh overall in 2024, Yakemchuk got into four games this year, bursting onto the scene with a two-point debut. However, the defenseman’s NHL stint in late March ended after a concussion suffered against Florida.
Kaliyev, 24, is also a familiar name, with over 200 games of NHL experience. Once a promising Kings prospect, the 6’2″ sniper hasn’t played with the Senators since October. Still, he’s made the most of his 70 games in the AHL, the most time spent in the minors across his entire career to this point, netting an insane 40 goals and 68 points. He has the distinction of the only 40-goal-scorer in the AHL this year, and the first since 2023-24. Anyone capable of such can be considered an NHL-level player, but Kaliyev’s skating and hockey sense have held him back, unable yet to hold down a bottom six role at the highest level.
Boucher is another prospect who has had his own development issues. Widely known as a 10th overall selection five years ago, the winger has not come close to expectations, but thankfully he put together a best-as-a-pro campaign this year. 26 points in 47 games isn’t ideal for any 23-year-old former top pick, but he leaned more into a grinder role with 68 penalty minutes, the same total as his previous two seasons combined. His contract ends this summer, with restricted free agent status, where Ottawa must determine if his improvement is enough to warrant a future in the organization.
In Bourgault there are many similarities to Boucher, other than that he’s a center. Edmonton’s first round choice in 2021, the Quebec native never played for the Oil due to lackluster AHL production. Dealt to Ottawa, he enjoyed his best professional season with 57 points in 70 games, good for second on the B-Sens, and earning his first two NHL games back in the winter. If the 23-year-old can eventually solidify himself in the league, it’ll likely be limited to full bottom six duty.
Clarke, 24, is not the most recognizable name, but he made three appearances with the Devils, his first organization, during the 2023-24 season. A full-time AHLer since, the winger has bounced around various teams but flipped the script after a March trade, nearly matching his point total across 50 games as a Hershey Bear in just 15 games with Belleville, a nice ending to the campaign. Born in Minnesota, the righty actually grew up in Ottawa, the older brother of Los Angeles’ Brandt Clarke.
Finally, Pettersson has the most limited NHL upside, as he recorded 18 points in 69 games with Belleville, wrapping up his second full season with the team. A third round selection in 2022, the Swede is not among the team’s top 10 prospects, mostly serving as a bottom-sixer. At 6’2″, the righty has the size and strength, but he’ll hope to showcase more play driving ability in his final contract year starting next fall. Just 22, it’s not too late for a step forward.
The Senators are back in action tomorrow night, where they’ll look to snatch a road win from Carolina and even the series before returning home.
No Updates On Artem Zub Injury
- According to Julian McKenzie of The Athletic, the Ottawa Senators didn’t provide any update to defenseman Artem Zub‘s status after Game 1. Zub missed most of the contest due to injury, finishing with 7:44 of ice time, adding three hits. There’s a relatively quick turnaround for Game 2, which takes place Monday, so more information will likely come closer to puck drop.
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Sens Hopeful Kleven Will Play In First Round
- Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven wasn’t in the series opener today against Carolina but could be nearing a return. Pregame, head coach Travis Green told reporters including Julian McKenzie of The Athletic (Twitter link) that he’s hopeful the blueliner could return in this series. The 24-year-old has missed the last two weeks with an upper-body injury and is one of two regular blueliners still sidelined, joining Nick Jensen. Kleven had a career-best 18 points in 70 games this season while leading all Ottawa defenders in hits with 126.