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Ottawa Senators Sign Filip Gustavsson

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6:00 PM: The Senators have officially announced the signing.  GM Pierre Dorion released the following statement about his young netminder:

We were very pleased with Filip’s performance last season. After spending the early part of the year playing in Sweden, it was evident to us that he is committed to continually improve his overall game. He’s someone we regard as a high-end talent and we’re looking forward to seeing his progress in 2021-22.

4:59 PM: The Ottawa Senators have inked young goaltender Filip Gustavsson to a two-year contract according to CapFriendly. The deal will be two-way in 2021-22, paying him $750K at the NHL level and $125K in the AHL before turning to a one-way, $825K contract in 2022-22. That means Gustavsson’s new average annual value and cap hit are set at $787,500 moving forward.

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of a three-way deadline deal in 2018, Gustavsson represents the future of the Senators’ crease. Though the team has Matt Murray locked up at a high price for the next three years, it was Gustavsson who was most impressive this season and subsequently protected in the recent Seattle Kraken expansion draft.

Though he played just nine games, the 23-year-old netminder posted a 5-1-2 record and a .933 save percentage for the Senators, showing that he’s already ready for an NHL role of some sort. Whether that comes this season is actually not clear though, as the team obviously has Murray installed and signed Anton Forsberg to a one-year deal in May.

One of the biggest things in Gustavsson’s favor is actually the fact that the Kraken selected Joey Daccord through expansion, taking one of the organization’s other young goaltenders out of the picture. It’s still a crowded depth chart though, with three other young netminders signed to their entry-level deals. Daccord was the only one anywhere near the NHL level though, meaning with him gone it’s just Gustavsson if the team wants to make a switch at some point.

The fact that Senators GM Pierre Dorion got him to agree to a second year seems like a big win, as there’s no doubt he’ll be ready to at least serve as a backup in 2022-23. That means the team has already secured a cheap complementary piece to Murray, or even potentially a new starting option if the veteran continues to struggle. Murray has posted a save percentage under .900 in each of the last two seasons, including a dreadful .893 mark in 2020-21 with Ottawa. If that number doesn’t improve, there’s no way the Senators can realistically take a step forward in their rebuild without handing the crease to someone else. The waiver-exempt Gustavsson will certainly be waiting for his next opportunity and he may not give it back if he’s given the chance.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Morning Notes: Kotkaniemi, Tkachuk, Brown

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The Carolina Hurricanes shot back at the Montreal Canadiens yesterday by submitting an offer sheet for Jesperi Kotkaniemi, but even if they hadn’t there was some concern over the young center’s future in Montreal. Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that earlier this summer, some close to Kotkaniemi predicted that he had already played his last game with the Canadiens. The interesting part, however, is that now he has signed an offer sheet, Montreal can’t trade him for a year even if they decide to match it.

As CapFriendly explains, it would basically mean that the young forward would get a no-trade clause for a year, meaning he’d be earning that entire $6.1MM contract in Montreal. The Hurricanes apparently tried to trade for Kotkaniemi before tendering the offer sheet, but have now tied the Canadiens’ hands in more ways than one.

  • The Ottawa Senators have a restricted free agent of their own still to sign, as Brady Tkachuk still doesn’t have a deal for this season. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia writes that though things are quiet on that front, it is believed that the Senators are trying for an eight-year contract for their young winger. There’s a brand new comparable to bring up in those talks after Andrei Svechnikov signed his eight-year, $62MM extension in Carolina. Svechnikov was selected just two picks ahead of Tkachuk in 2018 and the two forwards have very similar career stats to this point. Garrioch suggests that if Tkachuk does sign an eight-year deal, it very well may come with the captain’s “C.”
  • At the very end of his piece on Tkachuk, Garrioch includes another short note about RFA forward Logan Brown. The scribe suggests that Brown “could be dealt before camp” and remains unsigned at the moment. Now 23, the 11th overall pick from 2016 has just 30 games of NHL experience under his belt, something he and his agents have expressed frustration about in the past. The 6’6″ forward has played very well at the AHL level, racking up 79 points in 94 games, but has never received a lengthy chance in the NHL. It’s hard to see exactly where he fits in now that the Senators have so many other young forwards and Brown is now eligible for waivers. A fresh start makes sense, though obviously, it remains to be seen if GM Pierre Dorion feels the same.

Senators Want To Lower Thomas Chabot's Minutes Next Season

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  • After finishing behind only Drew Doughty in average ice time per game, it appears that Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot will have a slightly lighter workload next season. Head coach D.J. Smith told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that his intention is to have the 24-year-old carry a lighter workload; the scribe pegs that target around 23 minutes per game.  That would be a sizable drop from the 26:17 he logged last season; in fact, the only time that he has averaged below 23 minutes a game was his rookie season in 2017-18.

Snapshots: Senators, Slepets, Rossi

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As the Ottawa Senators look to finally move past their extended rebuild and take a step toward relevance this season, it is about time they name a leader of this next stage for the franchise. Speaking with the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators head coach D.J. Smith stated that “It’s time for someone to be the leader of this group.” Smith believes that Ottawa is ready to name a captain after a three-season hiatus and tells Garrioch that he intends to speak with owner Eugene Melnyk and GM Pierre Dorion about making a decision before the end of training camp. The last player to wear the “C” was Erik Karlsson during the 2017-18 season and the Senators have used only alternates in the years since. However, with young defenseman Thomas Chabot signed long-term and young forward Brady Tkachuk hoping to join him for years to come, the Senators have two players that can be the face of the franchise for many years and either one would be a good pick as captain. Which one will be a difficult and important decision for the young locker room, which is why the organization’s leaders have taken their time and will still wait to name a captain until closer to the beginning of the season.

  • The odds of Carolina Hurricanes prospect Kirill Slepets making the jump to North America any time soon took another hit today. Just two weeks ago, Slepets re-signed in the KHL on a one-year deal with Spartak Moscow. The move came on the heels of a poor season for Slepets in which he played exclusively in the second-tier VHL rather than the KHL and led some to believe that the 22-year-old may cross the pond to continue his development. Instead, he stayed in Russia and after today’s trade may be settling in for an extended stay. Spartak has traded Slepets to his hometown team, Amur Khabarovsk, the club announced. Going the other way was former NHL forward Andrei Loktionov, proving that Slepets still has value in the KHL despite a down year. He has even more value to Amur, who are very excited to bring the prodigal son home and could be able to convince him to stay long-term. The 2019 fifth-round pick remains an interesting project to watch for the Hurricanes, especially given the ability he flashed at the junior level, but his NHL future is more in doubt now than ever.
  • Minnesota Wild prospect Marco Rossi has no doubt that he is ready to compete for an NHL roster spot after missing this past season due to an extensive battle with COVID-19. The 2020 No. 9 overall pick has been working out hard to get back into game shape and will get his first test this week suiting up for Austria in the Olympic qualifiers. However, he is already looking ahead to Wild training camp and is confident that he can make impact in Minnesota this year. Talking to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Rossi stated the following:

I know I haven’t played a lot of games in the last year, year and a half, but now that I can see my fitness level and my shape, I know I’m better in shape than a lot of NHL players. I see no doubt about it that I can play in the NHL. I know I can play there. I know how good I am, but I have to prove myself in training camp that I’m ready for that. I know it’s going to be up to me to show I’m ready to play right away.

Senators Sign Three To AHL Contracts

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  • The Senators’ farm team in Belleville announced the signings of defenseman Xavier Bernard, defenseman Mitchell Hoelscher, and goalie Tyler Parks to one-year contracts. Bernard was a fourth-round pick of New Jersey back in 2018 but wasn’t signed so he finished up his QMJHL career last season.  Hoelscher, who was picked two rounds later than Bernard in 2018 by New Jersey but wasn’t signed, played in seven games with Belleville in 2020-21.  As for Parks, the 29-year-old spent last season in Slovakia, posting a 1.71 GAA with a .940 SV% in 24 games with HC Slovan Bratislava.

Ottawa Senators Sign Scott Sabourin

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The Ottawa Senators are bringing back a familiar face, signing Scott Sabourin to a one-year, two-way contract. Sabourin will earn $750K at the NHL level (despite the press release indicating $700K, the league minimum is $750K for 2021-22) and $200K in the AHL. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a short statement on the deal:

Scott is a player and person with whom the organization has familiarity. He plays hard, has a physical presence, is respected on the ice and maintains strong leadership qualities. We’ll look to him to help guide our younger players and prospects.

Sabourin, 29, played 35 of his 36 career NHL games with the Senators in 2019-20, working his way up to the big leagues after a long career in the minors. The undrafted forward has never been known for his scoring ability, but is a well-respected teammate and physical presence. His role with the organization will be to help protect the young players with the Belleville Senators, with the odd appearance in the NHL if the team feels like it needs some extra toughness.

It’s the fourth one-year, two-way deal that Sabourin has signed in his career, but this one is actually coming with a slightly lower minor league salary than what he earned with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. That’s the one that matters most, as it’s unlikely Sabourin will get more than a handful of days at the NHL level if any at all.

Senators Notes: RFAs, Brannstrom, Strome

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While many teams have been active in re-signing their restricted free agents, the Senators still have a lot of work to do on that front.  They have a total of six RFAs in need of new deals, headlined by winger Brady Tkachuk.  Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that Ottawa has exchanged several different term and salary ideas with Tkachuk’s camp which suggests they’re not necessarily fixated on working out only a short-term or long-term deal.  Matthew Tkachuk’s three-year, $21MM pact has long been speculated as a possible price tag for a bridge deal while one that buys out some UFA eligibility would be more expensive than that.

Another RFA still needing a new deal is center Logan Brown.  Garrioch reports that GM Pierre Dorion is still trying to move the 23-year-old who was limited to just 14 games last season (only one of which was in Ottawa) due to injury.  The 2016 first-rounder could certainly benefit from a change of scenery but Garrioch adds that the Sens are looking to make a hockey deal and not just give him away.  In that context, it would appear as if they’re looking for a similar prospect that could benefit from a fresh start with another organization.

More from Garrioch’s column on the Sens:

  • The team would like to add an impact forward still, likely a winger and with the free agent market pretty much bereft of those now once the Islanders make their expected signings official, Garrioch suggests that defenseman Erik Brannstrom could be dangled in trade talks. The 21-year-old was the centerpiece of the Mark Stone trade back in 2019 after being the 15th overall pick by Vegas two years earlier but has yet to really establish himself at the NHL level.  Last season, he played in 30 games with Ottawa, recording two goals and 11 assists.
  • The Senators are believed to be among the teams that have inquired about Blackhawks forward Dylan Strome. The 24-year-old has been a speculative trade candidate for the better part of a year now and is coming off a tough year that saw him put up 17 points in 40 games while spending time between center and the wing.  Strome is young enough to still fit in as part of Ottawa’s core and his $3MM cap hit ($3.6MM salary) should keep the acquisition cost low.

Calgary, Ottawa Announce ECHL Agreements

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The Ottawa Senators have announced a new partnership with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL, who will serve as their affiliate for the 2021-22 season. The deal is only for one year, though the release calls that an “initial duration,” suggesting there could be an extension if things go smoothly.  Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a statement on the deal:

We’re pleased to partner with the Gladiators and to have Atlanta serve as our ECHL affiliate next season. Our prospects who spend time in the ECHL in 2021-22 will be well served under a coaching staff led by Jeff Pyle who we know will positively impact our players’ development.

The Senators needed a new affiliate after the Brampton Beast announced they were folding following a tough few years financially. Atlanta had previously been affiliated with the Boston Bruins, but they recently announced a new partnership with the Maine Mariners.

That wasn’t the only ECHL news today, as the Calgary Flames also announced an extension of their agreement with the Kansas City Mavericks. The one-year extension will make it five seasons the two have been together, initially partnering for the 2017-18 campaign. Flames AGM Brad Pascall released a statement explaining the move:

The Calgary Flames and the Stockton Heat are pleased to continue our affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks. Kansas City is a first-class franchise with quality ownership and management that shares the same winning culture and player development objectives as our organization.

The ECHL is a proving ground for prospects that still need development, especially goaltenders that can use the playing time a professional organization provides.

Anders Nilsson Announces Retirement

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Veteran goaltender Anders Nilsson has decided to call it a career. The 31-year-old announced his retirement on his personal Instagram, putting an end to a twelve-year pro career. Nilsson cited his ongoing battle with symptoms related to head injuries, which kept him from playing in the 2020-21 season, as prematurely ending his playing days.

Nilsson, a third-round pick of the New York Islanders in 2009, played with eleven teams in four different years in his pro career, all of whom he thanked in his announcement. A product of Swedish club Lulea, Nilsson made his debut with the Islanders in 2011-12, just two years after being drafted. He would spend three years in the organization before briefly leaving North America in 2014-15 to play for the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan. He returned the following year to sign with the Edmonton Oilers and bounced around to the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators over just four seasons. Just when it seemed like Nilsson had finally found a long-term NHL home in Ottawa, injuries limited him and ended up costing him this past season. He was traded for the sixth and final time this past fall to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who planned to use him for Long-Term Injured Reserve purposes.

As Nilsson noted, post-concussion symptoms and neck pain forced his hand, causing him to retire at the relatively young age of 31. With 161 NHL games to his credit, Nilsson had proven himself to be a worthwhile backup, even if his career .907 save percentage and 3.06 GAA was just average. A big, composed goaltender, Nilsson was a quality depth option who likely would have extended his NHL career this off-season if not for the severity of his injuries.

A White-Like Deal For Batherson Could Make Sense; Michael Del Zotto Had Strong Interest In Free Agency

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Two years ago, the Senators thought they were buying low on the prime years of Colin White’s career when they handed him a six-year, $28.5MM contract.  That hasn’t panned out particularly well so far but even so, Ian Mendes of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that Ottawa could look to go down that road again, this time with winger Drake Batherson.  The restricted free agent had a 17-goal, 17-assist performance last season and is someone that they project as a future 20-goal player.  Locking him up now at a bit of a discount – he has just 99 career NHL games played which limits his negotiating leverage – could come in handy down the road as some of their upcoming top youngsters move off their entry-level deals into pricier second contracts.  That type of long-term cap planning will be needed for the Sens to keep as much of their future core together as possible.

  • Still with Ottawa, Michael Del Zotto’s two-year, $4MM contract with the Senators may have come as a surprise considering he had to earn a deal last season through the PTO route but the veteran told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that there were four or five other offers on the table. The 31-year-old blueliner had 13 points in 53 games last season but is a bit of a curious fit in Ottawa with the acquisition of Nick Holden and the presence of young blueliners Erik Brannstrom and Victor Mete who are lefties like Del Zotto.  Clearly, GM Pierre Dorion believes there’s a fit and with that many teams showing interest which certainly would have bolstered his market, Del Zotto got a bigger deal than expected.

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