- The Senators received some short-term relief from the City of Belleville in terms of aiding their cash flow when it comes to their AHL team and as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes, the Sens have in turn agreed to a two-year lease extension. Instead of their agreement with Belleville expiring in 2025, it will now run through June 30, 2027 with an option to further extend the deal tacked on as well. Belleville took over as Ottawa’s top minor league affiliate back in 2017 following Binghamton being in that spot for 15 seasons.
Senators Rumors
Erik Brannstrom Recalled From Loan
The Ottawa Senators are bringing back defensive prospect Erik Brannstrom as they prepare for the upcoming season. Brannstrom’s loan with the SCL Tigers in Switzerland has now ended, with the team wishing him well back in North America.
It is a huge season for Brannstrom, the 15th overall pick in the 2017 draft. Now 21, the young defenseman made his NHL debut at the end of the 2018-19 season, played in 31 games last year for the Senators, and now will be competing for a full-time spot. A wizard with the puck, he is expected to develop into an offense-driving force for the Senators, though that didn’t come through last season when he had just four assists during his 31-game stint. He did of course produce at nearly a point-per-game clip in the AHL, but some of that production will have to translate before he can really be considered a star at the next level.
Still, he is one of the many young bright spots on a Senators roster that should be improved. The team brought in Evgenii Dadonov and Alex Galchenyuk to give them a little more punch up front, Matt Murray to stabilize the goaltending position, and players like Erik Gudbranson, Josh Brown, and Austin Watson to make the team tougher to play against. Those additions, along with the natural development of young players like Brannstrom and Brady Tkachuk, should make Senators’ games much more competitive.
While they still might not be able to compete with some of the top teams in the All-Canadian division, this is no longer a “tank” year for the Senators. Real, tangible improvements from players like Brannstrom is the goal, and losing every night won’t accomplish that.
Ottawa Senators Plan To Be Buyers At Trade Deadline, Beyond
The Ottawa Senators have been dwelling at or near the bottom of the Atlantic Division for several years now as owner Eugene Melnyk has taken a team that was one win away from going to the Stanley Cup in 2017 and has torn it down piece by piece, selling off practically every asset in on its team. Interestingly enough, if you look back to that 2017 team, only two players remain still on the roster from that squad three years ago — Colin White, who played just two games, and forward Nick Paul, who played one.
However, after posting a combined 82-124-29 record over the last three years, Melnyk spoke to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun on the day of the team’s 30th anniversary, claiming the team is now heading in the right direction and are well on their way to a being a Stanley Cup contender.
“We have turned the corner. We just now need to execute on what we have,” Melnyk said. “This is the team, with what we have right now, I believe can win a Stanley Cup already, and that’s without adding some veterans, which we plan to do.”
Ottawa, which has progressively moved all of its stars over the past three years, which includes a list of Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, amongst others. The team then cut ties with a number of veterans this year, including goaltender Craig Anderson and forward Bobby Ryan before going out and signing a number of free agents in the offseason, bringing in Evgenii Dadonov, Alex Galchenyuk, Erik Gudbranson to complement their youth movement and even added a few others via trade, including goaltender Matt Murray.
Melnyk said in the interview that the team intends to continue to be active at the trade deadline, but no longer as sellers.
“We’ll be a team that’s active at the trade deadline and not as sellers, but as buyers, just like we used to be,” Melnyk said. “If you look at my track record on spending on players, we were always up there. We were never at the top, but we were always right there or around the centre. Now, we’re going to stay somewhere in the centre, depending on where it’s at. Our budgets are always somewhere around $70 million, which is in the centre.”
In those three years of struggles, the Senators have put together a pool of impressive young talent, including a few top lottery selections over the past few years such as Brady Tkachuk (2018), as well as Tim Stuetzle and Jake Sanderson, both top-five picks in this year’s draft. The team has accumulated quite a few picks in the draft too, including six picks in the top 61 this past year and have four more picks in the first two rounds of 2021. With many of their young talents either ready or quite close to being ready to contribute, the Senators could make quite a jump in the standings in the next couple of years, especially if the owner is willing to spend.
Melnyk already made sure to lock up 23-year-old Thomas Chabot to an eight-year, $64MM extension last year and Tkachuk could easily be the next in line to sign an extension within the next year as he will be a restricted free agent after the 2020-21 season.
Atlantic Notes: Eichel, Hyman, Senators
While many fans look to the Buffalo Sabres offseason as a success, team star Jack Eichel is just as excited about the team’s moves. The 24-year-old expressed frustration with the Sabres’ team and made it clear the Sabres were in need of more veteran players. The team did just that under new general manager Kevyn Adams, who brought in a number of experienced players, including Taylor Hall, Eric Staal and Cody Eakin to bolster their forward depth.
“I know the league is trying to go younger, but I think that you still need those older guys, the veteran guys, the guys that have been there and won,” said Eichel in an interview with Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski. “I think you need them in your locker room, first of all, and you need them on the ice. We’ve definitely been young. We’ve been in a transition for a few years now. There’s always young guys coming through the organization and you want to see everyone have success, but you look at the transformation that our team made this offseason.”
Eichel, who has not been to the playoffs in his entire career, as Buffalo hasn’t reached the playoffs in nine years, has seen a number of veteran players moved out such as Ryan O’Reilly and Eichel’s friend Zach Bogosian in favor of bringing in younger players. However, Eichel is enthusiastic of the direction of the team this season.
“It’s so hard to win when you’re young,” said Eichel. “I think it’s so important to have that veteran presence in the room and on the ice, so I think it was good for us to add that this offseason. We’ll see what happens.”
- The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle (subscription required) debate whether the Toronto Maple Leafs can retain some of their other soon-to-be free agents, including goaltender Frederik Andersen, defenseman Morgan Rielly and forward Zach Hyman. While all three are not likely to be retained due to the team’s continual cap problems in the future, both writers agreed that the slam dunk signing would be Hyman, whose hard-working attitude and competitive culture that he sets in the locker room are critical to bringing back down the road. Of course, both writers did add that much of those hopes will come down to whether Hyman, now 28 and coming off two 20-goal seasons, will be willing to accept a minor home-town discount to stay. If he’s looking to cash in, that could force the team to go in a different direction.
- While many people are beginning to see hope in Ottawa with some of their offseason moves this offseason as well as the development of their youth, The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian (subscription required) writes that the Senators could find themselves at quite a disadvantage next season assuming they end up in an all-Canadian division next season. Ottawa struggled against their Canadian counterparts, posting a 4-8-2 record, including a minus-12 goal differential against those teams. To make matters worse, most of the Canadian teams have improved during the offseason, which could make Ottawa’s season that much more challenging with no cellar dwellers they can take advantage of.
Senators’ Anders Nilsson Unlikely To Be Ready For Season
When the Ottawa Senators take the ice in 2020-21, all eyes will be on newcomer Matt Murray in net. The big off-season trade acquisition is set to take over as starter and appears ready to hold that role for many years to come. Seemingly lost in the shuffle has been the Senator’s previous notable goaltender addition, Anders Nilsson. Acquired midway through the 2018-19 season, Nilsson outperformed the now-departed Craig Anderson down the stretch. The performance won him the starter’s share over Anderson to begin last season, as Nilsson made 20 appearances in the first three months of the year. However, his season would end at 20 games as a concussion in mid December kept him sidelined for the remainder of the campaign. If not for the addition of Murray, a healthy Nilsson likely would have again been seen as the favorite to start in Ottawa in 2020-21.
It’s fortunate then that GM Pierre Dorion and company made the move to bring in Murray, as Nilsson is still not healthy. Senators goalie coach Pierre Groulx tells Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Citizen that Nilsson is still struggling with post-concussion syndrome and is unlikely to start the season on the active roster. While the ultimate decision of whether or not Nilsson begins the year on the injured reserve will not be made until he returns from his native Sweden, the odds are slim that Dorion will entrust a key roster spot to Nilsson if he is not fully healthy. According to Groulx, Nilsson is still suffering through headaches and issues related to his neck and eyes.
While Ottawa does not have any other veteran option to back up Murray in Nilsson’s place, they have a number of prospects who can battle for the role to begin the year. Marcus Hogberg, who served as Anderson’s backup in the second half of last season following Nilsson’s injury is the clear leader, and has a one-way contract to support his case, but he will not go unopposed. The recently-extended Joey Daccord, whose new deal also includes a one-way season, will have a say in the position battle. So too will top goalie prospect Filip Gustavsson, who is currently dominating while on loan in the the SHL. Even first-year pro Kevin Mandolese may get a look in training camp. It will be a hard-fought position battle, but an even more difficult decision may be coming down the line when (or if) Nilsson is finally healthy enough to return to the mix as well.
Poll: Who Would Win An All-Canadian Division?
Earlier today, the Toronto Raptors announced that they will begin the upcoming NBA season in Tampa after their request to play at their home arena was denied by the Canadian government. Because of the travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada, it always seemed impossible for the Raptors—the league’s lone Canadian franchise—to be hosting American-based teams in Toronto. A long quarantine is still required when you enter the country, meaning the logistics of holding NBA games was going to be incredibly difficult.
In the NHL, however, there may be a way around those difficulties. The league includes seven Canadian-based teams, meaning they could play each other in a realigned divisional structure to start the regular season. The seven teams are based all across the country, but would theoretically not need to quarantine between cities—though this is certainly not a guarantee, especially given Toronto’s increased restrictions today.
The idea of an All-Canadian division has been speculated about since the beginning of the offseason, with the general consensus being it would be necessary to get through the 2020-21 season. Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver would be battling it out to be “King in the North.”
If that division does happen this season, who does it benefit? Which team would be the ultimate winner, and who would face an even more difficult task?
The Canucks, Oilers, and Flames all already play each other in the normal Pacific Division, but none of them were able to top the Vegas Golden Knights this year for the first seed. Perhaps if they get away from the expansion powerhouse, they would be even more successful.
The Maple Leafs, Senators, and Canadiens are in the same boat, battling in a tough Atlantic Division that also included two of the league’s best teams. The Boston Bruins had the best record in the NHL when the season was put on pause, while the Tampa Bay Lightning won it all in the bubble. Getting away from the Bruins especially might be a blessing for the Maple Leafs as they try to finally get over the first-round hump.
Or perhaps it’s the lone Central Division team in Winnipeg who would get the biggest boost. The Jets have been an excellent squad for the last several years, but are in a powerhouse of a division with the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars all finishing ahead of them in the standings this year. Sure, the other Canadian teams may not be pushovers, but all seven Central teams were included in the 24-team postseason bubble, with the last-place Blackhawks even upsetting the Oilers in the qualification round.
Perhaps who gets the biggest boost is too tough to answer, given the changing rosters all around the league. But if an All-Canadian division does happen, who will come out on top? Make your prediction below and jump into the comment section to explain your thoughts!
Who would win an All-Canadian division?
Toronto Maple Leafs
24.57%
(782 votes)
Montreal Canadiens
22.49%
(716 votes)
Vancouver Canucks
15.33%
(488 votes)
Edmonton Oilers
13.67%
(435 votes)
Winnipeg Jets
11.50%
(366 votes)
Calgary Flames
9.61%
(306 votes)
Ottawa Senators
2.83%
(90 votes)
Total Votes: 3,183
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Ottawa Senators Sign Egor Sokolov
The Ottawa Senators have inked one of their 2020 draft picks, signing Egor Sokolov to a three-year, entry-level contract. Senators GM Pierre Dorion explained why the team chose to pick Sokolov in the second round despite being passed over in his first two years of eligibility:
To Egor’s credit, he’s worked especially hard for this. Despite initially being undrafted, he applied himself to improve many facets of his game to the point where he led the Quebec league in goals last season. We were pleased to be able to select him where we did last month and look forward to seeing his career progress.
Now 20, Sokolov is eligible to play in the AHL this season should the team feel it is in his best interest. The 6’4″ behemoth is still not a strong skater, but scored 46 goals and 92 points in just 52 games for the Cape Breton Eagles last season, showing he could set up his teammates just as well as he could release his heavy shot.
Even though he was selected 61st overall, it’s hard to know if Sokolov will ever be an impact player in the NHL. If he can improve his skating enough and continue developing his puck protection skills, he could be a legitimate top-six weapon, but there’s also a chance he won’t be able to keep up with the play at the next level.
Anders Nilsson Unlikely To Be Ready To Start The Season
Senators goaltender Anders Nilsson missed the end of last season with post-concussion syndrome and while the team was hoping he’d be good to go when the puck drops on the 2020-21 campaign, it doesn’t appear as if that will happen. Goalie coach Pierre Groulx told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that the netminder is still dealing with the lingering issues and his availability for next season remains in question. It has now been just over 11 months since Nilsson sustained the concussion and Ottawa seemingly prepared for him not being available next season when they added Matt Murray from Pittsburgh at the draft. As things stand, barring a quick and surprising recovery from Nilsson, Marcus Hogberg will serve as the backup goaltender to start the season.
Ridly Greig Tests Positive For COVID-19
The Team Canada World Junior selection camp will be down a body for another few days. Ryan Rishaug of TSN reports that Ridly Greig has not yet joined the group after testing positive for COVID-19 on November 8. Greig, who is asymptomatic, is at home quarantining and will join the team around November 22.
Selected 28th overall in this year’s draft, Greig was the third of a trio of first-round picks the Ottawa Senators had. The Brandon Wheat Kings forward put up 60 points in 56 games this season but brings more than just offensive production to the table. Though he stands just 5’11” and is usually one of the lighter players on the ice, Greig never shies away from contact or post-whistle shenanigans. When executives and coaches talk about being “hard to play against” without being big, that perfectly describes the 18-year-old Grieg.
Rishaug also reports that Quinton Byfield has arrived in Edmonton but is still waiting for his test results before joining the team practices, while Xavier Simoneau is waiting for his results before traveling. The month-long camp got underway with some pretty spectacular moves from Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach, who figures to play a leading role at the tournament. Greig will have to hope he can make a similar impact upon arrival, as he battles an extremely deep forward group for limited spots.
Free Agent Profile: Anthony Duclair
It’s hard to believe that a player who was named to the all-star game just last year would still be sitting on the free-agent market at this point in the offseason, however, Anthony Duclair remains one of the top names in free agency who hasn’t found himself a home one month into it.
On the surface a 25-year-old all-star unrestricted free agent is a rarity as most big-named free agents are older when they hit UFA status the first time. Of course, much of that is due to the fact that the Senators did not qualify him, leaving him a free agent. Regardless, Duclair is coming off a great season in which he tallied 23 goals and 40 points in his first full season in Ottawa and looked prime to sign a long-term deal with the Senators this offseason. On top of that, he is also a fast skater, placing sixth in the fastest skater contest at the all-star game last year. However, Duclair struggles significantly in one area that could be keeping him from being signed — his defense. He is a goal scorer first, and there is a significant step back on his defensive efforts, one that former Columbus Blue Jackets’ coach John Tortorella mentioned before the team traded him to Ottawa back at the trade deadline in 2019.
Strangely enough, however, despite the belief that Duclair would dominate on the power play and not even play on the penalty kill, it’s the exact opposite. Duclair struggled on the man advantage at times during the season, while actually providing solid play on the Senators’ penalty kill, which makes things even more confusing.
However, another fact that stands out is that Duclair dominated the first half of the NHL season, scoring 21 goals and 33 points in 47 games. While the second half of the season was suspended, he only tallied two goals in 19 games following the all-star game, a significant drop off, making him one of the more unique players with little consistency.
Potential Suitors
While many people figured that Duclair had a good chance to sign a long-term deal with Ottawa this offseason, that never materialized. Duclair fired his agent and opted to represent himself. He was supposedly offered a two-year deal at $3MM AAV and turned that deal down, believing he could get more on the open market. However, no deal has materialized in this depressed market and now with Ottawa having brought in Evgenii Dadonov and Alex Galchenyuk, it’s extremely unlikely that the Senators will bring back Duclair even if he accepts a lesser contract.
Other teams still may be interested, although a deal is likely to come closer to when training camps begin. There are a number of playoff teams that might be interested in bringing in the 25-year-old as a second or third-line option on a short-term deal, but Duclair might have to accept less from those teams than the deal that Ottawa offered in the first place.
The Nashville Predators, who are looking for more firepower for their team, have been mentioned as one team that is looking at both Mike Hoffman and Duclair as options, although Hoffman could be the team’s first choice. However, Duclair might be a good fit, who could battle for a spot on the team’s second line there.
Other playoff teams like the Boston Bruins, the Dallas Stars or the Colorado Avalanche as options, but many of these teams might be more likely to look and see what they have in training camp before bringing in Duclair.
Projected Contract
Representing himself may have been a mistake as the forward now may be forced to accept less than the two years at $3MM AAV that he reportedly declined earlier in the offseason. He will almost assuredly will have to accept a deal with little term, either a one or two-year deal, but may have to take something significantly less than what he rejected in the first place.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.