Maple Leafs Acquire Max Veronneau
The Maple Leafs have swung their second trade of the day as they have acquired winger Max Veronneau from Ottawa in exchange for center Aaron Luchuk and a conditional 2021 sixth-round pick. Both teams have confirmed the deal. TSN’s Frank Seravalli adds (Twitter link) that the pick will be transferred to the Senators if Veronneau plays in ten NHL games this season or Toronto re-signs him this summer.
Veronneau was one of the most sought after players in last year’s college free agent market after a strong college career at Princeton but ultimately signed with his hometown team. He played in a dozen games with Ottawa down the stretch that year, recording two goals and two assists but has spent the entirety of the season with AHL Belleville, recording just five goals and five assists in 33 games. Ottawa had made him available earlier this month. He’ll require a qualifying offer of just over $874K this summer.
As for Luchuk, he returns to the organization that originally signed him as an undrafted free agent out of the OHL. However, his scoring prowess with Windsor and Barrie has failed to carry over to the pros and he has spent the bulk of his time this season with ECHL Newfoundland where he is averaging over a point per game. His inclusion is likely almost solely for matching contracts (teams can carry a maximum of 50). He’s a restricted free agent this offseason as well and at this point, is a strong non-tender candidate.
Moments after this trade was announced, their AHL affiliates announced a swap of players under AHL contracts as well that is likely part of this trade with the Marlies acquiring defenseman Trent Bourque from the Senators for winger Darren Archibald. Bourque has spent most of the season with ECHL Brampton while Archibald, a veteran of 55 NHL games and more than 400 AHL contests, has a dozen points in 34 AHL contests this season.
Calls Coming On Vladislav Namestnikov
- Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Ottawa Senators are getting calls on Vladislav Namestnikov, another one of their expiring contracts. The team already sent Dylan DeMelo to the Winnipeg Jets earlier today for a third-round pick and have several other potential trade pieces on the market. Namestnikov never really has fulfilled his potential as a top-line player, but does have 12 goals and 24 points since coming over from the Rangers in early October.
Winnipeg Jets Acquire Dylan DeMelo
The Ottawa Senators have traded Dylan DeMelo to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 2020 third-round draft pick. This begins the selling season for the Senators, who are expected to move several players before the upcoming deadline. Winnipeg immediately moved Luca Sbisa to injured reserve, while Ottawa recalled Andreas Englund.
After the New York Islanders spent a second-round selection to acquire Andy Greene recently, the market for rental defensemen seemed to be set fairly high. That bar won’t be hit by the Senators who have settled for a lower pick, though they’ll happily add it to a huge number of selections they have over the next two years.
In this year’s draft the Senators now own two first-round selections (their own and San Jose’s, both headed for the lottery), three second-round selections and two third-round selections. That’s seven picks in the top hundred, and when you consider that they have three seconds again next year there will be plenty of talent infused into the Senators’ prospect system over the next while.
DeMelo is likely also just the first name that Ottawa will move this month. Mikkel Boedker, Vladislav Namestnikov, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Tyler Ennis, Ron Hainsey, Mark Borowiecki and Craig Anderson are all set to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, while younger players like Chris Tierney, Connor Brown and Anthony Duclair are all pending restricted free agents that could bring back value as well. That’s a ton of options for GM Pierre Dorion to move, though the team does need someone to keep playing for them down the stretch.
The 26-year old DeMelo is actually quite a shrewd pickup for the Jets, who have had trouble finding much stability on the blueline all season. The former San Jose Sharks defenseman carries just a $900K cap hit on his expiring deal and has actually been excellent for the Senators. With ten points in 49 games he isn’t going to light up the scoresheet on a regular basis, but DeMelo consistently recovers pucks in his own end and sends play the other way. His versatility will come in handy for a Jets team trying to scrape their way into the playoffs, and a third-round pick is a more than reasonable return for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to give up.
If the Jets decide to try and re-sign DeMelo, it would be the first time this season that he receives a contract offer. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that though the defenseman’s representatives did discuss an extension with the Senators, they never received an official offer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Senators And Dylan DeMelo Far Apart In Extension Talks
The Senators are currently in the process of trying to get some of their pending unrestricted free agents signed in advance of the trade deadline. One of the players they’ve identified as worthy of keeping around is defenseman Dylan DeMelo. However, talks don’t appear to be going too well as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the two sides are not in the same ballpark in discussions which increases the likelihood of him being traded over the next week.
The 26-year-old has been an important part of Ottawa’s back end this season, logging a career-high 19:55 per night which is fourth among their defensemen. He also has chipped in with ten assists in 49 games while averaging nearly two hits per night. That’s a pretty good return for someone that carries a salary just $200K above the league minimum. It also has him well-positioned to land a notable raise on his next contract, especially as a right-shot defender, a spot that is often in short supply.
It’s that low price tag that will have many teams interested as even most cap-strapped squads have the ability to bring in someone with a $900K AAV. Garrioch notes that Calgary, Tampa Bay, Vegas, and Winnipeg are among the teams looking for help on the back end and points out that the Golden Knights could make sense as a landing spot for DeMelo as they are coached by Peter DeBoer who had the blueliner when both were with San Jose.
Beyond center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, DeMelo is arguably Ottawa’s next best trade chip so if the two sides can’t make significant progress on a new deal over the next few days, he will likely be on the move by next Monday’s deadline.
Ottawa Senators Claim Jayce Hawryluk Off Waivers
There seemed to be a fair amount of anticipation that now-former Florida Panthers forward Jayce Hawryluk would be claimed off waivers today. The 24-year-old has struggled with injury setbacks this season and has been unable to carve out a role for himself in Florida, but was a point-per-game player in the AHL last season before being called up an playing at a 24-point pace in the second half of the season with the Panthers. It seems that the expectations that teams would look beyond this season and grab Hawryluk for his previous displays of potential were well-founded. The young forward only lasted until the No. 3 waiver priority, as the Ottawa Senators announced that they have claimed Hawryluk.
The Senators are again heading toward a trade deadline in which they are expected to move a number of roster players. By claiming Hawryluk, the team adds a young player who can move into a regular role in the place of some of those absences. An increase in ice time should also give Ottawa a better idea of Hawryluk’s identity at the NHL level. A dynamic scorer in his junior days, Hawryluk has flashed that ability briefly in the minors but it has yet to show at the top level. Perhaps an expanded role could help him to re-discover that scoring touch. On the other hand, Ottawa may also be looking toward next year as the true test for Hawryluk, as he is an impending restricted free agent with arbitration rights and the cost-sensitive Senators may be hoping to re-sign him at a low cost before trying to inflate his stats.
Joining the waiver wire today are the Sabre’s Taylor Leier, who just signed a two-way NHL contract with the team today, and the Islanders’ Cole Bardreau, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Neither is expected to be claimed, but Bardreau has at least seen NHL action this year. The 26-year-old has skated in ten games with New York and another 29 with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but has five points combined and is not likely a threat to be claimed. His waiving does indicate that the Islanders are opening up a roster spot for some other corresponding move, however.
Minor Transactions: 02/17/20
A pair of big trades by the New Jersey Devils were not the only surprises on Sunday. Five of yesterday’s nine games could be labeled as upsets, including the Devils own win after dealing captain Andy Greene and fan-favorite Blake Coleman earlier in the day. New Jersey went on to beat Columbus in a shootout nonetheless. Additionally, the Senators squeaked by the Stars in overtime, the Predators narrowly edged out the slumping Blues, and the Ducks and Sabres won handily over the Canucks and Maple Leafs respectively. Anaheim will look to play spoiler again today as they visit Calgary as one five games on the docket today. With one week to go until the NHL Trade Deadline, these games will be an important piece in determining buyers and sellers, as could the roster tweaks they make ahead of these key contests. Keep up with all of those minors moves right here:
- Boston Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton is nearing a return to the lineup, as the team announced last night that they had assigned Clifton to AHL Providence on a conditioning loan. Clifton has played in 30 games so far this season, but has been out since before the calendar flipped to the new year with an upper-body injury that landed him on long-term injured reserve. Clifton’s eventual return will cause some complications for the Bruins as his roster spot has been occupied by Jeremy Lauzon, who has moved into a starting role in Boston and even earned a new two-year extension. If the Bruins opt to carry eight defensemen upon Clifton’s activation, the most likely candidate to go down (following waivers) would be young grinder Anton Blidh.
- St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac reports that veteran Troy Brouwer has been reassigned to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. While there has been no official announcement by the team, this should not come as much of a surprise, as Brouwer has previously been sent to the AHL this year. The 34-year-old signed with St. Louis in late November for what will likely be his final NHL campaign, but has only been used sparingly and has struggled to produce in what time he has been given.
- After recalling defenseman Andreas Englund from AHL Belleville before last night’s game, the Ottawa Senators were quick to send him right back once the game was over. The up-and-down has been a common theme of Englund’s season, as the big Swedish blue liner has played a dozen games with Ottawa and 22 with Belleville. He has just two points combined this season, both in the NHL.
Minor Transactions: 02/16/20
The Colorado Avalanche’s opportunity to take over first place in the Central Division came up short Saturday night at the Air Force Academy in Colorado at the Coors Light Stadium Series outdoor matchup. The Los Angeles Kings got a hat trick from Tyler Toffoli, who likely raised his trade stock, and helped the Kings knock off the Avalanche, 3-1. Instead of moving into first, Colorado fell behind the Dallas Stars Saturday, who came back from a 3-0 deficit to the Montreal Canadiens to win in overtime, to move into second place. To make matters worse, both St. Louis and Dallas play Sunday, while Colorado has the day off, giving both teams a chance to extend their lead on the Avalanche. As the playoff race intensifies, teams will continue to make roster moves to strengthen their teams. Check back to see the roster moves throughout the day.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Wednesday that forward Cam Atkinson would miss the next two to three weeks with a high ankle sprain. Now the team has placed Atkinson on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb. 8. The team will replace him on the roster with forward Kole Sherwood. The 23-year-old has appeared in three games with Columbus so far this season with no points, but has only averaged 6:38 of ATOI, as he tries to earn the trust of head coach John Tortorella.
- The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have assigned forward Nicolas Roy to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL after being recalled on Saturday with Jonathan Marchessault questionable. However, Roy was not needed as Machessault did play, so the team returned him. Roy has six points in 19 games with Vegas this season.
- Speaking of players who got assigned Saturday, the Winnipeg Jets announced they have recalled forward Andrei Chibisov from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL after sending him down the previous day. Chibisov is still looking to make his NHL debut. The 26-year-old, signed out of the KHL last June, has seven goals and 24 points in 48 games with the Moose. It’s expected that Chibisov will make his debut Sunday.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have brought up two young prospects in forward Egor Korshkov and Mason Marchment from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. The 6-foot-4 Korshkov, the team’s 31st pick in 2016, finally came over from Russia this summer and has fared well in the AHL, scoring 14 goals in 35 games, could make his NHL debut if he gets into a game. Marchment has appeared in three games for the Maple Leafs, but has been on a tear since the team returned him to the AHL on Jan. 14. He has eight goals in the past five games with the Marlies. With the recall of two players, CapFriendly reports that Toronto placed Andreas Johnsson on long-term injured reserve. Johnsson was deemed to be out for the next eight weeks on Friday with a knee injury.
- The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled defenseman Andreas Englund from the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Englund has been up and down all season. The 24-year-old has two assists in 12 games for Ottawa, but is actually scoreless in 22 games with Belleville.
- After acquiring Andy Greene in a trade from the New Jersey Devils, the New York Islanders have sent Sebastian Aho back to the minor leagues. Greene will join the Islanders on the road in Arizona where they face the Coyotes tomorrow.
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Hunter Miska, just a few days after signing him to an NHL contract. Miska will likely serve as backup for Pavel Francouz after Philipp Grubauer was injured last night.
Senators Notes: Borowiecki, Veronneau, Ryan
The Senators have been believed to be talking to some of their pending unrestricted free agents about the possibility of signing a contract extension before the February 24th trade deadline. It appears that veteran Mark Borowiecki will soon be sitting down for his talks as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports in the latest Insider Trading (video link) that discussions with the 30-year-old are expected to occur in the near future. Borowiecki has spent the entirety of his NHL career with the Sens, spanning parts of nine seasons. He’s in the midst of a career year with 18 points in 53 games while averaging 17:56 per night, nearly three minutes more than his career average. That should have him in line for a raise on his current $1.2MM price tag and while the veteran has indicated his preference to stay in Ottawa, he may have to take a little less than he could get on the open market to stay there. Unfortunately for both him and the team, he is expected to be out for a little while following an injury sustained last night, notes Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas (Twitter link) which could also impact his odds of being dealt.
More from Ottawa:
- While there are plenty of veterans available, at least one of Ottawa’s prospects can be had. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest 31 Thoughts column that winger Max Veronneau is available. The 24-year-old signed with the Sens in college free agency last season out of Princeton and held his own with four points in a dozen games. However, he has been quieter in the minors this year with just five goals and five assists in 33 contests but teams that had interest in him a year ago could certainly still be interested now. He hasn’t played in a month but could return to action with Belleville as soon as tonight.
- Winger Bobby Ryan is still likely a couple of weeks away from returning, notes TSN’s Brett Wallace (Twitter link). He left the team back in November to enter into the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program but resumed skating back on February 5th. With that timeline, he will be returning after the roster size limit will have been lifted. Prior to stepping away, he had played a sparing role, suiting up in 16 games while recording a goal and three assists. If Ottawa moves some players out as expected though, there could be an opportunity for more playing time down the stretch.
Senators Assign Filip Chlapik To Belleville
- After having a very limited role in recent weeks, the Senators announced (Twitter link) that they have sent center Filip Chlapik to AHL Belleville. The 22-year-old has played in 30 games with Ottawa this season but has averaged just 8:37 per night in largely a fourth line role. He has been more productive in the minors with 14 points in 24 contests while spending a lot of time in Belleville’s top six.
Trade Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators
With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Ottawa Senators.
It’s been a improved season for the Ottawa Senators. New head coach D.J. Smith seems to be having some success and the franchise finally seems to be heading in an upwards trajectory. That doesn’t mean the team is winning that much, however, as they have the 29th best record, but no longer are they the worst in the NHL. However, the rebuild continues and while many of their prospects are developing nicely, the team still has plenty of assets they could move to continue their full rebuild.
Record
18-26-11, seventh in the Atlantic Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$26.13MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2020: OTT 1st, SJ 1st, OTT 2nd, CLB 2nd, DAL 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 4th, TB 5th, SJ 6th, STL 6th, OTT 7th
2021: OTT 1st, OTT 2nd, CLB 2nd, SJ 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 6th, OTT 7th
Trade Chips
The most coveted player is center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has had a breakout year, scoring a career-high 21 goals already and not letting up. The 27-year-old is highly coveted and while it might make sense to lock up the center as a piece of the team’s future, recent reports suggest that there has been little to no negotiations between the two sides so far, suggesting that a trade is highly likely. In total, Pageau has 21 goals, 34 points, 102 hits and a 52.8 face-off percentage. He also is quite affordable at $3.1MM, but will hit unrestricted free agency and hasn’t indicated that he would be willing to sign an extension with another team upon a trade, meaning he could just be a rental option for a playoff team.
The team also has other intriguing options as the Senators have quite a few pending unrestricted free agents. While it’s likely they will re-sign some of them, there are a number of players like Vladislav Namestnikov and Tyler Ennis that could attract some attention.
If teams are interested in defense, the Senators have a few options as well with veteran Ron Hainsey standing at the top of the list. Hainsey has been a solid top-four option on Ottawa’s defense since signing with them this summer on a one-year deal. The Senators have quite a few young defensemen looking for playing time. Therefore it would make sense for Ottawa to move out Hainsey, who averages 20:07 ATOI at $3.5MM. While he doesn’t provide a significant amount of offense (one goal, 11 points), he provides solid defense, including a plus-four rating and 75 blocks. Throw in Dylan DeMelo and Mark Borowiecki as potential trade targets as well.
Five Players To Watch For: D Mark Borowiecki, D Dylan DeMelo, D Ron Hainsey, F Vladislav Namestnikov, F Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Team Needs
1) Draft Picks: You don’t have to look farther than the draft chart above to see that the Senators are already loaded with picks, but the more you have, the more successful you will be. The team already is armed with two potential lottery picks for 2020, loaded with draft talent, and have three second-rounders after that. The team has another three second-round picks for the 2021 draft. So, adding more could be the key to this team’s long-term future.
2) NHL-Ready Youth: The team is already loaded with prospects, although many of them have struggled to make the transition from the minors to the NHL. However, especially with the Senators looking to move on from several players, the team could use some more prospects who are either already in the NHL or have started to make that transition which could give the team some buffer room so they can avoid throwing their prospects into a situation they may not be ready for yet.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.