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Ottawa Senators Recall Forward Drake Batherson

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The meteoric rise of Drake Batherson continues. A relative no-name just a few years ago, Batherson is now set to join the Ottawa Senators on his first NHL call-up as a first-year pro. The team announced that they have recalled Batherson from the AHL’s Belleville Senators and he could make his debut when the Sens host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.

Batherson, 20, was a fourth-round pick by Ottawa in 2017, merely the 121st overall pick. Batherson had completed just one full season in the QMJHL prior to being drafted, recording 58 points in 61 games for the Cape Breton Screming Eagles. Yet, Batherson was still included in the initial camp to compete for a spot on the Canadian World Junior roster. Against the odds, Batherson earned a spot and skated with the U-20 team at the World Juniors last January. Seemingly out of nowhere, Batherson tallied seven goals, tied for the second most in the tournament behind only American first-round pick Kieffer Bellows and tied for fourth-best in points for the Canadians. Batherson continued a strong campaign back in the QMJHL, totaling 77 points in 51 games between Cape Breton and the Blainsville-Boisbriand Armada, which was good enough to share eleventh place in league scoring. He then led all QMJHL skaters with an astounding 33 points in 22 postseason games for Blainville-Boisbriand, leading the team to an appearance in the league championship.

Some thought that Batherson may be unable to continue his impressive play after making the jump to the pro level this season. Instead, the rookie has 20 points through 14 games with Belleville, tied for second-best in the entire AHL. His 13 assists are additionally third in the league, while he leads the Senators across the board on offense by a wide margin. Ottawa hopes that Batherson can continue to find success against a new challenge, as he has for the past year or so. The Senators have won just three of their past eleven games and could use all the help they can get, especially if it comes from a young, potential future core piece. At this rate, Batherson is looking like just that.

Minor Transactions: 11/12/18

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The NHL has just four games on the schedule for tonight, meaning teams will have plenty of opportunity to make changes to their rosters in preparation for the rest of the week. We’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here:

  • Aaron Ness has been sent back to the Hershey Bears, meaning Jonas Siegenthaler looks to have secured a spot with the Washington Capitals for the time being. With Brooks Orpik on long-term injured reserve, Siegenthaler was given his first opportunity at the NHL level and played just over 12 minutes. Ness meanwhile will return to the minor leagues where he has spent the majority of his career, and continue his role as a veteran leader on the Bears’ blue line.
  • The Calgary Flames have assigned Anthony Peluso to the Stockton Heat of the AHL, returning the 29-year old winger after just one game. Peluso has been up and down several times this year, and will likely continue to serve as an injury call-up for the rest of the season.
  • Nick Paul is on his way back to the AHL after the Ottawa Senators reassigned him today. Paul has played six games at both the AHL and NHL level this season, and looks poised to split the year between the two leagues. The 23-year old hasn’t been able to establish himself with the Senators as a full-time option, but does brings some size and physicality when needed.

Chris Wideman Has A Lower-Body Injury

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  • Senators defenseman Chris Wideman is dealing with a lower-body injury, the team announced on Twitter. While his offensive numbers have dipped a bit this season – he still has five points in 17 games – his playing time has gone up by nearly two minutes a night to 13:22.  There’s no word on how long he’ll be out but with Ottawa only carrying six other blueliners on their roster, they will likely look to bring someone up from AHL Belleville if Wideman is expected to miss more than a couple of days.

Atlantic Notes: Rask, Miller, Joseph, Pageau

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It looks like the Boston Bruins may get back goaltender Tuukka Rask on Tuesday after he was granted a leave of absence on Thursday for personal reasons, according to NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin. The scribe writes that the team will talk to the veteran Monday with the hopes of his return immediately thereafter, but nothing is confirmed until then.

Rask has struggled all season before requesting a leave of absence as the veteran has a 3.05 GAA and a .901 save percentage in eight appearances, not the numbers that a player making $7MM. While the Bruins have kept Rask’s reason for the request silent, the hope is that a break may be able to help him re-focus on the season.

The Bruins have been fortunate to have signed Jaroslav Halak, who has been impressive and looks to have seized the starting job away from the struggling Rask. Halak has a 1.86 GAA and a .941 save percentage in 10 appearances. He stopped 40 of 41 shots in Saturday’s victory over Toronto and without Rask on hand, is expected to play back-to-back against Vegas today.

  • Benjamin also reports that Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said that defenseman Kevan Miller could return by the end of the team’s four-game road trip that starts on Wednesday. Miller hasn’t played in a game since Oct. 18 with an undisclosed injury.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning finds itself thrilled with the constant improvements of rookie forward Mathieu Joseph, who after going scoreless in 13 straight games, broke through to have scored four goals in the last four games, according to The Athletic’s Greg Auman (subscription required). The surprising thing is that after 13 scoreless games, the deep Lightning team continued to play him. “My thing with that is if you’re doing all the right things and you’re getting chances and chances and chances, eventually they’re going to go in,” head coach Jon Cooper said. “So there are probably plays he made that should have gone in the net but didn’t, and all of a sudden, plays that maybe don’t go in the net do. That’s just the way it works. He got rewarded tonight. I’m a big believer that if you keep putting yourself in the right position, good things are going to happen.”
  • The Ottawa Senators got a nice piece of news today as center Jean-Gabriel Pageau was seen taking the ice alongside defenseman Ben Harpur and forward Zack Smith, according to TSN’s Todd White. It was reported that Pageau, who suffered a torn Achilles on Sept. 13, would miss six months, however, Pageau has made remarkable progress. While skating is just one step on his way to a full recovery, it’s a good sign to see him back on the ice. Head coach Guy Boucher said that even the medical staff has been impressed by his recovery, although he’s still a long ways off.

Minor Transactions: 11/09/18

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The NHL is unusually active for a Friday night, with six games on the schedule including the Hall of Fame game in Toronto. The New Jersey Devils will take part in the game honoring the new inductees which include Martin Brodeur, Martin St. Louis, Willie O’Ree, Alexander Yakushev, Jayna Hefford and Gary Bettman. As the league prepares to induct some of the greatest to play the game, we’ll keep track on all the more minor moves around the league.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have reassigned Cameron Gaunce to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL after almost two weeks with the team. Gaunce never did suit up for the Lightning, and will now try to get back into game shape with the Crunch. The 28-year old defenseman will likely be the extra man called up several times this season, though his playing time is expected to be restricted to mostly the minor leagues.
  • Given John Klingberg’s injury, the Dallas Stars have recalled defenseman Joel Hanley from the minor leagues. They’ve also moved both Klingberg and Alexander Radulov to injured reserve, though the latter’s stint is retroactive to October 30th. Hanley has five points in 11 AHL games this season, and will try to force his way into the NHL lineup now that they’re missing a big part of their blue line for at least a month.
  • The Ottawa Senators have returned Erik Burgdoerfer to the minor leagues, even as they start their short two-game road trip in Florida. Burgdoerfer has played in just a single game with Ottawa this season, and will spend most of the year in the minor leagues.
  • Jesper Bratt has been officially activated by the Devils and should be in the lineup tonight, a move that needed no corresponding transaction given that Eddie Lack cleared waivers and can remain in the minor leagues. Lack had been on conditioning loan to the Binghamton Devils and will now stay there on assignment. The Devils have sent Kurtis Gabriel back to the AHL though, in order to activate Stefan Noesen for tonight’s game.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have returned a pair of young players to the AHL. The team announced that forward Sam Carrick and defenseman Andy Welinski have been reassigned to the San Diego Gulls. Both players have logged considerable time in the minors already this season, but have only suited up for eight games total for the Ducks.

Brady Tkachuk Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Ottawa Senators are about to get back a big piece of their lineup, as Brady Tkachuk is set to return to action tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. Tkachuk has been activated from injured reserve, while Jack Rodewald has been sent back to the minor leagues to make room on the roster. Tkachuk last played on October 15th against the Dallas Stars, before tearing a ligament in his leg and ending up on the shelf. The young forward has just four games under his belt, meaning he can play another five before the Senators must decide whether to keep him around and burn the first year of his entry-level contract.

Tkachuk, the fourth overall pick from this June, started his NHL career with a bang by scoring six points in those first four games. His size and demeanor have given the Senators a bit of swagger when he’s in the lineup, as he’s willing to engage physically (and perhaps verbally as well) with anyone on the ice. While his brother Matthew Tkachuk is off to an outstanding start with the Calgary Flames—19 points in 16 games has him on track to shatter his previous high of 49—the younger Senators forward is trying to prove he’s ready for the NHL without any more development.

Since deciding to leave Boston University after just one season and sign with the Senators, there has been much debate over where he should spend the 2018-19 season. The 19-year old is eligible to go to the Belleville Senators of the AHL, but also could head down the highway to the London Knights of the OHL. That program is notorious for developing high end NHL stars—including his brother—and is beginning to look like a powerhouse destined for the Memorial Cup once again after both Evan Bouchard and Alex Formenton were returned from their respective NHL organizations—the latter in fact being Ottawa. If the Senators felt like winning a championship was important to Tkachuk’s development, sending him to London would certainly give him the best opportunity.

That opportunity may not be as important as what he could accomplish in the NHL though, as his early performance indicated. Getting his feet under him at the highest level and finding success on a team that is nowhere near as pathetic as some prognosticators expected could have huge dividends down the road when the Senators are ready to really compete for the playoffs once again. For an example the team needs to look no further than Thomas Chabot, who struggled at times last season on a poor Senators team but has started this year at a Norris-level pace with 20 points in his first 15 games. Chabot’s familiarity with the NHL is certainly an important part of that explosion, something he may not have felt had he spent 2017-18 in the minor leagues.

Snapshots: Bouchard, Raanta, Schmidt

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The London Knights have announced their new leadership group for the 2018-19 season now that several key players have returned, and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard has been given the captaincy once again. Bouchard played seven games for the Oilers before being sent back to junior for the rest of the year, and should immediately step into his role playing nearly 30 minutes a night for London. One of the most effective players in the OHL, Bouchard will also likely be a key member of the Canadian World Junior squad in the coming months.

Joining him with letters for the Knights are several other well known prospects, including Alex Formenton of the Ottawa Senators and Liam Foudy of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Formenton played nine games for the Senators this season and scored his first NHL goal, while Foudy was the 18th-overall pick in June after dominating the NHL Draft Combine. William Lochead and Cole Tymkin, both undrafted, will round out the group of alternates for the Knights this season.

  • Antti Raanta will be out at least a few days with a lower-body injury for the Arizona Coyotes, meaning they were forced to recall Hunter Miska under emergency conditions. Craig Morgan of The Athletic adds that Raanta has subsequently been placed on IR and will be out until November 13th at the earliest.  Miska will serve as the backup to Darcy Kuemper for tomorrow’s game in Philadelphia, but perhaps he will be forced into action before too long given the team has a back-to-back against Pittsburgh and Washington that are scheduled fewer than 24 hours apart.
  • Though the Vegas Golden Knights will be without Erik Haula for at least a few games—and perhaps many more given the optics of last night’s injury—they welcomed back another familiar face to practice today. Nate Schmidt was back on the ice with the team, and can now take full part of practice as he waits out the last ten days of his PED suspension. November 18th is the first game action Schmidt is eligible for, when the Golden Knights head to Edmonton to take on Connor McDavid and the Oilers.

Ottawa Senators, Matt Duchene In “Substantive Contract Talks”

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Despite the dark cloud that has hovered over the Ottawa Senators for more than a year, the team now finds themselves at 6-6-3 on the season after a big win last night against the New Jersey Devils. That win was important to show the team’s resilience after the latest public scandal that included a recorded conversation of players badmouthing their coaching staff. Interestingly, as Bob McKenzie of TSN notes on the latest edition of Insider Trading, one of the players involved in that video was Matt Duchene who is currently in a contract negotiation with the team. McKenzie reports that Duchene’s agent and Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion are in “substantive contract talks” and that there is interest from both sides in at least discussing a long-term extension.

As we examined recently, Duchene’s future with the Senators is perhaps the single most important decision that Dorion has to make this season. The team gave up a large package of assets to bring him to Ottawa that included Kyle Turris, prospect Shane Bowers and infamously an unprotected first-round pick. At the time, it looked like Duchene was acquired as the missing piece of a puzzle that was closer to the Stanley Cup finals than the draft lottery, but basically everything has gone downhill since then. Now in the final year of his contract, Duchene is potentially one of the top names available in the 2019 unrestricted free agent class and could be a valuable trade chip at the deadline if no extension is reached.

Still just 27 years old, despite now being in his tenth full NHL season, Duchene is off to a fast start. With 15 points in 15 games he is well on his way to one of the best seasons of his career, something that would set him up for a huge windfall in free agency. Currently making $6.5MM (with a $6MM cap hit) in the final season of a five-year $30MM contract signed with Colorado in 2013, he could secure a substantial raise with a point-per-game season. The Senators are giving him every chance at that type of contract by playing him more than any other forward not named Mark Stone, but whether they’re willing to hand it out themselves is still up for debate. Ottawa has cut costs considerably over the last few seasons, and couldn’t come to an agreement with captain Erik Karlsson on an extension of his own. Karlsson was likely demanding quite a bit more than Duchene’s camp will be asking for, but the finances of any long-term market value deal are tricky for Ottawa.

The team is heading towards a similar result with Stone, who is proving to be one of the best wingers in the NHL and is currently on a one-year deal worth $7.35MM. He’s also scheduled for unrestricted free agency and will perhaps be asking for an even bigger contract given that he’s younger than Duchene and is on track for his second consecutive point-per-game season. There seems little chance that both players will be re-signed, especially with others like Cody Ceci also needing a slice of the pie next summer.

Duchene though remains the focus at the moment, and if the “substantive talks” result in a contract extension soon it would show that the latest scandal is behind the team, and that both players and executives are focused on winning right away. Though they still may end near the bottom of the standings this season, the group on the ice right now has shown that there is still talent in Ottawa—whether it is enough to convince their free agents to stay is still yet to be determined.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Mike Condon Officially Assigned To AHL

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Though Mike Condon cleared waivers earlier this month, the Ottawa Senators hadn’t actually assigned him to the minor leagues yet. That changed this morning, when the team officially moved their veteran goaltender to the Belleville Senators to get some work in and regain his confidence. Mike McKenna has already been up with Ottawa for the last few days, and served as the backup for their most recent game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The move may be to prepare for Brady Tkachuk’s return from injured reserve, as Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the young forward is back in a full-contact sweater today at practice.

Condon, 28, struggled mightily in his first two appearances this season for the Senators and needs to hit the reset button on his career. After a bad year behind a disappointing team in 2017-18, he’s on the edge of being pushed out of the NHL entirely. Ottawa will give him a chance to find his groove again in the minor leagues, but it’s not like Condon has a huge body of work to fall back on. His rookie season in Montreal, when forced into action due to a Carey Price injury, Condon showed he could be useful but not outstanding in the NHL. A .903 save percentage that year wasn’t good enough to post even a .500 record with the Canadiens, and he couldn’t secure a long-term job.

In Ottawa, his .914 save percentage was a huge part of the upstart Senators finish in 2016-17 and eventual run to within a goal of the Stanley Cup Finals. That year though is the only one in which he’s posted numbers anywhere near league average in the NHL, meaning questions surrounding his ability are bound to creep into conversation until he proves otherwise.

Undrafted, Condon signed out of Princeton University and is now in the second season of a three-year deal with the Senators. His contract carries a cap hit of $2.4MM, but more importantly to a team like Ottawa actually pays him $3MM next season. That amount is way too much for an organization to keep in the minor leagues, meaning he either needs to find a way to improve his play or likely find himself on his way out of town.

One Year Later: Matt Duchene Will Dictate The Senators’ Future

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A year ago today, the Ottawa Senators made a three-team deal with the Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators. Since then, names like Erik Karlsson, Ryan McDonagh, Rick Nash, Evander Kane, and Tomas Tatar (twice) have all been traded. Yet, it’s that November 5th deal that is still the most memorable recent trade for many, due to both the immediate impact and the lasting results.

In that trade, Ottawa – at a contract impasse with center Kyle Turris – dealt he, first-round prospect forward Shane Bowers, goaltender Andrew Hammond, a first-round pick, and a third-round pick to Colorado. The Avs then flipped Turris to Nashville for defenseman Samuel Girard, forward Vladislav Kamenev, and a second-round pick. It was quite a haul for Colorado and they have yet to even use either of Ottawa’s picks, including a likely lottery pick in the first round next year. The Predators meanwhile signed Turris to a six-year extension and he has 53 points in 79 games since joining the team. The return for all of this for the Senators? Matt Duchene, who a year later is in limbo with an expiring contract and a team that is far from the contender he was promised.

As TSN’s Ian Mendes notes, Senators GM Pierre Dorion was coming off a 2016-17 season that saw his team make a run to the Eastern Conference final. When he acquired Duchene, he thought it could be the final piece of the puzzle to get them back and through that third round of the playoffs. Instead, Ottawa sunk to the second-worst record in the NHL. It’s too late to reverse that trade or the events of last season. The team could have simply traded Turris for picks and prospects at the deadline, as Mendes points out, and certainly could have found a deal for a top-six forward this off-season that was far less expensive. Their first-round pick in 2019 could be first overall, franchise center Jack Hughes, and there’s nothing they could do. Boston University standout Bowers could blossom into a top-line forward, but there’s no recourse for that. The only element of the trade left in the control of Dorion and the Senators is the future of Duchene and with it potentially the future of the team.

Ottawa is faced with two choices this season: pay Duchene or trade him. The 2009 third overall pick carries a $6MM cap hit on his current contract. If he were to hit the open market, he would certainly be due a raise. Duchene’s alleged reason for wanting out of Colorado last season was ironically that he didn’t want to play through a rebuild. If that is still his mindset, it would take a substantial sum from the Senators to keep him around. Owner Eugene Melnyk has been unwilling to pay his better player their fair value, leading to the Karlsson trade and likely more moves to come. Will he make an exception for Duchene? If not, the Senators need to move Duchene and sooner rather than later. The trade deadline will be the final opportunity to trade the star center, who will have a long list of suitors, but his value drops each day leading up to that point. Dorion will likely never get back a package commensurate with what he gave up for Duchene, but his best chance to get close is to trade him as soon as possible to the highest bidder.

Either option serves to benefit the Senators. Duchene may not be a superstar, but he is a talented, well-rounded player who is capable of leading Ottawa out of the basement if provided with at least a little support. On the other side, the team cannot escape the reality of their own rebuild and could greatly use the trade capital that they would gain from a Duchene trade. The worst case scenario – and a veritable death knell for the franchise – would be to make neither decision, opting not to trade Duchene and waiting and hoping for an extension agreement only to watch him walk away in free agency. One year later, this notorious trade is still so prevalent around the NHL. The Senators should celebrate the anniversary by making another major move with Duchene – a new contract or another trade – as soon as humanly possible.

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