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Sharks-Avalanche Outcome Of Interest To Senators, Red Wings

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The Colorado Avalanche and Ottawa Senators seem to be inextricably linked this season. While GM Joe Sakic and the Avalanche were cheering on every Ottawa loss as a step closer to a top draft pick, Senators GM Pierre Dorion now gets his own chance to hope for a Colorado defeat. The Senators are one of two non-playoff teams hoping the San Jose Sharks can overcome the Avalanche tonight and advance another round. That’s because of the conditions on the Erik Karlsson trade from last season, which state that if the star defenseman re-signs in San Jose another second-round pick will change hands. That pick will upgrade to a first-round selection in 2021 if Karlsson re-signs and the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup final this season.

While obviously the Sharks want to win the Stanley Cup, just reaching it would certainly make any extension talks with Karlsson more interesting. The team has already traded away their first pick in this year and next year’s draft, meaning they could end up without one until 2022. There hasn’t been any indication which way Karlsson leans so far, as he is instead focused on the playoff run ahead of him. Sharks GM Doug Wilson though has always tried to retain his rental acquisitions, as evidenced most recently by the seven-year extension for Evander Kane.

The Senators aren’t the only team watching the outcome though, as the Detroit Red Wings also have some skin in the game. The Red Wings will see their 2020 third-round pick acquired for Gustav Nyquist upgrade to a second if the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup final this season or if he re-signs with them. Again, Nyquist has fit in quite nicely with the Sharks and could be a candidate for an extension, but the condition makes it more difficult from a San Jose perspective.

Obviously the Sharks would need to win another series against the rolling St. Louis Blues in order to get to the final, but they’ll have to get past the Avalanche tonight. As they try to slow down Nathan MacKinnon and company, they’ll have some cheerleaders from the Eastern Conference.

Julius Bergman Returning To Sweden

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As expected, prospect Julius Bergman has decided to return to Sweden and play for Frolunda during the 2019-20 season. The 23-year old defenseman is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer and will not be re-signing with the New York Rangers.

Amazingly, Bergman was involved in three different trades since the end of the 2017-18 season. After three seasons with the San Jose Sharks he was included in the original Mike Hoffman deal with the Ottawa Senators along with Mikkel Boedker. After just 33 games for the Belleville Senators of the AHL, Bergman was flipped along with Matt Duchene to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Since he had already indicated to the Senators that he wasn’t going to re-sign, the Blue Jackets also felt they had no need to keep him around and included him in the deal to acquire Adam McQuaid from the Rangers just a few days later. In ten games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, Bergman recorded two points.

Originally drafted 46th overall by San Jose in 2014, Bergman actually quickly came to North America to continue his development in the OHL. He recorded 42 points in 60 games for the London Knights during the 2014-15 season, while also suiting up for Sweden at the World Juniors and making his AHL debut at the end of the year. The young defenseman has shown some exciting offensive ability over the years but failed to really climb the depth chart in San Jose, and now will return to continue his development overseas. The Rangers can retain his rights for the time being by issuing him a qualifying offer, and hope that he changes his mind down the line.

Atlantic Notes: Moore, Miller, Senators’ COO, Canadiens’ Backup

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With the news that Charlie McAvoy will miss Game One of the Eastern Conference Final, the Boston Bruins know that they will need someone else to step up and fill both his spot in the lineup and his considerable minutes. While the latter responsibility will likely fall to increased roles for Brandon Carlo and Torey Krug, as well as captain Zdeno Chara of course, someone will have to come off the bench and be ready to contribute. Who exactly that will be remains a mystery, but the pool of potential options has increased. Speaking with the media today, Bruins GM Don Sweeney revealed that John Moore will be available on Thursday and that Kevan Miller has not been ruled out either. Moore was injured early in the Bruins’ last series and did not return, while Miller has not played at all in the postseason while rehabbing a lower-body injury. Sweeney did not sound optimistic that Miller would be the choice for Game One, but did promise that the further the team plays into the postseason, the more likely it is that he will return to the lineup. Miller began the season as a top-six regular for Boston, as he has for several years now, but injuries cost him all but 39 regular season games. An especially injury-prone defense corps this season has helped the Bruins give the likes of Moore, Matt Grzelcyk, Steven Kampfer, and Connor Clifton all considerable play time, and head coach Bruce Cassidy has entrusted the youngsters Grzelcyk and Clifton with starting roles moving forward in the playoffs. If Miller is still unable to go on Thursday, the decision would thus come down to Moore versus Kampfer, with the latter providing a right-handed shot and more stable defense, but the former bringing more experience with the team and more puck-moving ability to help with McAvoy’s absence. It will be an interesting decision for Cassidy and his staff and one that could play a major role in the Game One result.

  • Ottawa Senators’ COO Nic Ruszkowski is leaving his post after just one year on the job. As The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes, this is yet another shake-up to a front office that is still searching for a President of Hockey Operations, not to mention a head coach. Garrioch reports that Ruszkowski’s departure has spurred the Senators to restructure their administrative structure, with several executives moving into new roles to take on some of Ruszkowski’s duties. While the team claims that this restructuring will “strengthen our club”, Ruszkowski’s unexpected resignation is yet another stain on a difficult season for the Senators and only adds to the mythos of owner Eugene Melnyk being a difficult individual to work for. The team has a lot of work to do this summer on all fronts and hopefully can get their front office sorted out sooner rather than later.
  • The Montreal Canadiens may be paying Carey Price $10.5MM per year, but that doesn’t mean they expect him to play in every game. Yet, Price started the second-most games in the league this season, making 66 appearances. The poor play of backup Antti Niemi forced head coach Claude Julien’s hand in many cases and the team has already told Niemi, an unrestricted free agent, that he will not be back. Simply promoting Charlie Lindgren likely isn’t a much better option either. Instead, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels writes that the Canadiens will looks for experience and value on the free agent goalie market this summer. Engels warns that Montreal should not overpay for a backup, given the investment in Price to be “the guy” for ideally 60 games or so each year, but also feels they need a trusted veteran who could step in as the starter in case of injury. A cost-effective, proven veteran goalie is not always an easy thing to find, but Engels does throw out the likes of Cam Talbot, should he opt not to re-sign with the Philadelphia Flyers, Brian Elliott, Curtis McElhinney, Anders Nilsson, Keith Kinkaid, and Michael Hutchinson as top options. In all likelihood, it will be one of those names backing up Price come October.

Bettman: No Sale Or Relocation Plans For Senators

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  • While the lack of progress on an arena deal has led some to speculate that an ownership change or relocation could be on the table for the Senators, commissioner Gary Bettman told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that the team isn’t for sale and moving them is not a consideration. Things were looking up in Ottawa with the proposed LeBreton Flats agreement but that deal fell apart with both parties involved ultimately taking each other to court.  Meanwhile, Bettman wouldn’t confirm or deny if the league is involved in assisting the team with their search for a president of hockey operations.

Prospect Notes: London, Ilves, Kallionkieli

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It’s no secret that the Canadian junior ranks and the American collegiate ranks compete over prized prospects constantly. In most cases, once a young player decides on their route, there is no going back. Playing even one game in the OHL, WHL, or QMJHL disqualifies an athlete from NCAA participation so there is no recourse once the major junior path is chosen. However, there are rare occurrences where some prospects play for or commit to a a college program before eventually joining a junior club instead. Incredibly, the OHL’s London Knights landed two such players today. The team announced that both Jonathan Gruden and Bryce Montgomery have joined the organization ahead of the 2019-20 season. Gruden, who turns 19 tomorrow, was a fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators last year and played for Miami University this season. Despite a promising 15-point freshman season, Gruden decided that the college game was not for him for some reason. Last month, he shockingly signed his entry-level contract with the Senators, giving up the rest of his NCAA eligibility. Gruden is not yet eligible to play in the AHL and is not close to ready for the NHL, so it was a foregone conclusion that he would join the Knights, who held his CHL junior rights. As for Montgomery, his change of heart is a new surprise. The 16-year-old American is a highly-touted young defenseman who was expected to play at the prep school level for a couple more years before joining Providence College. Instead, he has reneged on that commitment in favor of getting to the next step in his development even sooner with London. The Friars’ loss is the Knights’ gain, as Montgomery has the size and strength to be a difference-maker immediately at the junior level. Both he and Gruden are major additions for a London program that has become one of the best developers of talent in all of junior hockey in recent years.

  • Sometimes prospects don’t just have to decide between whether the college game or junior game is better for their development, but rather if North America is the right choice for them overall. Two talented 2019 draft-eligible prospects have tested the waters and decided to return home for next season. Lassi Alanen, a European scout for Future Considerations, reports that Ilves of the Finnish Liiga have welcomed back defenseman Lassi Thomson and brought in forward Matias Macelli for next season. Thomson, expected to be a late first- or early-second round pick in June, spent this past year with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL. While he excelled, leading all Rockets defensemen with 17 goals and 41 points in 63 games, he clearly feels the pro game would be a better next step for his growth. While Thomson possesses great skill and skating ability, there is room to improve defensively and physically, which will be easier to do against older competition. Thomson also has experience with Ilves, having grown up in their junior ranks. Macelli is new to Ilves – he was a TPS product prior to his move overseas – but the team is likely just as excited to have him. Macelli spent the last two seasons with the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints and in 2018-19 finished third in the league in scoring with 72 points in 62 games. The talented winger was in the top five of both goals and assists in the USHL, as he showed a balanced offensive attack. Expected to be a second- or third-round pick this spring, Macelli has the makings of a player who could prove to be a draft steal if his skill set translates to the pro level.
  • A fellow Finn who is keeping college, junior, and Liiga teams alike waiting is forward Marcus Kallionkieli. Like Macelli, Kallionkieli is a skilled forward out of the USHL expected to land in the second or third round of the draft this year. A bigger, stronger winger, Kallionkieli has adopted the North American style and has become and adept goal-scorer, notching 29 goals and 53 points in 58  games this season for the Sioux City Musketeers. Although Kallionkieli was reportedly focused on a college scholarship, and at one point linked to the University of Denver where teammate and presumptive first-round pick Bobby Brink is headed, there has been no commitment to this point. He could opt to play another year in the USHL before joining the college ranks or he could turn his attention to the CHL or a return to Finland. There’s even a chance that the team that drafts him wants to see if his mature game is ready for the AHL right away, although that might be a long shot. One way or another, the intriguing forward is a name to watch out for.

 

Youth Added To Team USA For IIHF World Championship

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USA Hockey has announced a trio of new additions to their IIHF World Championship roster, and all three represent the next wave of NHL talent. Not only will the team bring in potential first-overall pick Jack Hughes, but newly acquired New York Rangers prospect Adam Fox is heading to Slovakia along with Ottawa Senators defenseman Christian Wolanin.

Hughes is obviously a huge addition after lighting up the U18 tournament last month, but Fox represents a very interesting situation. The 21-year old defenseman was traded from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Rangers just yesterday, but hasn’t officially signed his entry-level contract. While it is obviously expected to happen before the season begins, technically he still could return to Harvard for his senior season in 2019-20. Fox will be joining Brady Skjei on the Team USA roster, a potential defensive partner next season with the Rangers.

Wolanin meanwhile is a little bit older than the other two, after turning 24 in March, but also brings a little bit of NHL experience. The Senators defenseman has 40 games under his belt at the highest level, but still spent most of this season in the minor leagues with the Belleville Senators. The former University of North Dakota standout has 15 points in those first 40 NHL contests, and is expected to take on a bigger role with Ottawa next season.

The full roster is now as follows:

G Thatcher Demko
G Cayden Primeau
G Cory Schneider

D Quinn Hughes
D Alec Martinez
D Brady Skjei
D Ryan Suter
D Noah Hanifin
D Adam Fox
D Christian Wolanin

F Alex DeBrincat
F Jack Eichel
F Luke Glendening
F Patrick Kane
F Clayton Keller
F Chris Kreider
F Dylan Larkin
F James van Riemsdyk
F Frank Vatrano
F Colin White
F Johnny Gaudreau
F Derek Ryan
F Jack Hughes

Hughes, at just 17 years old will become the youngest player ever to suit up for Team USA at the World Championships.

Blue Jackets Notes: Dzingel, Wennberg, Nutivaara, Nash

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Ryan Dzingel may have wished that he signed a contract extension with the Ottawa Senators after all.

The winger opted against signing a contract extension before the trade deadline, which forced Ottawa to send him to the Columbus Blue Jackets instead. However, the 27-year-old hasn’t fared very well under head coach John Tortorella. He posted just 12 points in 21 games and has been scoreless in five playoff games. In Game 1 of Columbus’ second-round series against Boston, Dzingel only got 11:06 of ice time in an overtime game, the lowest among all forwards. That eventually prompted Tortorella to play Alexander Wennberg, who has long sat in Tortorella’s doghouse, in favor of Dzingel for Game 2, leading to what many believe was a healthy scratch, writes the Ottawa Sun’s Don Brennan.

While there was no confirmation that Dzingel was a healthy scratch, Brennan doubts that he is injured as he was one of the last players to leave the ice at the most recent optional skate. In fact Dzingel’s stock, which was quite high at the trade deadline, has dropped significantly and could have a major effect on his next contract. It is looking less and less that the speedy winger who played at Ohio State University will sign a long-term deal in Columbus next year and despite a 26-goal regular season, his suitors seem to be dropping.

  • Speaking of Wennberg, the center, who had been a healthy scratch for seven straight games, fared quite well on the ice Saturday, playing 16:11 on the third line with Alexandre Texier and Oliver Bjorkstrand, according to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Wennberg could have proven that he belongs back in the lineup permanently as the center was crucial on the penalty kill that held the Bruins to just one goal on four chances.”The kill did a really good job,” Wennberg said. “Personally, it was good to be back out there. I tried to make good reads and have a good stick. It’s good to be out there.”
  • In the same article, Svoboda reports that defenseman Markus Nutivaara could be close to returning to the lineup. While Tortorella won’t talk about lineup changes, Nutivaara skated with the team during an optional practice before Game 2 on Saturday and while he didn’t play Saturday, he could be ready to return to the lineup shortly. Nutivaara suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 2 of their series with Tampa Bay after being boarded by Nikita Kucherov and suspended for a game.
  • Riley Nash, who took an explosive hit from former teammate Zdeno Chara in the first period of Saturday’s game, seems to be OK, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. Nash looked shaken up, but was back on the ice not long after the hit. “That was a big hit,” Tortorella said. “It took him a few minutes on the bench, and next thing you know, he’s ready to go. He played a really good game, too, probably one of our most patient guys with the puck, especially on the wall play of our end zone.”

Toronto’s D.J. Smith A Candidate For Ottawa’s Head Coach Vacancy

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The Ottawa Senators’ season has officially been over for more than three weeks and was statistically over long before that. Yet, the team has still not made a decision behind the bench, after head coach Guy Boucher was fired in early March. Interim head coach Marc Crawford closed out the year and remains a candidate to take on the full-time job, but it was expected that the Senators would consider a number of names for the position. However, it has been very quiet on the coaching front, perhaps as the team still has yet to fill another position, President of Hockey Operations.

The other possibility is that the majority of the intriguing coaching candidates for GM Pierre Dorion could be assistants with playoff teams, who either remain focused on the postseason or were only recently eliminated. Hinting at this scenario is the first real leak of hiring news out of Ottawa in weeks: Pierre LeBrun reports that the team intends to interview Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach D.J. Smith for the head coach position. Smith’s Leafs were eliminated from the postseason less than a week ago and only now has he become available for consideration.

Smith, 41, is an Ontario native who has worked with the Leafs since 2015 as an assistant. A long-time assistant with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, Smith got his break when he was named the head coach of the rival Oshawa Generals in 2012 and it didn’t take long for him to then move into his first NHL role. He would again be moving to another in-province rival if he makes the jump from Toronto to Ottawa. His experience working with younger players would certainly benefit him with the rebuilding Senators, as would his knowledge of the Maple Leafs, who pop up quite frequently on the schedule. Smith has the makings of a future NHL head coach and this does seem to be an ideal situation for him to make that jump.

In addition to Smith, The Athletic’s Chris Stevenson lists several other names expected to get interviews, many of which come as little surprise. Crawford, AHL Belleville head coach Troy Mann, and veteran Jacques Martin, also a candidate for the Buffalo Sabres’ opening, are obvious contenders for the Ottawa opening. However, a more intriguing name – like Smith – is also included in Providence College’s Nate Leaman. With a mix of experience, convenience, and upside among their candidates, it is finally looking like the Senators could soon take steps toward hiring their new head coach.

Montreal Canadiens Re-Sign Nate Thompson

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The Montreal Canadiens acquired veteran forward Nate Thompson ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline this season to add bottom-six depth for a playoff run that never materialized. They gave up little to acquire him, swapping a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft for Thompson and a fifth-rounder from the Los Angeles Kings. Yet, the Habs have decided to make the most of that minor investment. The team has announced a one-year contract extension with Thompson. It is a one-way deal worth $1MM.

The extension represents a small pay cut for Thompson, who had a $1.65MM AAV on his previous two-year deal, one that was originally signed with the Ottawa Senators but was served with three different teams. Yet, it is a fair downgrade for the 34-year-old forward. While still a dependable two-way player and an asset at the face-off dot, Thompson point totals fell last year and he hasn’t cracked 20 points since 2010-11. Yet, in just 25 games with Montreal, Thompson scored more points than he accumulated with the Kings in more than twice the games earlier in the season. If that level of production continues – a 23-point pace – this deal will be a great bargain for the Canadiens.

With Thompson signed and the Habs already confirming that backup goaltender Antti Niemi won’t be returning, the team has very few unrestricted free agents to worry about. Only forward Jordan Weal, a fellow deadline addition, and defenseman Jordie Benn are set to hit the open market. Like Thompson, Weal played far better in Montreal than in his previous locales during the season, while Benn had a career year in 2018-19. Both are strong candidates to return to the team.

Jacques Martin Linked To Buffalo Coaching Search

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The Buffalo Sabres didn’t end up with Todd McLellan after a recent courting process, and have now been linked to several other names including out-of-the-box options. Today, Darren Dreger of TSN was on The Instigators on WGR550 in Buffalo and reported that Jacques Martin is a leading candidate for the job (quote via WGR550 producer Brayton J. Wilson):

This isn’t a news flash because it’s been speculated. I’m told that Jacques Martin is a top candidate in Buffalo, but he may be among them. There’s been speculation of Todd Richards, although a couple of days ago I got the sense that [Richards] is of interest and is certainly a candidate, but things weren’t heating up there. Maybe that’s changed in the last 24 hours, I don’t know that, but yesterday I was told that Jacques is considered a top candidate. We’ll see.

Martin is currently an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and John Shannon of Sportsnet also notes that the Ottawa Senators have asked for permission to talk to their old coach.

It is easy to see why Martin might be on GM Jason Botterill’s short list, given the connection the two share from their days in Pittsburgh together. Botterill was an assistant GM for the team when Martin joined them in 2013, and the two enjoyed consecutive Stanley Cup wins together in 2016 and 2017. There is also the simple fact that Martin is an extremely experienced head coach, including a near decade behind the bench of the Senators and time leading the St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens. His 613 regular season victories put him 20th all-time, though he never did win a Stanley Cup as a head coach.

There is also the idea that Martin could be the type of structured, defensive coach that the Sabres need. The team has struggled in their own end for years and failed to capitalize on their early season success in 2018-19. Rookie head coach Phil Housley is out after just two years, the fourth name that has come and gone without much success since Lindy Ruff was fired during the 2012-13 season.

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