Senators Rumors

Braydon Coburn Clears Waivers

February 4, 2021 at 11:06 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 5 Comments

Feb 4: Coburn has cleared waivers. Almost immediately, the Senators moved him to the taxi squad and recalled Brannstrom.

Feb 3: The Ottawa Senators have placed Braydon Coburn on waivers today, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. The veteran defenseman carries a cap hit of $1.7MM this season and was part of the cap-clearing package acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning this offseason.

Coburn, 35, is only a few months away from winning the Stanley Cup with the Lightning, though he certainly wasn’t a huge part of their postseason run. He suited up just three times during the playoffs and ended up traded along with Cedric Paquette and a draft pick as part of Tampa’s attempt to get cap compliant. In eight games this season with the Senators (which include seven losses), he has one point and has averaged just over 17 minutes a night.

In a corresponding move, it appears as though Erik Brannstrom may be getting his next NHL opportunity. The Senators have recalled the young defenseman to the taxi squad while sending Jonathan Aspirot back to the minor leagues. Should Coburn clear tomorrow, he could be swapped with Brannstrom and end up on the taxi squad as a depth piece.

That’s likely where he should be as the Senators try to develop their young core, but it certainly isn’t what he was hoping for. Coburn was a very well-liked teammate in Tampa Bay, even wearing an “A” as an alternate captain at times. Where his career goes from here isn’t clear, though he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

North Notes: Virtanen, Dube, Anderson, Chabot

January 31, 2021 at 4:52 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

After being scratched two games in a row, speculation is beginning to form around Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen. In fact, with the team being in need of defensive help, the Canucks might be willing to move on from Virtanen and his $2.55MM AAV.

The Province’s Patrick Johnston writes that one possibility might be trading Virtanen to Montreal in exchange for defenseman Victor Mete. Johnston notes that Montreal was interested in Virtanen when the two clubs discussed a deal at the 2019 draft for the now-24-year-old forward. Virtanen, who finished with 18 goals last season, so far has struggled with just one goal in nine games this season, which of course, begs the question of whether Virtanen still has any trade value.

There will be no hearing for Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dube for his hit Saturday(video here) against Montreal Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. Dube had a high hit on Kotkaniemi in the head behind Montreal’s net. No call was made. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels adds that the NHL reviewed the hit, but determined, according to Rule 48.1, that head contact was unavoidable.
While no official word has come from the Montreal Canadiens, Jonathan Bernier of Le Journal de Montreal reports (translation required) that forward Josh Anderson, who was pulled out of the lineup Saturday due to flu-like symptoms, tested negative for COVID-19. It is believed that Anderson’s symptoms were due to something he ate. Anderson has been quite effective this year with four goals and five points in eight games so far this year after being acquired from Columbus during the offseason. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels confirms that the Canadiens told him that Anderson tested negative on Saturday and are awaiting a test from Sunday morning.
Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot will not play Sunday and is listed as day-to-day, according to Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. The team recalled Artem Zub earlier today in case Chabot, who was removed from Thursday’s game due to an undisclosed injury, wasn’t able to go, which Garrioch has now confirmed.

San Jose Sharks Acquire Christian Jaros

January 27, 2021 at 2:29 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The San Jose Sharks completed two trades today, ending with the acquisition of defenseman Christian Jaros from the Ottawa Senators. First, the Sharks sent Trevor Carrick to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for minor league forward Jack Kopacka, who they then flipped along with a 2022 seventh-round selection to the Senators for Jaros. GM Doug Wilson released a short statement on his newest defenseman:

Christian is a big right-shot defenseman who plays a physical game. He is a young player with 76 games of NHL experience so far and has the ability to grow his game.

This is a rare three-way trade in the NHL, though the Sharks can likely claim that they received the best player in the deal, given Jaros’ previous NHL experience. The 24-year-old defenseman has played in 76 games for the Senators over the last three seasons, including 61 in 2018-19. He was pushed down the depth chart by some of Ottawa’s more veteran additions since then and cleared waivers earlier this month. Yes, the Sharks could have acquired Jaros at that point for nothing but a waiver claim, but clearing actually likely improved Jaros’ trade value. He can now be moved up and down freely between the NHL, taxi squad, and AHL until he plays in 10 NHL games or spends 30 days on the NHL roster.

That flexibility is valuable for a team like the Sharks who just put Jacob Middleton on waivers today, potentially losing him to a claim should someone be interested in the left-shot defenseman. Jaros will become a useful depth piece that could even push for some NHL playing time if younger players like Mario Ferraro or Nikolai Knyzhov falter (though that certainly doesn’t seem likely for the former at this point).

In Carrick, the Ducks are receiving a minor league star, who has routinely put up huge offensive seasons from the back end. The 26-year-old has only ever played seven games at the NHL level though and likely is an addition more for the San Diego Gulls than anything. It just so happens that Sam Carrick, his older brother, is the captain of the Gulls.

Kopacka, the youngest player involved in the deals, spent most of the 2019-20 season with the Gulls, though he also did have a short stint with the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL. A fourth-round pick from 2016, he has yet to play in the NHL or really break out in the minor leagues. The Senators of course are also getting a seventh-round pick, a nice little sweetener for a player that seemed unlikely to see the ice with them this season. Even beyond the NHL roster, the Senators have some younger prospects that will need playing time before long, and moving Jaros has cleared the way.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Ottawa Senators

January 26, 2021 at 8:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2020-21 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Ottawa Senators

Current Cap Hit: $70,678,775 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Drake Batherson (one year, $736K)
D Erik Brannstrom (two years, $863K)
F Logan Brown (one year, $863K
F Joshua Norris (two years, $925K)
F Tim Stutzle (three years, $925K)
F Brady Tkachuk (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Batherson: $20K
Brannstrom: $450K
Brown: $710K
Norris: $850K
Stutzle: $2.5MM
Tkachuk: $2.5MM
Total: $7.03MM

The way Ottawa’s cap situation is structured, there is going to be a prominent player coming off an ELC on an annual basis which, from a long-term planning standpoint, is a good way to stagger things. Tkachuk then becomes the one to watch for in the coming months as he’s eligible for an extension now. He’s not near the top of the scoring charts but power forwards tend to get paid quickly which makes his case intriguing. The Sens have tried to bypass bridge contracts with the players they perceive to be long-term core assets and Tkachuk is certainly in that category but unless he has a breakout year offensively, it may be in his best interest to go the more traditional route and take a short-term pact with the hopes of cashing in with a higher payday down the road.

Stutzle is one of just two players from October’s draft class to make the jump to the NHL and the early returns have been promising. While he’s just three games into his NHL career, it seems likely that Ottawa’s intent will be to lock him up long-term as soon as his deal expires. Norris dominated in the AHL last season and has gotten off to a good start this year with the Sens so again, he’s one that they will likely try to sign to a long-term deal. While this is still a couple of years away (and three for Stutzle), their ability (or inability) to get these long-term pacts done will greatly affect their plans for eventually bolstering their roster with impactful veterans. As for Batherson, he looks like he has made it as a regular for now but it’s hard to see them going long-term with him just yet. Instead, a one-year deal around double his AAV or a two-year pact at a bit more makes more sense. Brown and Brannstrom haven’t seen NHL action yet this season but that should change. They’ll need to see if Brown is a part of that future core while Brannstrom is one of the defensemen they’re intending to build around.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Artem Anisimov ($4.55MM, UFA)
D Braydon Coburn ($1.7MM, UFA)
F Alex Galchenyuk ($1.05MM, UFA)
D Erik Gudbranson ($4MM, UFA)
G Marcus Hogberg ($700K, RFA)
F Cedric Paquette ($1.65MM, UFA)
D Mike Reilly ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Derek Stepan ($6.5MM, UFA)
D Christian Wolanin ($900K, RFA)

Stepan’s acquisition in training camp was curious, both in the sense that Ottawa didn’t necessarily need a veteran while they gave up a second-round pick and alleviated Arizona’s cap concerns. He’s not an impact player at this stage of his career although he can still play in the middle six. At this point, he seems like a good trade candidate with some cap hit retention but he may be hard-pressed to get half of his AAV on the open market this summer. Anisimov was another cap dump and has a limited role with the Sens. Again, he’s a trade candidate if Ottawa is willing to eat money and his next contract in free agency will be a lot less than this one. Paquette was yet another pickup from a team clearing money and his price tag is a bit high for a fourth liner but even so, he should have enough interest on the open market to come close to his current deal. Galchenyuk was signed as a reclamation project and while it made a lot of sense at the time, he has struggled to get in the lineup so far which isn’t a great start.

Three of the four defensemen on this list were also brought in through teams freeing up cap room. Gudbranson, an Ottawa native, can still hold his own in a limited role but he’s being paid top-four money. Something around half the price tag (or perhaps a bit more) should be doable in free agency. Coburn’s role has lessened in recent years and he is best served as a sixth or seventh defender. He’ll be eligible for an incentive-laden deal in July but will need to take a low base salary. Reilly has shown flashes of upside going back to his time with Minnesota but he hasn’t been able to establish himself as a regular. If that continues, he will likely be facing a small dip as well. Wolanin, the lone home-grown blueliner in this section, is a player who has basically been on the fringes in recent years and as such, can’t be expected to command much more than his qualifying offer.

Hogberg is in his first full NHL season so he won’t have a long enough record to command a long-term deal. Having said that, this is his final RFA-eligible campaign so a two-year deal with an AAV around the $1.75MM range is one that could make some sense for both sides, assuming he plays well this year.

Two Years Remaining

D Josh Brown ($1.2MM, UFA)
F Nick Paul ($1.35MM, UFA)
F Chris Tierney ($3.5MM, UFA)

Tierney was more of a throw-in in the Erik Karlsson trade but responded with two strong seasons with Ottawa, earning himself a raise this summer. He almost certainly isn’t in their long-term plans but this is a fair price tag for a middle-six center who has hovered near the 0.5 point per game mark in each of the last three seasons. Paul worked his way into a regular role last season and earned himself a bit of security as a result. If he’s a late-bloomer, this could wind up being a team-friendly contract but even if not, he won’t need to produce a whole lot to live up to it. Given his physicality, he could be highly sought after if his output continues to improve.

Brown was brought in from Florida as Ottawa looked to reshape their defensive depth. He’s still a number six option most nights and while the Senators can afford to pay him that right now, that’s a position that they will need to go cheaper on as some of their entry-level players land richer second contracts.

Three Years Remaining

F Connor Brown ($3.6MM, UFA)
F Evgenii Dadonov ($5MM, UFA)
F Austin Watson ($1.5MM, UFA)

While most wingers were hit hard in free agency, Dadonov did pretty well for himself, earning a $1MM increase in his AAV while getting three years when multiple options wound up settling for just one. His role should decrease as their youngsters improve but even so, they should get good value out of this deal. Brown has been the beneficiary of a lack of depth on the wing, permitting him to have a career year last season despite it being shortened. It’s unlikely he’ll get back to those offensive levels again (in part thanks to Dadonov) but he does enough other things that should help offset a drop in production. Watson was brought in to give them a boost physically but he has shown some flashes of offensive upside in the past. He might have a hard time getting this on the open market next summer if he was a free agent but it’s not much of an overpriced contract either way.

Four Or More Years Remaining

D Thomas Chabot ($8MM through 2027-28)
G Matt Murray ($6.25MM through 2023-24)
F Colin White ($4.75MM through 2024-25)
D Nikita Zaitsev ($4.5MM through 2023-24)

White was one of the players that Ottawa bypassed the bridge deal with and it’s a move that hasn’t worked out well so far. After struggling offensively last season, he has found himself a healthy scratch multiple times already and has played fourth line minutes when he’s in the lineup. There’s plenty of time for things to change though but right now, they’re not getting a good return on their investment.

Chabot is another one that eschewed the bridge and went straight to a long-term contract. He already has established himself as a capable number one defender and should improve more as Ottawa’s back end improves over the years to come as some of their prospects graduate. Given some of the higher-priced contracts given to veterans lately, this already compares favorably to them. Zaitsev’s contract was puzzling at the time he got it with Toronto and still is now. In a perfect world, he’s a fourth or fifth option but he’s being counted on to do more than that. On the other hand, he’s their leading point-getter at the moment though he’s nearly halfway to his 2019-20 production already.

With no internal options ready to contend for the starting role, Murray was brought in from Pittsburgh and promptly signed this contract. With the year he just had, it’s a bit of a gamble but he also brings them some stability at a position that hasn’t had a lot of it in recent years. He’s also young enough still to be considered part of their core group by the time this deal is up.

Buyouts

D Dion Phaneuf ($1.354MM in 2020-21, $354K in 2021-22 and 2022-23)
F Bobby Ryan ($3.583MM in 2020-21 and 2021-22, $1.583MM in 2022-23 and 2023-24)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Paul
Worst Value: Stepan (based on his AAV, not salary)

Looking Ahead

Despite some higher-priced short-term deals, Ottawa has more than enough space under the cap ceiling although the Lower Limit of the cap has typically been the benchmark to compare to instead of the Upper Limit. They’ll have sufficient space to utilize cap retention on some of those veterans and could still take on a higher cap hit for assets if a team needs to free up money to facilitate another acquisition.

Team owner Eugene Melnyk has committed to spending towards the cap down the road and they’re going to have to in order to keep this core around. Tkachuk, Norris, and Stutzle are all heading for much higher second contracts (bridge or not) and other prospects not yet in the NHL will probably be in line for bigger deals after them. It’s a good situation to be in though GM Pierre Dorion will need to carefully plan his spending and balance some short-term deals with the long-term ones to try to keep his intended core intact for the long haul.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 1/24/21

January 24, 2021 at 11:28 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

The Dallas Stars announced they have recalled forward Tanner Kero from their taxi squad after placing forward Joel Kiviranta on injured reserve. The 28-year-old Kero hasn’t made an NHL appearance since the 2017-18 season, but could get onto the ice depending on the injury status of Jamie Benn, who is a game-time decision. Kiviranta, who was listed as day-to-day Saturday after getting injured in practice, will have to sit out at least three games.
The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forwards Givani Smith and Taro Hirose from the taxi squad. Smith has been up and down between the NHL and taxi squad, while Hirose was recalled three days ago to the taxi squad from the AHL. Both are expected to make their season debuts on Sunday. Detroit also have re-assigned forward Riley Barber to the taxi squad. UPDATE: The Red Wings have reversed course, announcing they have sent Hirose and Smith back to the taxi squad after their game with Chicago ended.
The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have loaned defenseman Derrick Pouliot from the taxi squad to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL. The team also announced some salary cap moves, sending forward Connor Bunnaman and Samuel Morin to their taxi squad.
The Buffalo Sabres announced they have swapped young players as the team has sent forward Dylan Cozens to the taxi squad and recalled Casey Mittelstadt, who is expected to make his season debut Sunday. Cozens scored his first career NHL goal Friday, but head coach Ralph Krueger made it clear before the season that he intends to ease his young players into the lineup. The team has also activated forward Kyle Okposo from injured reserve. He has missed the team’s first five games with a lower-body injury.
Las Vegas Review Journal’s David Schoen reports that the Vegas Golden Knights have activated defenseman Nicolas Hague off the taxi squad and moved center Cody Glass to the taxi squad, a similar move from two games ago as the team continues to balance their salary cap with rotating between five and six defensemen.
The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell reports that with two forwards (Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov), a defenseman (Dmitry Orlov) and a goaltender (Ilya Samsonov) out due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team was able to recall two players, including forwards Brian Pinho and Connor McMichael (as well as goaltender Craig Anderson), via the emergency recall exception rule and not count against their cap. McMichael is the most interesting of the two as the 2019 first-round pick will make his NHL debut Sunday.
The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned forward Jesper Boqvist to the taxi squad and they have recalled forward Nicholas Merkley, who is expected to make his season debut Sunday. Boqvist has appeared in four games for New Jersey, failing to register a point. Merkley, acquired from Arizona in the Taylor Hall trade last season, had a goal and an assist in four games last year with the Devils.
The Columbus Blue Jackets already placed Brandon Dubinsky on LTIR earlier today, but the team also made a few other moves to get under the salary cap, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. The scribe writes that both Alexandre Texier and Liam Foudy have been assigned to the taxi squad, but as paper moves to maximize their LTIR pool. The team has also recalled Emil Bemstrom and Stefan Matteau from the taxi squad.
The New York Rangers announced they have recalled forward Colin Blackwell from their taxi squad and is likely to make his Rangers’ debut. The 27-year-old signed with the Rangers as a free agent after posting three goals and 10 points in 27 games for the Nashville Predators last season.
The Calgary Flames made their standard game-day transaction, recalling Derek Ryan and Oliver Kylington from the taxi squad. Ryan has appeared in three games with no points, while Kylington has yet to make an appearance for Calgary this year.
The Minnesota Wild announced they have recalled goaltender Andrew Hammond from their taxi squad with the status of Cam Talbot being day-to-day. In order to keep three goaltenders on the roster, the team has assigned netminder Hunter Jones from Iowa of the AHL to the taxi squad. Hammond has not made an appearance yet for the Wild.
With the Bruins off, CapFriendly reports that Boston has shuffled forwards Jack Studnicka and Trent Frederic plus defenseman Urho Vaakanainen to their taxi squad, continuing their near-daily movement. Steven Kampfer was reassigned to AHL Providence from the taxi squad to create room for Vaakanainen’s placement.
Avalanche defenseman Conor Timmins was in the lineup for their game today against Anaheim, meaning that he has been recalled from the taxi squad. The 22-year-old has played in four games so far with Colorado this season, logging a little under 13 minutes per game.
Pierre Engvall and Jason Spezza were both in the lineup for the Maple Leafs against Calgary today, meaning they were promoted from the taxi squad. To get back into cap compliance, Travis Boyd was sent to the taxi squad.
After scoring in his Canadiens debut on Saturday, Montreal has returned Corey Perry to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The veteran will likely be recalled in time for their next game against Calgary on Thursday.
The Ottawa Senators have returned winger Micheal Haley to their taxi squad, per CapFriendly. He was recalled for Saturday’s game against Winnipeg and played 7:39 while getting into a fight.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Ottawa Senators

January 23, 2021 at 1:27 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

We’ve now made it past the holiday season but there is still plenty to be thankful. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, things are just getting underway. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for with the calendar having now flipped to 2021.

What are the Senators most thankful for?

Their very promising young core.

There has been pain – plenty of it – in recent years but the rewards are coming. Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle give them two top wingers to build around while Josh Norris is a key piece down the middle. Thomas Chabot is already a star on the back end while they have several prospects that are a little further away. Is there a true superstar among the bunch? They’re hopeful Stutzle can get there but even not, there is enough high-quality prospect talent to do some damage. If they’re able to spread out their arrival to the NHL over a few years, it will help them be able to afford to keep their core in place as well.

Who are the Senators most thankful for?

A franchise center and a franchise defenseman are hard to come by. Ottawa doesn’t have the former just yet but they do have the latter in Chabot. The 18th-overall pick in 2015 took a couple of years to get to the NHL but since then, he has taken off. There is still room for growth and as their prospect core graduates to Ottawa and upgrades their back end, it can only be good for Chabot.

He’s also the first player out of their new young core to sign a long-term deal. Instead of taking a bridge contract, he made a max-term eight-year commitment back in 2019 for an $8MM AAV. He has been a fixture on their back end since 2017 and will be through 2028 at least. On the franchise building scorecard, the number one defender spot can be checked off for a long time.

What would the Senators be even more thankful for?

A return to form for Colin White.

Two seasons ago, it appeared as if he was going to be part of that young core up front to build around. He was coming off of a 41-point effort in 2018-19 and signed a six-year, $28.5MM contract that summer, buying up his remaining RFA years plus two years of UFA eligibility. Even if he wasn’t their future number one center, he was on his way to being a good second-liner.

Last year, however, he struggled considerably and it has been even worse this season as he has already been scratched twice. All of a sudden, his contract looks like a considerable overpay. With their self-imposed financial limitations, they can’t afford to have long-term contracts that they’re not getting any sort of return on. If White can first work his way back into the lineup and then back into a role of some significance, it would at least allow them to get some value out of this deal and make trading him a somewhat-viable option.

What should be on the Senators’ wish list?

As things stand, Ottawa at least on paper looks to be a team that’s probably going to be selling again. They have several expiring contracts that they’ve absorbed in recent trades including Derek Stepan, Erik Gudbranson, and Artem Anisimov (acquired back in 2019). If they wind up going that route, adding more picks and prospects to an already-deep cupboard will be on GM Pierre Dorion’s wish list. Not every prospect pans out and there will come a time where some will need to be moved for win-now players (similar to what they did with the Matt Murray acquisition). They’re close to being at a spot where they can transition out of the rebuild but while they’re still in it, they may as well keep adding young assets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 1/23/21

January 23, 2021 at 12:28 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled winger Corey Perry from the taxi squad. He’s expected to make his Montreal debut today against Vancouver with Joel Armia out with a concussion and Paul Byron questionable with a foot injury.
Ville Heinola is heading back to Winnipeg’s taxi squad as the Jets announced (Twitter links) that the blueliner has been sent down to make room for Dylan DeMelo’s return to the lineup. Heinola logged just over 14 minutes in his season debut on Thursday against Ottawa. Anton Forsberg was added to the active roster after passing through his quarantine period which allowed them to send Mikhail Berdin to AHL Manitoba. Winnipeg also recalled center David Gustafsson from the taxi squad while designating newly-acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois as a non-roster player.
The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled Micheal Haley from the taxi squad. The rugged winger will take the place of Tim Stutzle who was placed on IR retroactive to January 16. Today would mark the seven-day requirement to be on there so he’ll be eligible to be activated at any time.
The Maple Leafs announced (via Twitter) that they’ve added center Travis Boyd to their active roster and that he will join the team for their upcoming road trip. The 27-year-old had 10 points in just 24 games with Washington last season but cleared waivers at the end of training camp.
Lias Andersson’s time with the taxi squad was short-lived as the Kings revealed (Twitter link) that he has been recalled to the active roster. It’s the third time he has been recalled already this season and despite going back and forth, the center has played in two games with Los Angeles in the early going.
Samuel Morin is on this list for the third straight day as the Flyers announced (via Twitter) they’ve promoted him from the taxi squad once again. He’s trying to convert himself into a winger after playing defense throughout his career up until this season but has yet to suit up in 2020-21.
With AHL training camps getting underway, the Panthers have sent defensemen Brady Keeper and Riley Stillman to Syracuse, per a release from the Crunch. Stillman has played once with Florida this season, logging nearly 17 minutes back on Tuesday while Keeper has been with the taxi squad since the start of the season.

Snapshots: Tkachuk, Provorov, Hutton, Pastrnak

January 20, 2021 at 8:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 7 Comments

Although his entry-level contract expires after this season, Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators are not rushing into contract talks. Tkachuk spoke with the media on Wednesday, including The Ottawa Sun’s Ken Warren, and stated that he was happy with the club and not worried about negotiating an extension. “We’re not really talking about (a new contract),” Tkachuk said, “I don’t think that’s the focus for both sides. Our goal right now is to do everything we can to make the playoffs.” Neither side really has much to worry about anyhow. Tkachuk has continually stated that he enjoys playing for the team and living in Ottawa and seems committed to a long-term future with the Senators. And with more than $34MM in projected cap space for next season and few existing long-term contracts to worry about, the club should have no problem giving their young centerpiece whatever he wants in order to ensure a lengthy extension of their relationship.

No league discipline is coming for Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov in regards to a net front collision that injured Buffalo Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton on Tuesday. The play in question did look like it was at least partially caused by Hutton’s teammate, Brandon Montour, and there is not nearly enough evidence for NHL Player Safety to state that Provorov was definitively at fault. That hasn’t stopped Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger from publicly stating his disappointment with the situation, though. Krueger tells The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor that Provorov’s actions were purposeful: “if you look at the way the elbow comes extended, you know what you’re doing.” Krueger believes his team has already been the victims of several bad hits to the head so far this season and is clearly to get some extra attention for the next time such a situation arises. Hutton continued on in the game following the collision, but did not return after the second intermission and is currently questionable for the Sabres’ next game.
The Boston Bruins’ scoring woes are one of the early season’s biggest stories, but help is on the way. NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin writes that David Pastrnak is ahead of schedule in his recovery from off-season hip surgery. Initially expected to return around mid-February, Pastrnak has already re-joined practice as a non-contact participant. Head coach Bruce Cassidy now expects that he could return to action as early as late next week. The reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner will be a welcome addition to a team that has yet to produce an even strength goal through three games.

Morning Notes: Penguins, Stützle, Fines

January 19, 2021 at 10:44 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins will finally have Kasperi Kapanen in the lineup when they battle an old foe this evening, taking on the Washington Capitals for the second time in three nights. Kapanen has missed training camp and the first few games because of the COVID protocols, but his debut with Pittsburgh should be a welcome one given they are 1-2 through the early part of the season, having dropped two games already to the Philadelphia Flyers.

After winning their first game on Sunday with Casey DeSmith in net, he’ll be back in again over Tristan Jarry this evening. Though DeSmith didn’t post incredible numbers himself, Jarry looked lost at times during the first two games and currently carries a brutal .727 save percentage and 7.57 goals-against average. The Penguins certainly aren’t giving up on their young starter, but DeSmith offers a reliable option that they can go to frequently until Jarry gets his game in order.

The Ottawa Senators will be without top prospect Tim Stützle when the team welcomes in the Winnipeg Jets this evening, as he is dealing with a minor injury. The 19-year-old forward is listed as day-to-day and will be replaced by Alex Galchenyuk in the lineup. Stützle has been as advertised so far in the early season, scoring a highlight-reel goal for his first NHL tally and generally being one of the more dangerous offensive players in the lineup.
While the NHL decided against any suspensions from last night’s action, the Department of Player Safety did issue three fines. Nicolas Aube-Kubel has been fined $4,633.62 for roughing Rasmus Dahlin, Elias Pettersson has been fined $3,987.07 for his slash on Sean Monahan and Greg Pateryn has been fined $5,000 for his cross-check on Sonny Milano. All three fines are the maximum amount allowed under the CBA and are based on salary.

Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes Complete Minor Trade

January 12, 2021 at 2:35 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes are tweaking their depth charts with the season just around the corner, swapping Max Lajoie and Clark Bishop in a minor deal. Bishop cleared waivers a few days ago and Lajoie just yesterday, meaning both can report directly to the taxi squad or minor league affiliate of their new organization (though, because of quarantine restrictions that may take some time). In fact, Ottawa includes in the release that Bishop will be assigned to Belleville.

Lajoie, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Senators back in 2016 but surprised everyone when he made the NHL roster out of camp just two years later. He would play 56 games for the team in the 2018-19 season, recording seven goals and 15 points while averaging nearly 19 minutes a night. The Senators would finish last in the entire league that year and Lajoie would find himself pushed down the depth chart again in 2019-20. He ended up playing just six NHL games last season, spending most of the year with Belleville instead.

In Carolina, he’ll have an even tougher group to crack if he wants to get back to the NHL. The young defenseman is likely ticketed for the Chicago Wolves where he will continue his development and try to make the best of the final year on his entry-level contract.

Bishop meanwhile comes to Ottawa as another forward option after playing 25 NHL games over the past two seasons. The depth center can be some injury insurance in Belleville but doesn’t offer a ton of offensive upside. Selected in the fifth round by the Hurricanes in 2014, Bishop has just 18 goals and 59 points in 201 regular season AHL games but did help capture the Calder Cup in 2019 with the Charlotte Checkers.

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