Connor Brown, Dylan Gambrell Placed In COVID Protocol
The Ottawa Senators canceled practice today for precautionary reasons, suggesting that there was more bad COVID news coming down the pipe. The team has now announced that Connor Brown and Dylan Gambrell have both been placed in the COVID protocol and are unavailable. In their place, the team has recalled Scott Sabourin and Egor Sokolov from the AHL.
The two Senators forwards join teammates Austin Watson, Nick Holden, and coach Jack Capuano in the protocol, though the team has not confirmed any additional positive results. Ottawa is set to take on the Boston Bruins tomorrow, and though that game is still scheduled for the moment, it’s unclear who will actually be available for the Senators.
For Sokolov, it would be his NHL debut should he enter the lineup tomorrow. The 21-year-old forward was a second-round pick in 2020, picked after going undrafted in previous years. He quickly showed that his combination of size and scoring ability was good enough to make up for any skating concerns at the AHL level, scoring 15 goals and 25 points in his rookie season. This year he’s been even better for the Belleville Senators, getting off to a strong start with six points in nine games.
Meanwhile, losing Brown for any length of time is a big hit for the Senators, given how big a role he plays for the team. Averaging more than 20 minutes a night, the 27-year-old forward actually sees more short-handed ice time than even any of the team’s defensemen. He’s also a regular contributor on the powerplay and one of the group’s most reliable offensive players. In 11 games, he has seven points on the year.
The concern now is how widespread these breakthrough infections will be, and how many other players will be affected. After games tomorrow and Thursday, the Senators have a back-to-back over the weekend, games that hopefully they will have some good news for.
Senators Place Nick Holden And Jack Capuano In COVID Protocol
The Senators have added to their COVID list as the team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Nick Holden and associate coach Jack Capuano have been placed into COVID protocol. Taking Holden’s place on the roster will be blueliner Erik Brannstrom who has been recalled from AHL Belleville.
Holden is in his first season with Ottawa and has played in all but one of their 11 games so far, recording an assist while averaging 17:35 per game of ice time, primarily on the third pairing. It’s his presence on the roster that played a role in Brannstrom being sent to the minors at the start of the season as having the 22-year-old as a healthy scratch with the Senators would hardly have been ideal from a development perspective. Brannstrom has a goal and two assists in nine games with AHL Belleville so far this season.
Capuano and Holden will join winger Austin Watson in the protocols after Watson was added there back on Friday and will be there for at least ten days. While some teams have had some cap challenges when players are added to the list, that won’t be the case for the Sens who will still have more than $12MM in cap room following Brannstrom’s promotion, per CapFriendly.
Ottawa Senators Assign Filip Gustavsson To AHL
Per the Ottawa Senators communications department, the team re-assigned goalie Filip Gustavsson to the AHL’s Belleville Senators on Sunday.
The Senators have largely operated with a trio of netminders this season as starter Matt Murray‘s health has been an issue at multiple points already so far in the season. But as he returns to full health, the team has opted to send Gustavsson, who does not require waivers, to Belleville.
It’s worth noting that the team currently has an active roster of 22 players and could indeed carry a third goalie as a healthy scratch.
Gustavsson has performed the best out of Ottawa’s three netminders this season with a .911 save percentage through five games played. Neither Murray’s or Anton Forsberg‘s save percentage eclipses the .900 mark.
While many believe that the 23-year-old Swede has played himself into a backup or even starting role with Ottawa, the organization continues to value the positional depth, not willing to expose Forsberg to waivers in order to assign him to Belleville.
It’s highly likely that Gustavsson will return to the Ottawa roster at some point this season as he continues what’s been a strong development path since arriving in the Ottawa Senators organization.
Senators Recall Parker Kelly
- With Tyler Ennis out due to a non-COVID illness, the Senators announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Parker Kelly from AHL Belleville. The 22-year-old played in four games with Ottawa last month, logging nearly minutes per game on the fourth line.
Austin Watson Placed In COVID Protocol
The Ottawa Senators have announced that forward Austin Watson has been placed in the COVID protocol. Watson played last night against the Vegas Golden Knights, but will be unavailable for an indefinite period of time.
As a reminder, inclusion in the protocol does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the COVID Protocol Related Absences list are the following:
(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol.
Watson only made his season debut a few days ago after returning from an ankle injury he suffered in the preseason. At the time, his head coach D.J. Smith noted how important his intensity and leadership is to the group, noting that they could use his help on the penalty kill as well. Just two games later and he’s out of the lineup again, at least until he is removed from the protocol.
The Senators play again tomorrow, but unfortunately, that game is in the afternoon. It seems unlikely at this point that Watson will be able to go, though because of the lack of details it is unclear at this point.
Brady Tkachuk Named Captain Of Ottawa Senators
As many expected now that his contract has been signed, Brady Tkachuk will be the next captain of the Ottawa Senators. The team announced their decision today, naming Tkachuk the tenth captain in franchise history. GM Pierre Dorion released this statement:
Brady’s ingrained understanding of what it means to be a pro has made him the right choice for the team’s captaincy. He holds a unique skill set and places team success above all else. Admired by teammates and coaches, and respected by opponents, he’s certain to serve as a great ambassador for both our team and for the city of Ottawa.
That ingrained understanding comes from his father, Keith, who served for many years as captain of the Winnipeg Jets and then Phoenix Coyotes during his own playing days. The elder Tkachuk was also an alternate with the St. Louis Blues and Team USA, embodying the same characteristics that Dorion described in his son.
Brady Tkachuk, 22, is in just his fourth season in the NHL, but was the obvious choice for the Senators given his impact on the lineup. The 6’4″ winger does just about everything for the team, including leading them in scoring each of the past two seasons. While he missed a few games at the start of the season due to his contract negotiation, he’s now locked up long-term after signing a seven-year, $57.5MM deal on October 14.
That long-term deal should provide the Senators with some stability in terms of leadership, with Tkachuk becoming the team’s first captain since Erik Karlsson was traded to the San Jose Sharks. Ottawa is turning the corner on their rebuild and have plenty of talented young players, but there was only really ever one choice for the captaincy, should he commit to the team in contract negotiations.
Scott Sabourin Clears Waivers
Nov 2: Sabourin has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
Nov 1: The Ottawa Senators have placed Scott Sabourin on waivers according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, in order to create roster space for Austin Watson. While the team has one open roster spot currently, Matt Murray will take it when he is activated from injured reserve in time for tonight’s game. Watson is expected to be activated tomorrow and play against the Minnesota Wild.
Sabourin, 29, has played in just one game this season for the Senators, logging just over six minutes of ice time. The minor league veteran is known more for his fists than his scoring ability and will likely be brought up again this season whenever the team feels it needs some added toughness. He’ll likely pass through unclaimed, as he has several times in the past including last season when he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 314 AHL contests, Sabourin has racked up 668 penalty minutes, compared to just 79 points. Despite his lack of offensive upside, he’s still carved out quite a lengthy professional career. His one-year, two-way contract is the fifth NHL contract of his career and this one will pay him $200K at the minor league level.
Minor Transactions: 10/31/31
It’s a slow news Sunday at the NHL level, save for a slew of COVID-19-protocol-related absences, but that doesn’t mean there’s no movement at any level of the hockey world. Keep up with a list of today’s minor transactions right here:
- The AHL’s Belleville Senators have returned netminder Tyler Parks to the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators, per the Senators’ Twitter. Parks was called up to the Senators as the Ottawa Senators organization faced some goalie injuries, including Matt Murray at the NHL level and Mads Sogaard at the AHL level. As Sogaard is healthy and Murray is close to returning, Belleville has a full goalie roster once again and Parks is the odd man out. Parks didn’t make an appearance with Belleville during his callup.
- The ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets have loaned defenseman Matt Murphy to Belleville, as listed on the ECHL’s transactions page. The 26-year-old Murphy was a Memorial Cup champion in 2013 with the Halifax Mooseheads, his second year in the CHL. After a solid college career with the University of New Brunswick, Murphy is now a reigning Kelly Cup champion with the Komets. In a brief AHL loan last year, Murphy had an assist in two games with the Chicago Wolves.
- Per ECHL Week, the Rapid City Rush claimed forward Brett Gravelle off waivers from the Iowa Heartlanders today. A 25-year-old native of Forest Lake, Minnesota, Gravelle is playing in his first season of ECHL hockey. He had a three-point game in his only appearance with Iowa, a promising sign after similarly successful stints at lower levels of professional hockey.
Injury Notes: Canadiens, Lightning, Watson
The Montreal Canadiens are facing two big game-time decisions for Sunday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks in defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Brendan Gallagher, as reported by The Athletic’s Arpon Basu. Basu notes that Sami Niku will draw in for Petry if he’s unavailable, while Jake Evans, who’s still not 100 percent in his recovery from an undisclosed injury, would play in place of Gallagher if needed. It’s tough news for an already banged-up team that also lost Mathieu Perreault to injury today for two-to-three weeks. Petry and Gallagher have both had extremely slow starts, as Petry has no points through nine games with Gallagher has just a goal and an assist. It’ll undoubtedly force a lineup shakeup for Sunday’s game.
More injury notes from around the league:
- The status of Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Boris Katchouk is uncertain for Monday night’s game against the Washington Capitals. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that Stamkos was absent from practice Sunday, taking a maintenance day, and head coach Jon Cooper is “hopeful” he’ll play Monday night but isn’t certain. Katchouk was hurt in practice Sunday and could be out longer. The 23-year-old forward has gotten into four games this season and is still searching for his first NHL point.
- Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson is close to returning and could be ready for the team’s game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, per head coach D.J. Smith. Watson hasn’t played this season due to an ankle injury suffered during training camp. The return comes slightly ahead of the four-week timeline issued on October 10th. He could draw into the lineup in place of Logan Shaw, who’s registered no points in seven games while playing just 8:08 per game.
Minor Transactions: 10/30/21
The NHL’s got a busy schedule today as the Florida Panthers attempt to maintain their undefeated record today on the road against a strong Boston Bruins team. Yet still, there are still many minor moves to keep track of across the AHL and ECHL on this busy Saturday. We’ll keep a record of those right here:
- The AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights have added a pair of forwards to the roster in Lynden McCallum and Colt Conrad, per a team release. McCallum signed a one-year contract after spending five games with the team on a professional tryout contract, impressing with a goal and three assists in those games. Conrad joins the team on a PTO after spending the 2020-21 campaign with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, scoring four points in 22 games. The Golden Knights organization faces a thin forward group at the NHL level due to injury, which has cost the Silver Knights some players early on that they expected to be important contributors.
- Per a team tweet, the AHL’s Stockton Heat released forward Ryan Francis from his PTO, assigning him to the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs. Francis went pointless in four games with the Heat before being released from the PTO. A fifth-round pick of the Flames in 2020, Francis was old enough to spend the entire season in the AHL, but the team has decided that his development would be better served with an overage season in the QMJHL.
- The AHL’s Belleville Senators recalled defenseman Xavier Bernard from the ECHL’s Atlanta Gladiators today and signed forward Kameron Kielly to a PTO, per a team tweet. Bernard was a 2018 fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils but was never signed and now finds himself in the Senators organization playing his first professional season. He has no points and a +1 rating with the Gladiators this season. Kielly is a 24-year-old entering his second professional season looking to play his first AHL game. He totalled 19 points in 39 ECHL games last season, split between the Allen Americans and Indy Fuel.