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Canadian Government Expected To Approve 7-Day Quarantine

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March 26: Joshua Clipperton of the Canadian Press reports that the 14-day quarantine period has been waived “under national interest grounds” and players coming from U.S. clubs ahead of the deadline will now be required to quarantine for just seven days. The quarantine change also applies to players called up from AHL teams in the U.S.

March 25: One of the biggest hurdles facing the seven Canadian NHL teams in the North Division when it came to the trade deadline next month was the two-week quarantine period any player coming from a U.S.-based team would need to go through. The player would need to complete travel to the new club north of the border, which is a little trickier these days anyway, and then wait 14 days to even join the team in practice. Missing that much time and then jumping back into NHL action could potentially lead to injury, meaning a “ramp-up” phase might also be required after the quarantine but before he actually plays.

With that much waiting around, trading for a player on April 12 didn’t even seem worth it if they were on an expiring contract. Even further, it’s hard to convince a player to waive a no-trade clause just to quarantine in a hotel room for two weeks. It was limiting the rental market teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets, or at least pushing them to get deals done earlier. Now, perhaps they can take a little more time.

David Cochrane of CBC is reporting that the Canadian government will soon approve a seven-day quarantine period for NHL players traded from American teams to Canadian teams. The change will come with added testing for those athletes, but according to Cochrane, has been approved by every province with NHL teams.

If approved, this would be a huge development not only for the Canadian teams but also those looking to sell at the trade deadline. Suddenly the Buffalo Sabres, for instance, have a few more teams that could push hard for rentals like Taylor Hall, Eric Staal, or Brandon Montour, knowing they could have them on the ice in just over a week.

Obviously, as with any other governmental decisions these days, until it is officially instituted this news should not be considered a lock. Things can change at any moment and public pushback could divert the plan. But for weeks now, if not months, Canadian teams have been pushing to try and get the quarantine period reduced to seven days. It seems that pressure has paid off.

Christian Wolanin Clears Waivers

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March 26: Wolanin has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

March 25: The Ottawa Senators have placed Christian Wolanin on waivers today, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The team recalled Braydon Coburn from the taxi squad earlier today, suggesting he’ll be in the lineup against the Maple Leafs tonight.

Wolanin, 26, made the Senators roster immediately after signing out of the University of North Dakota in 2018, but hasn’t been able to keep a grip on that spot in the years since. With just 58 games of NHL experience, he is heading towards an offseason where he will become a Group VI unrestricted free agent. That is unless he plays 22 games down the stretch, something that would require quite a bit of luck given the Senators only have 21 remaining. If he were claimed and quickly forced through the quarantine protocols it is possible, but very unlikely at this point.

The fact that the Senators allowed him to reach that status in the first place is puzzling, given how little they are playing for this season. The team is not in contention for a playoff spot and are basically letting an asset reach free agency unnecessarily. Still, perhaps they were not planning on giving Wolanin a qualifying offer anyway as he comes off a season where he is earning $1MM on a one-way deal.

The 6’2″ defenseman has never been mistaken for a top-pairing player, but he does have the ability to fit into an NHL lineup in a depth role. Given there is no commitment past this season he could potentially be claimed, though skaters have passed through waivers unscathed routinely this year.

NHL Postpones Three More Montreal Games

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After two Montreal Canadiens players–Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia–entered the NHL’s COVID Protocols yesterday, the league decided to postpone their match against the Edmonton Oilers. Now, the league has shut the Canadiens down through March 28, postponing three more games in the process. The team was set to face the Oilers tomorrow and Friday, then take on the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night. Now, the league is hoping that Montreal can reopen its training facilities next Monday, March 29.

These are the first postponements the North Division has experienced this season and will certainly complicate the schedule for Montreal down the stretch. The team has already had their big breaks and plays basically every other day through the end of the season. There is a small window in early May between games that could be used to fit in some matches, but it seems much more likely that the Canadiens will have their schedule extended if all 56 games are going to fit in before the postseason begins. The NHL built in some time between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs for exactly this reason, but the closer it gets to the end the harder it is to reschedule games that are missed for whatever reason.

Already the Canadiens had played the fewest games in the North Division, meaning their shutdown is basically a worst-case scenario for the NHL. Hopefully, things will be able to get back to normal next week and they won’t miss any more time.

Injury Notes: Bertuzzi, Brown, Sundqvist

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The prognosis is not good for Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi and a potential return this season. Bertuzzi, who got off to a hot start early this season and looked like he could be in for a breakout campaign, was instead injured before January was even over and has not played since. According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Bertuzzi has not been making consistent progress toward a return in the past six weeks either. Head coach Jeff Blashill has stated that Bertuzzi’s rehab of his undisclosed upper-body injury has been “back-and-forth” and at the current time he is not skating. Blashill believes that Bertuzzi is not “close at all” to a return. The coach says that they are taking the situation day-by-day and that all options are on the table, including season-ending surgery. While the Red Wings are not playing for a playoff spot this season, there is still reason to avoid sending Bertuzzi under the knife if he is able to get back to full strength without it. Blashill did acknowledge that they will not rush Bertuzzi back before he is ready and that they need to see him skating over a longer period of time before they will even consider a return this year. Everything seems to be pointing toward Bertuzzi likely being done for the year in this shortened season.

  • Another player who has not yet returned to skating is young Ottawa Senators forward Logan Brown. Brown, whose usage (or lack thereof) by the Senators has been a hot topic in Ottawa, suffered an undisclosed injury in practice earlier this month. Though not initially believed to be a long-term absence, Brown’s injury still lingers. AHL Belleville head coach Troy Mann tells The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch that Brown has yet to return to the ice since his injury occurred and “isn’t close”. Mann does not expect the prospect center to be back in action any time soon. This was intended to be a make-or-break year for Brown; the No. 11 overall pick from 2016 had been used sparingly through his first two pro seasons, playing in just 29 total NHL games, but this year was supposed to see him earn a regular role. Instead, he has yet to suit up for Ottawa at all in 2020-21. Prior to his injury, GM Pierre Dorion shared that there were plans to give Brown his shot later this season, but that is now in doubt given the apparent severity of his injury and a possible prolonged absence. Brown will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, with little to show for his entry-level contract.
  • The St. Louis Blues continue to have tough luck with injuries this season. Whenever a player returns to the lineup, it seems another is forced out. This time, Oskar Sundqvist is the victim. The veteran forward suffered an injury on Friday night in a collision with teammate Kyle Clifford and had to leave the game. The team has announced that the lower-body injury will sideline Sundqvist indefinitely, but that more information will be known following an MRI next week. Sundqvist is one of eleven Blues currently out with an injury or ailment.

Sens Hopeful Colin White Will Play Monday; Artem Anisimov Listed As Day-To-Day

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  • The Senators are hoping to have Colin White available for Monday’s game against Calgary, notes Postmedia’s Ken Warren. The center has had an inconsistent year, struggling early to the point where he was made a healthy scratch but has still managed to put up eight goals and six assists in 28 games.  He missed Wednesday’s game due to an upper-body injury.  Meanwhile, center Artem Anisimov remains listed as day-to-day with an upper-body issue of his own.  He has missed the last four games and while he had been getting frequently shuffled to and from the taxi squad, he now needs to clear waivers upon getting cleared to return if Ottawa intends to continue to do that with him.

Anton Forsberg Assigned To AHL On Conditioning Stint

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It’s been more than a year since Anton Forsberg suited up in an NHL game, so if he’s to carry some of the load for the Ottawa Senators while they deal with injury, he’ll need some conditioning. That’s exactly why the Senators sent Forsberg to the AHL today on a conditioning loan, where he is expected to start for the Belleville Senators this afternoon.

Forsberg, 28, is on his fourth team of the season already but hasn’t played a single game. Originally signing a one-year, one-way, $700K contract with the Edmonton Oilers, he was first claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes, then the Winnipeg Jets, and then the Senators, each time he hit waivers. Not only has that kept him traveling the continent and adhering to various quarantine protocols, but the fact that he hasn’t been able to clear waivers has kept him out of the AHL as well. The veteran goaltender hasn’t been able to get any game action, just seeing practice shots as the third goaltender in most stops.

Now, after Matt Murray suffered an injury in warm-up and replacement Joey Daccord’s season is likely over with a high-ankle sprain, Forsberg will likely have to start several games down the stretch for the Senators. Ottawa is gratefully off until Monday, but currently have only three healthy goaltenders in the organization. Filip Gustavsson, who has played exactly one period at the NHL level, Kevin Mandolese, who has only two games at the AHL level, and Forsberg, whose 48 games of NHL experience make him feel like a grizzled vet at this point.

The fact that Murray has been downgraded to “week-to-week” and Marcus Hogberg, the regular backup isn’t expected back until later this month, means it could be Forsberg’s crease for the time being. Despite the Senators not playing very tight defense in front of their goaltenders this season, this is actually a huge opportunity for the veteran, who will be showcasing his skills in advance of another unrestricted free agent period.

Senators Notes: Goaltending, North Dakota, Trade Deadline

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Senators GM Pierre Dorion spoke on TSN 1200 in Ottawa this morning and addressed many of the most pressing issues facing his team down the stretch this season. And while that won’t include a playoff push, as the Senators hold the NHL’s second-worst record and are well outside of a playoff spot in the North Division, Dorion still stated that he would like to see more consistency out of his roster the rest of the way. The position of greatest concern right now is obviously goaltending. Ottawa is allowing 3.91 goals against per game this season, the worst mark in the league by a wide margin. The Senators’ depth in net appeared to be strong entering the season with newly-acquired starter Matt Murray at the top, promising backup Marcus Hogberg ready for a full-time NHL role, college standout Joey Daccord as next man up, and top prospects Filip Gustavsson and Kevin Mandolese to fall back on as well. Yet, Murray and Hogberg have struggled greatly and the Senators’ goaltending actually improved when the pair were lost to injury, making Daccord the starter by default. However, Daccord is now expected to miss the rest of the season due to an injury of his own. This prompted not only the waiver claim of Anton Forsberg, but also for the team to send a chartered private plane to Winnipeg to pick him up, so as to avoid any quarantine period. Forsberg, who amazingly has not played at any level this season despite being claimed on waivers three times, will start for AHL Belleville on Saturday and is then likely to dress as backup behind Gustavsson on Monday, according to The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. Gustavsson, who made his NHL debut by providing a shutout third period in relief of Daccord on Wednesday, will make his first start on Monday and he and Forsberg appear likely to split starts until Murray and/or Hogberg are healthy enough to return to action. Dorion considers Murray “week-to-week” and hopes Hogberg will be ready for an AHL conditioning stint before the end of the month.

  • Without anything to play for this season, the stretch run could actually be an exciting time for the Senators as they take a look at some other options in action before next season. That could very well include any number of current members of the University of North Dakota, once their NCAA season comes to an end. Ottawa has spent a number of high draft picks on Fighting Hawks commits in recent years and now the No. 1 team in college hockey is seeking a National Championship, fueled by Senators property. For now, Dorion says that he has informed North Dakota forward Shane Pinto and defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker, Jake Sanderson, and Tyler Kleven to simply focus on their pursuit of a title and worry about their pro futures later. However, once the postseason has ended for North Dakota – as early as next weekend or as late as April 10 – Dorion could sign any of the group and insert them into the Senators lineup right away. He specifically called Pinto, Bernard-Docker, and Sanderson “close” in terms of their pro readiness. Bernard-Docker, a junior, and Pinto, a sophomore, are more likely to sign this year than Sanderson, a freshman, even though he was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Beyond the North Dakota players that Ottawa already owns, their link to the program and the immediate opportunity available could give them a leg up in wooing a pair of the very best college free agents available. Seniors Matt Kiersted and Jordan Kawaguchi are certainly on the Senators’ radar and could be intrigued by joining the Ottawa rebuild. Dorion did not address the immediate pro future of North Dakota transfer Jonny Tychonick, another talented draft pick whose University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks are also hoping to make the NCAA Tournament.
  • As for players that could be leaving the Senators before the end of the season, Dorion opined that this could be a very quiet trade deadline for his team, a sentiment that many other teams have echoed. In a buyer’s market that is influenced by difficult salary cap situations and border restrictions, there is a feeling that there might not be much action before the April 12 deadline. Dorion claims that teams are “checking in” but there apparently hasn’t been much traction on forming actual deals. The Senators are not in a great position to trade this season anyhow. Recently re-acquired winger Ryan Dzingel is their most valuable rental piece, but may not even be available if there is mutual interest in an extension. Dzingel has already re-discovered his scoring touch back in Ottawa, notching four goals in eight games. Expensive and unproductive veterans Artem Anisimov and Erik Gudbranson, depth defensemen Mike Reilly and Braydon Coburn, and grinders Matthew Peca and Micheal Haley are the only other expiring contracts the Senators have and lack much, if any value. It could be a quiet deadline indeed in Ottawa barring a surprise move.

Joey Daccord Likely Out Rest Of Season

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One of the feel-good stories of the year so far was Joey Daccord’s first NHL win, coming against the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this month after the young goaltender was forced into action. Ottawa Senators starter Matt Murray suffered an injury in the warm-up, leading to Daccord being thrown to the wolves against the North Division-leading Maple Leafs without much time to prepare. The 24-year-old goaltender would stop 33 of 36 shots for his first NHL victory, leading to an emotional post-game interview that endeared Daccord to hockey fans across the continent.

Unfortunately, the next chapter of the story isn’t a happy ending. Just when it seemed that Daccord was going to get an extended run as the Senators starter, he suffered a lower-body injury on Wednesday night against the Vancouver Canucks. As relayed by Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion told TSN radio today Daccord will be out long-term, “most likely the season.” Garrioch’s sources have led him to believe that the goaltender is dealing with a high-ankle sprain, though the team has not released any specific information.

Daccord is an easy player to root for, after going 199th overall in the 2015 draft and spending three seasons at Arizona State University. He became the first Sun Devil to play in the NHL when he debuted for the Senators in the 2018-19 season (not to mention being the first Sun Devil to even sign an entry-level contract) and has looked at least relatively capable in his eight appearances this season. An .897 save percentage in those starts doesn’t look like much, but when you realize that Murray has an .880 and Marcus Hogberg an .859, Daccord looks like a Vezina-winner in comparison.

Hopefully, even if he doesn’t return to the lineup this season he’ll be back on the ice before long. Daccord actually signed a three-year contract with the Senators in the fall, taking him through the 2022-23 season.

Ottawa Senators Sign Angus Crookshank

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The Ottawa Senators have signed another one of their prospects, inking Angus Crookshank to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal will begin in the 2021-22 season, but Crookshank has signed an amateur tryout with the Belleville Senators for the rest of this season. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a short statement on his newest player:

Angus proved to be a dominant collegiate player. We’re pleased that he’s made the decision to start his professional career which is what we believe is best for the next step in his development.

Dorion may be stretching the truth a big when he says that Crookshank was a dominant player for the University of New Hampshire, but he certainly was a good one. In 90 NCAA games, the young forward recorded 35 goals and 63 points, many of which came within just a few feet of the crease. His slick hands in tight and ability to go unchecked in dangerous areas should translate well to the professional ranks where he’ll get a chance to play with some talented playmakers in the Ottawa system.

Originally selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, Crookshank could be a nice late-round find in a class that already included Brady Tkachuk and standout college defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker. The AHL Senators will get him into the lineup as soon as his quarantine protocol is complete.

Anton Forsberg Claimed By Ottawa Senators

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For the third time this season, Anton Forsberg has been claimed off waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. This time he is headed to the Ottawa Senators where the team is dealing with injuries to both Matt Murray and Marcus Hogberg. Forsberg is coming from the Winnipeg Jets, meaning that while he will have to face some COVID protocols, he won’t have to deal with the full two-week quarantine reserved for players coming to Canada from the U.S.

The 28-year-old Forsberg hasn’t actually played a single minute of action this season, despite now being on his fourth team. Originally signing a one-year, $700K contract with the Edmonton Oilers in October, he was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes at the start of the season. Two days later, after Alex Nedeljkovic cleared waivers, Forsberg was back on the wire. His NHL experience once again landed him a claim, this tie from the Jets, who then needed to wait for him to quarantine (though, he never actually did leave Canada during his short stop with the Hurricanes). He’s been with the Jets since the middle of January but failed to play in a single game for the team.

That opportunity may come with the Senators, who have been forced to go with Joey Daccord for the last several games. The 24-year-old rookie won his first NHL game against the Toronto Maple Leafs after Murray suffered an injury in warmup, but has otherwise struggled to keep the puck out of the net. In seven appearances, Daccord is 1-3-1 with an .896 save percentage.

There’s no guarantee that Forsberg would fair better than that in Ottawa, but at least he comes with some experience at the NHL level. In 48 career games he has posted a .901 save percentage and actually appeared in 35 games during the 2017-18 season.

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