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Ottawa Senators Sign Max Guenette

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The Ottawa Senators have had quite a busy few days. After inking some top college prospects, the team has added another young player to the mix today, signing Max Guenette to a three-year entry-level contract. The contract will start in the 2021-22 season as the young defenseman is currently playing for the Val-d’Or Foreurs of the QMJHL. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a statement on the signing:

Maxence is a strong puck moving defenceman who absorbs a lot of ice-time for his team in Val-d’Or, the QMJHL’s top ranked team this season. He maintains good vision, hockey sense and puck skills. We’re especially pleased to already see some significant strides he’s made since being drafted.

Selected 187th overall in 2019, the 19-year-old Guenette has developed nicely over the past two years. While he doesn’t come with the same profile or potential as some of the other top prospects in the Senators system, he’ll join what has become a deep pipeline of talent and try to make his mark next season. As he’ll turn 20 later this month, Guenette will be eligible for the AHL in 2021-22.

Had he not signed by June, the Senators would have lost Guenette’s exclusive draft rights. Given where they are on the rebuild window, they can’t afford to give up any young prospects that could add value to the organization.

Matt Murray Still Not Fully Recovered From Injury, Micheal Haley Out For The Season

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  • While the Senators have signed two of their top prospects this week, they won’t be doing the same with Jake Sanderson. The defenseman confirmed to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald that he will return to North Dakota for his sophomore season.  The 18-year-old was the fifth-overall pick back in October and fared quite well with 15 points in 22 games while playing a big role for Team USA at the World Juniors.

Trade Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators

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We are now less than two weeks away from the NHL Trade Deadline and talks are heating up. 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.

It has been a bit of an up-and-down year for Ottawa as they’ve been able to hold their own against half of the North Division but have been dominated badly by the other half.  The end result has them about where many expected, in the basement but showing signs of improvement as the season progresses.  However, with where they are, they’re not yet in a position where they’ll be trying to add players at the deadline.

Record

12-21-4, 7th in North Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$25.2MM in full-season space ($35.87MM at the trade deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: OTT 1st, OTT 2nd, SJ 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 6th, OTT 7th
2022: OTT 1st, OTT 2nd, TB 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 6th, OTT 7th, SJ 7th

Trade Chips

When you’re a team in the basement, rentals are usually the currency to be moved and that’s no exception here.  Erik Gudbranson is no doubt overpaid at $4MM but can still help a third pairing of some playoff-bound squads.  This is the time of year where teams will look for grit and he provides plenty of that as he’s one of the more physical blueliners in the league.  Teams also tend to look for players who can play shorthanded and Gudbranson does that too.  It’ll certainly take some retention in order to facilitate a trade but as long as Ottawa is willing to do so, there should be a market for the 29-year-old if they don’t work out any sort of contract extension first.

From the day that Ottawa acquired Ryan Dzingel, it felt like he could be on the move again.  The winger has actually produced relatively well since joining the team with five goals in 12 games but with their young group of forwards, he’s someone that seemingly doesn’t fit into their long-term plans.  Again, some retention will be needed as he carries a $3.375MM cap hit but he could fit the bill for a team looking for depth scoring.  Mike Reilly, a puck-moving defenseman, should also draw some interest.  He’s more affordable than Gudbranson with a $1.5MM price tag and already has 15 assists on the season.

As for a non-rental player, Logan Brown has been in trade speculation for a while after his agent Andy Scott sounded off about Ottawa’s treatment of his client back in October of 2019.  The 11th-overall pick in 2016 has just 29 career NHL games under his belt and doesn’t appear to be a big part of their long-term plans.  What doesn’t help here is that Brown has been out for most of the AHL season with no timeline for a return but this is a situation where teams may be trying to buy low knowing that the pending restricted free agent will be waiver-eligible next season.  Of course, GM Pierre Dorion isn’t obligated to provide the center with a change of scenery at this juncture but it wouldn’t be surprising to see teams call about his possible availability.

Others to Watch For: D Josh Brown ($1.2MM through 2021-22), D Braydon Coburn ($1.7MM, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks – With the possible exception of Logan Brown, none of the others on this list are likely to garner enough interest to the point where a quality prospect would be involved.  Instead, they’re more likely to be worth mid to late-round draft picks.  The Sens are down fourth and fifth-rounders from trades that brought in veterans and these next couple of weeks represent a good opportunity to replenish those.

2) Impact Defenseman – While this goes directly against the idea of being a seller, Ottawa’s back end has been a problem for a while now.  There is hope on the horizon with some of their prospects and it even appears that Jacob Bernard-Docker is going to get a look once he gets through quarantine.  But a stabilizing top-four option would really help this roster.  It would take some pressure off the youngsters that are developing and ideally lessen the need to play Thomas Chabot over 30 minutes a night, a mark he has surpassed in four of the last six games.  If there’s an opportunity to take advantage of a cap-strapped team to add such a blueliner, they’d be wise to take it now rather than wait until the offseason when such a move may make more sense.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ottawa Senators Sign Shane Pinto

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The Ottawa Senators are having a great day in terms of adding to their prospect pool. After Jacob Bernard-Docker signed earlier today, his University of North Dakota teammate Shane Pinto has also inked a three-year entry-level contract with the Senators. Following a quarantine period, Pinto will report directly to the Senators. Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion had this to say on his latest forward:

Shane should be very proud of what was an exceptional collegiate career. He’s a player with a very high work ethic who demonstrates a strong ability to play effectively in all three zones. He was an elite faceoff performer at UND who possesses a great shot, including a deceptive one timer, and a knack for scoring from both in tight and from a distance.

For Pinto, who turned 20 in November, it’s been quite a day. Not only has he signed his first professional contract but he was also named a Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist. His college career will come to an end after two outstanding seasons at UND, in which he scored 60 points in 61 games and excelled at the defensive end of the rink.

As for the Senators, this signing has been a year in the making. Ottawa attempted to woo Pinto away from the college game after his freshman campaign, in which the 32nd overall pick in 2019 showed a mature, pro-ready game. The two-way center has an NHL frame at 6’3″ and 200 lbs. and uses his body to check, win puck battles, and provide net front presence, leading to more than a few goals. A player who has dominated at the NCAA and WJC levels, there is little doubt that the Pinto’s two-way game is ready for the pro stage.

Pinto’s signing could cap off what has been an outstanding stretch for the Fighting Hawks program. Pinto and Bernard-Docker have signed with the Senators and teammate Matt Kiersted has joined the Florida Panthers earlier today, while UND leading scorer Jordan Kawaguchi signed on with the Dallas Stars yesterday. With that said, Ottawa is still believed to be talking to 2020 top pick Jake Sanderson, while seniors Collin Adams (NYI) and Grant Mismash (NSH) are expected to turn pro and underclassmen Jasper Weatherby (SJS) and Adam Scheel could be tempted to do so as well. North Dakota’s impressive exodus could still be far from over.

Ottawa Senators Sign Jacob Bernard-Docker

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The Ottawa Senators already have an exciting group of young players and today they are adding to that mix. Jacob Bernard-Docker has signed his entry-level contract, ending his college career. Following his seven-day quarantine, the young defenseman will report directly to the Senators. GM Pierre Dorion released a short statement about his newest player:

Jacob represents another key component of our future. He’s very mature for his age and already possesses great gap and stick detail within his game. He’s an exemplary leader and a winner who we’re looking forward to seeing in our lineup.

Bernard-Docker, 20, recently finished his junior season at the University of North Dakota. Signing his three-year entry-level deal means he will abandon his senior season and become a professional, burning the first season of the deal in 2020-21.

Selected 26th overall in 2018, Bernard-Docker isn’t made from the same stuff as so many other highly drafted defensemen. Though his offensive game is fine, and resulted in strong numbers at UND, it is the way he controls a game defensively that will be his calling card at the next level. The winner of the NCHC Best Defensive Defenseman this season, he has shown an elite shutdown ability at the college and international level, using his mobility and a lightning-fast stick to disrupt rushes. Once he does win the puck back, Bernard-Docker is a talented escape artist, quickly moving it out of danger and up to his forwards.

In a perfect world, the right-handed defenseman will become the natural partner for Thomas Chabot, creating an elite pairing for the Senators in the coming years. Expecting that down the stretch might be pushing it, but it does sound like Bernard-Docker will be making his NHL debut fairly soon.

Snapshots: Expansion Draft, Novak, Pettersson

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The Seattle Kraken cannot yet make trades, but that won’t stop them from making a major impact on the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Kraken GM Ron Francis has begun to receive calls from a number of teams seeking input on potential deadline deals. Any team adding a valuable player who is not just an impending UFA rental is also adding another piece to their Expansion equation. In many cases, top contenders acquiring these quality players will either not be able to protect them or their addition will displace another valued player already on the roster. As a result, they have been reaching out to Francis to see what it would cost to make a side deal to protect assets that would be exposed by a potential deadline trade. According to LeBrun, the league’s other GM’s have not been happy with Francis’ responses. It seems the going rate for a side deal with Seattle to protect a player that they would otherwise be selecting is a first-round pick and a prospect. This price is scaring teams away from making major deals at the deadline, quieting a market that already has a number of restrictions working against it.

  • While a seventh-round pick may not mean much to the Ottawa Senators, especially given their immense pipeline of talent, it meant a lot to Bentley University. In 2018, the Senators’ final-round selection Jakov Novak became the first ever NHL Draft pick to attend Bentley, an Atlantic Hockey school who has never won their conference tournament nor qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The oft-forgotten Boston-area program was proud to add Novak, who has played up to expectations over the past three years. With 30 goals and 62 points in 87 games, including 17 points in 15 games this year, the power forward has been one of the best players in Atlantic Hockey – and other teams took notice. The junior winger is set to depart Bentley for greener pastures, leaving the program yet again absent of NHL talent. He’s not going far, though. Novak has announced that he will transfer to Northeastern University for next season. The Huskies exited the Hockey East Tournament early this year and did not qualify for the national stage, so they will be eager to add another talented forward with pro ability in hopes of taking a step forward next season. Novak hinted that 2021-22 could be the end of his NCAA career, but it only take one year for him to make a major impact at Northeastern. Vice versa, just one year playing alongside and against superior collegiate talent could be a major developmental leap for Novak that earns him a contract with Ottawa.
  • Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson was eligible to be activated from the Long-Term Injured Reserve for the first time today, but his stay is not yet over. Head coach Travis Green tells NHL.com that the team underestimated Pettersson’s upper-body injury and he is not close to a return. “Definitely was more serious than we thought originally,” Green stated on Tuesday. “We didn’t think it was going to be this long. It hasn’t gotten any better to a point where he can play yet and I still think he’s going to be out for a few more games at least.” After a slow start to the season, the Canucks have been playing much better of late. In fact, they have the second-best record in their past ten games of any team in the North Division. However, still more than 100 percentage points back of a playoff spot, Vancouver will need Pettersson healthy if they want to complete the comeback.

Artem Anisimov, Scott Harrington Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Both Anisimov and Harrington have cleared, according to Friedman.

Monday: Two veterans have hit waivers today, as Artem Anisimov of the Ottawa Senators and Scott Harrington of the Columbus Blue Jackets are available for claim, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Anisimov already cleared in February, but has bounced back and forth from the taxi squad to the active roster enough to need his waiver clock reset. Despite spending some of the time on injured reserve, the veteran forward has played ten games since he cleared, meaning if the team wanted to put him back on the taxi squad or in the minor leagues, he needed to go through the process again.

The 32-year-old Anisimov has played in just 14 games this season and has four points, totals that compare poorly even to his disappointing 2019-20 campaign. He at least scored 15 goals for the Senators last year, though he was still obviously a shell of his former self. Carrying a $4.55MM cap hit, there’s virtually no chance that another team claims Anisimov at this point.

Harrington meanwhile has continued to serve in a depth role for the Blue Jackets, playing just six games this season. The 28-year-old defenseman is closing in on 200 games in his NHL career, but doesn’t represent much more than an injury replacement or taxi squad filler at this point. For his cap hit of $1.63MM that’s not enough, meaning it should come as much of a surprise that he finds himself on waivers.

By moving Harrington to the taxi squad or waivers, the Blue Jackets can bury $1.075MM of his cap hit. He also appears to be a potential buyout candidate for the summer when he will still have one year remaining on his deal. Despite the fact that he is a defenseman, Harrington also seems unlikely to be claimed given his cap hit.

Snapshots: Bowman, Kiersted, OHL

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As expected, accomplished Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman will be the next leader of Team USA. Sportsnet’s Frank Seravalli reports that USA Hockey has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday where they will officially name Bowman as the GM for the U.S. entry into the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Given the NHL’s absence at the most recent Olympics paired with the quality of American players who have blossomed into superstars over the past eight years, expectations are high for Team USA. A two-time Stanley Cup winning GM, whose current rebuild seems to be moving along nicely as well, Bowman has found great success in his career and appears ready for the challenge. With a familiar face in Chicago icon Patrick Kane leading the way, Bowman’s Team USA could be legitimate contenders for gold. He won’t be alone in the decision-making, either; Seravalli notes that Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin will be named an assistant of Bowman’s as well. Nashville’s David Poile and Carolina’s Don Waddell are also likely to be considered for the brain trust, among others.

  • North Dakota defenseman Matt Kiersted, considered by many to be the top college free agent available this year, is already having to chip away at his list of suitors. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that 20+ NHL clubs have already shown interest in the dependable puck-mover, and he has begun to whittle that down to a “workable” number. What criteria Kiersted is using to choose between what are virtually identical entry-level offers is unknown and there has been few whispers of which teams might remain in the running. However, Russo notes that the Elk River, Minnesota native will definitely keep his hometown Minnesota Wild in consideration. Russo adds that the impending Expansion Draft could strip the Wild of one of their starting defensemen and there could be NHL opportunity right away for the local product. Among other likely landing spots, it is hard to ignore the immense North Dakota presence in the Ottawa Senators’ pipeline, which could link the team to Kiersted and fellow premiere UFA Jordan Kawaguchi.
  • The OHL’s shortened season is expected to begin soon and teams would prefer that their players return as soon as possible. However, the league has yet to set a firm date, seemingly dragging its feet with actually opening up play as opposed to merely discussing it. This is posing quite a conundrum for some top prospects, writes Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Many top junior-age draft picks in recent years have been playing in the AHL this season with the OHL out of commission. This includes Washington’s Connor McMichael, Los Angeles’s Quinton Byfield, Montreal’s Jan Mysak and Carolina’s Ryan Suzuki, while Anaheim’s Jamie Drysdale would have to stay put with the Ducks. Per the CHL Transfer Agreement, these players must return to the OHL once the season begins if they are not on NHL rosters. However, without a solid start date and facing a quarantine period, it is a difficult ask to suggest that these talented young players leave their AHL clubs and head for the unknown. McMichael has been outspoken on the subject, stating “I honestly want to stay here and just play pro hockey. I think it would be best for my development” and Friedman feels the others likely share in that sentiment. Will there be an exception made to allow this group to stay put to close out the season? Or will they be forced to take yet another break from hockey to quarantine only to return to a junior game that they have outgrown?

Ottawa Senators Acquire Mike Amadio

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The Ottawa Senators have swapped some recently-waived assets with the Los Angeles Kings, acquiring Michael Amadio in exchange for Christian Wolanin. Both players recently cleared waivers with their respective teams and can report directly (following the appropriate quarantine) to the taxi squad or minor leagues. The trade does not include any other players or draft picks.

Amadio, 24, had zero goals and just two points in 20 games for the Kings this season, unable to create any offense even when given substantial minutes. In his last game on March 14, he played more than 17 minutes but manged just a single shot on net and was a -1. The team seemingly decided to move on at that point, putting him on waivers a few days later and sticking him on the taxi squad. Just a few days ago Amadio was demoted even further, this time to the Ontario Reign of the AHL.

In Ottawa, the right-shot center will likely receive a chance to get his career back on track, but at the very least can be a depth option for the team next season. Amadio’s current two-year contract will expire at the end of this season, but he will still be a restricted free agent without much leverage that the Senators can likely sign for cheap.

The same can’t be said about Wolanin, who will become a Group VI unrestricted free agent should he fail to play in another 13 games this season. Technically, given the Kings have played just 32 so far this year, Wolanin could get to that mark should he quickly clear COVID protocols, but it seems unlikely. Instead, he’s a rental piece that can get a look on the Kings depth chart down the stretch.

Los Angeles has several young defenders waiting in the wings, but Wolanin does have 58 games of NHL experience and has shown flashes of upside. Unfortunately, those flashes haven’t come often enough and he has played just 18 games for the Senators since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. The 26-year-old defenseman shouldn’t be considered a prospect anymore and is just another name to throw into the taxi squad mix in Los Angeles.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/28/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

North Division

  • The Ottawa Senators got the day started on the transaction wire with the swap of two forward prospects, partially reversing the moves they made yesterday. The team announced that Alex Formenton has been recalled from AHL Belleville and assigned to the taxi squad. In a corresponding move, Jack Kopacka has been reassigned from the squad to the minors. Formenton has played in two games with Ottawa so far this year, while Kopacka has spent time on the active roster but has yet to make his Senators debut.
  • Veini Vehvilainen has finally joined the Toronto Maple Leafs after completing his mandating quarantine period. The young goaltender, acquired earlier this month from the Columbus Blue Jackets, has been assigned to the taxi squad, with prospect Ian Scott returning to the AHL Marlies. Vehvilainen’s arrival comes at a good time; starter Frederik Andersen remains sidelined and replacement Jack Campbell was given a rest day, so Vehvilainen and Michael Hutchinson were the only goaltenders in attendance at Leafs practice today. Should the Maple Leafs suffer another injury in net, Vehvilainen is now the next man up with the other three goalies already on the active roster.

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins are set to wrap up a homestand on Monday before heading out on the road and are taking the opportunity to switch out their taxi squad personnel. Forwards Jordy Bellerive and Josh Currie have been reassigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Without announcing any corresponding move, this likely bodes well for the health of numerous Penguins forward currently sidelined by injury or on the COVID Protocol list.
  • The Buffalo Sabres will give young goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and forward Brett Murray some play time, reassigning the duo from the practice squad to the AHL’s Rochester Americans. Luukkonen, considered the Sabres’ starter of the future, has played in eight AHL games so far this season but could get his first look with the top club before the end of the year. Murray is also looking to make his NHL debut; the 2016 fourth-round pick took a circuitous route to the pros but has nevertheless proven himself to be an effective player in the AHL and could soon get a chance in Buffalo.

Central Division

  • While the Maple Leafs have added former Blue Jacket Vehvilainen to their practice squad, Columbus has gone one step further today by recalling the other side of that recent trade, defenseman Mikko Lehtonen, to the active roster. Lehtonen, a prolific KHL offensive defenseman, recorded three points in nine games with Toronto before the trade, but the Blue Jackets hope that they can put him in a position to be more productive among their deep group of dependable defenders. Forward Stefan Matteau will be taking Lehtonen’s spot on the taxi squad, while promising young forward Liam Foudy will also join the squad after being promoted from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.
  • The Dallas Stars announced they have swapped a pair of forwards. The team has recalled Nicholas Caamano from the taxi squad and have assigned Justin Dowling to the taxi squad.
  • The Florida Panthers announced they have moved forward Aleksi Heponiemi from the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL to the team’s taxi squad. The diminutive forward has four assists in three games for Syracuse and has an assist in three games for the Panthers this season.
  • The Nashville Predators announced they have recalled goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo from the taxi squad under emergency circumstances as starter Juuse Saros is out and listed as day-to-day. Defenseman David Farrance, who just signed his entry-level deal, has been assigned to the taxi squad. The team also has sent defenseman Jeremy Davies to the taxi squad. Nashville also announced that the teams 2020 second-round pick, Luke Evangelista has been assigned to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL since the OHL still hasn’t begun their season.

West Division

  • As they embark on a road trip, the Minnesota Wild have called in reinforcements up front in Luke Johnson. The veteran AHLer has been recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Iowa, where he has only played in two games this season versus six with Minnesota. A taxi squad fixture, Johnson has been a reliable depth piece for the Wild this year.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Jordan Gross to the taxi squad.

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