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Minor Transactions: 02/23/2019

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With the NHL Trade Deadline just two days away, some key match-ups took place last night as several teams jockeyed for playoff position. The Columbus Blue Jackets – and new addition Matt Duchene – Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets all picked up important wins, while the Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks suffered frustrating losses. Every result is amplified with the deadline this close and teams trying to figure out what do do before it passes. There are 22 teams in action tonight and each will be trying to gauge their team’s needs and playoff chances and how to address them before Monday afternoon. In that same vein, it will be all hands on deck for every club this weekend, which means several minor transactions are on the way. Track them all here:

  • Heading to Columbus alongside Duchene yesterday was AHL defenseman Julius Bergman. However, he never actually landed in Columbus and may never suit up for the Blue Jackets. The team announced that Bergman has been reassigned to their affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, where he can reasonably expect to play out the season. Then, Bergman is expected to return to his native Sweden next season. His move to the Blue Jackets was simply a way for the Ottawa Senators to open up an additional contract slot for the organization as they continue to deal at the deadline and hope to add multiple pieces in return.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled a pair of forwards and may have some ulterior motive for doing so. The Sabres announced that Danny O’Regan and Scott Wilson have been promoted from the AHL’s Rochester Americans.  O’Regan, 25, has not played in the NHL all season and as a result is headed for Group 6 unrestricted free agency this summer. Wilson, 26, also has yet to make his NHL debut this season and has been buried in the minors of late. He has an additional year remaining on his contract at $1.05MM, but doesn’t appear to have a place in Buffalo’s long-term plans. Without any attachment to either player moving forward, it seems likely this call-up could be used to showcase the capable forwards. Whether the Sabres choose to buy or sell, there’s reason to believe both O’Regan and Wilson could have value to a variety of teams.
  • In a corresponding move, CapFriendly reports that the Sabres have reassigned defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the AHL. The return of Casey Nelson has pushed Pilut to the No. 8 spot on the Buffalo blue line and the team clearly prefers he get some play time in the minors instead. The 23-year-old has shown some flashes of brilliance at times this season, but overall has yet to prove he is an everyday NHLer.  Meanwhile, the team announced that winger C.J. Smith has also been sent to Rochester.  He has played in 11 games with Buffalo so far this season but has been a point-per-game player in 41 contests with the Americans.
  • Henri Jokiharju’s latest stint with the Blackhawks was short-lived as the team announced that he has been returned to Rockford of the AHL.  He was recalled just yesterday but suited up when Carl Dahlstrom (flu) was unable to play.  However, the 19-year-old played just 9:14.  Jokiharju was a regular for Chicago early on but has not had the trust of head coach Jeremy Colliton to the point where they’ve decided he’s better off in the minors for the time being.
  • The Senators have assigned defenseman Maxime Lajoie to Belleville of the AHL, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie.  The 21-year-old rookie surprised many with a strong start to his season with seven points in his first six games.  However, he has cooled off considerably since then with only eight points over his last 49 contests while his ice time has dropped a lot as of late.  A chance to go back to the minors and log some more minutes would certainly be beneficial for his development.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Corban Knight from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, according to Sam Carchidi of Philly.com. Knight, who has missed most of the season with a broken collarbone, was placed on waivers two weeks ago and sent down to get him some playing time. The 28-year-old has fared well in four games with the Phantoms, posting two goals and six points.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled star prospect Sam Steel from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL and have assigned forward Brian Gibbons there instead, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Steel, the team’s first-round pick in the 2016 draft, had 15 goals and 32 points for the Gulls, but has struggled in Anaheim’s lineup in 13 games this season. The team hopes that after a significant time in San Diego, Steel can contribute the offense the team needs to turn around their season. Gibbons had just two goals and five points in 44 games for Anaheim this season.
  • To make room for Ryan Dzingel on the roster, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have assigned defenseman Adam Clendening to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. The 26-year-old was faring well with Cleveland with three goals and 28 points in 33 games. However, he has appeared in just four games for Columbus this year with no points.

Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Ryan Dzingel

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The Columbus Blue Jackets aren’t done adding. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Blue Jackets have finalized a deal to acquire forward Ryan Dzingel from the Ottawa Senators. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Senators will trade Dzingel and the Calgary Flames 2019 seventh-round pick to Columbus for Anthony Duclair and two second-round picks, ones in 2020 and 2021.

For Columbus, general managers Jarmo Kekalainen continues to add to a team that has decided to go all-in and try to win a Stanley Cup, so far getting all his additions from Ottawa after the team acquired Matt Duchene from the Senators Friday. This almost guarantees that the team will hold onto forward Artemi Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky as own-rentals instead of trading them both away. This time, Columbus moves a pair of second-rounders to get Dzingel, who should add another key element to the team’s top-six and continue to move the rest of their team to strengthen the third and fourth lines.

Dzingel, who was one of three pending unrestricted free agents in Ottawa who didn’t want to commit to the Senators’ long-term, returns to Ohio where he played three years of college hockey at Ohio State University (and was a Hobey Baker award finalist), making him a legitimate candidate to potentially re-sign with the Blue Jackets this summer. There has been no discussion as of yet of an extension, however. The 26-year-old has 22 goals and a career-high 44 points and should make an instant impact next to Duchene.

For Ottawa, the team gets back forward Anthony Duclair, who Columbus’ head coach John Tortorella said on Tuesday, “I don’t think he knows how to play.” The 23-year-old Duclair is considered to be a talented scorer, but is now on his fifth team in his young career and there were rumors that he was a locker room distraction. He will get a final chance to develop into the player that many teams have thought they could get when they traded for him. Duclair posted a 20-goal season with Arizona in his rookie season back in the 2015-16 season, but tallied five goals after that and combined for 11 between Arizona and Chicago last year. He was not handed a qualifying offer and eventually signed a minimum-salaried deal with Columbus this summer. Duclair started off strong this season as he scored eight goals in his first 19 games of the season, but has seen his playing time drop considerably due to his lack of defense. With the available playing time that Ottawa will have after moving their top three players, the Senators should have the playing time to see if they can get Duclair to figure things out in the NHL.

The key to the deal is the two second-round picks. While it is often said that second-round picks pan out at a significantly less rate than first-rounders, the Senators managed to snag two of them, not including the 2019 first-round pick that Columbus gave Ottawa in the Duchene trade as well as a conditional first-rounder in 2020. With their recent trades (not including those including Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson) last summer, Ottawa could have as many as 16 picks in the first three rounds of the draft in the next three drafts, including five first-round picks, seven second-rounders and four third-round picks.

Latest On Mark Stone Trade Talks

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Trade chatter continues to increase surrounding the Ottawa Senators and Mark Stone, but TSN’s Bob McKenzie writes that while it may be a longshot, the Senators haven’t ruled out attempting to sign Stone to an extension. Of course, it would require Ottawa owner Eugene Melnyk to make a bigger offer to Stone and it would require the 26-year-old to actually agree to stay in Ottawa, both which seem unlikely at this point.

Regardless, while the team is still hoping for a positive outcome, McKenzie adds that general manager Pierre Dorion remains focused on trading Stone and reports that the Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames and the Boston Bruins remain the most interested teams, although Ottawa is talking to other teams as well.

The Jets have been mentioned for quite a while and have discussed moving their first-rounder as well as forward Jack Roslovic for starters, but will likely need to offer another significant prospects as well to net him, while Nashville has made it clear they will not be moving prospect Eeli Tolvanen in a rental situation, but are open to moving out some of their other prospects and have quite a bit of young depth ready who could immediately step into Ottawa’s lineup.

Other teams have made it clear they would want to know whether Stone would be willing to sign a long-term deal with them. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun writes that he believes the Calgary Flames would only be interested in acquiring Stone if they believe he will sign an extension with them. The problem is that Calgary would need to send Ottawa some salary back as part of any trade as the team only has $5.77MM in cap room to make a deal, well short of the $7.35MM that Stone makes.

The cost for Stone is currently considered to be very high, suggesting that a Stone trade may go down to the wire as teams will wait for the price to go down. Regardless, McKenzie writes that a potential long-drawn out process shouldn’t slow down other trades as many teams, who feel that they’ve been priced out will likely refocus their sights on New York Rangers’ Mats Zuccarello or New Jersey Devils’ Marcus Johansson.

Latest On Ryan Dzingel Trade Talks

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While Senators winger Mark Stone is the top rental player available on the trade market, it appears that their other UFA winger of note will be on the move first.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that there is increased traction on a trade and that teams believe Ottawa is getting closer to pulling the trigger.

Dzingel has very quietly put up 22 goals and 22 assists this season, giving him a career-high 44 points while he’s one goal shy of matching his top mark set in 2017-18.  While he may not play in a top-line role with a contender like he has with Ottawa for the most part this season, he’d slide in nicely on a second unit for several top teams.

The fact that he has a $1.8MM cap hit should increase his market relative to more expensive rental wingers like Mats Zuccarello ($4.5MM) or Gustav Nyquist ($4.75MM).  He could very well wind up tripling that deal on the open market in July which makes a quick extension an unlikely proposition.  He reportedly turned down a five-year extension with an AAV over $4MM in recent days.

TSN’s Darren Dreger adds via Twitter that the Bruins and Blue Jackets are among the teams interested in adding the 26-year-old.  Boston added Charlie Coyle earlier this week but appear to be intent on deploying him at center for the time being so there is still a spot to try to fill on the wing.  Meanwhile, Columbus has apparently shifted course and instead of moving out Artemi Panarin, they’ve decided to go for it this season with Friday’s acquisition of Matt Duchene and adding Dzingel would give them someone that Duchene has some chemistry with.  Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (via Twitter) links Chicago as another team with some interest.  They’ve played themselves back into the race out West and could certainly use another top-six forward.

As for the asking price, it appears to be quite high.  Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports (Twitter link) that the Sens are seeking a first-round pick plus another asset for Dzingel.  Considering the Blue Jackets dealt their 2019 top pick for Duchene and encumbered their 2020 first rounder in the deal as well (conditional on Duchene re-signing), that asking price could make it tricky for them to stay in the mix.

It’s going to be a very interesting few days in Ottawa as GM Pierre Dorion is expected to dismantle a big chunk of their core with Duchene already and gone and Stone likely to be on the move as well.  It now appears that Dzingel is also getting closer to having a new place to play.

Trade Rumors: Hart, Elliott, Tolvanen, Rangers, Senators

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Some bad news on one player could turn out to be a blessing in disguise in regards to another. The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that rookie sensation Carter Hart will be out at least ten days with a lower-body injury. Hart has been playing phenomenally this season and his absence could end what little hope the Flyers had of reaching the postseason this year. However, it will force the team to start Brian Elliott tonight in their Stadium Series game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philly’s final game before the deadline. Recent acquisition Cam Talbot is still new to the team and unable to jump in net just yet. However, Talbot’s presence makes Elliott expendable and the Flyers are known to be shopping him. The team tried to move Elliott to the Edmonton Oilers as part of the Talbot return, but ended up trading away the younger Anthony Stolarz. However, with playoff-bound teams like the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights in need of reinforcements in net, Elliott is very much still in play. A strong performance on a grand stage tonight could be enough to convince those kicking the tires to take a shot on Elliott. Moreso, the injury news on Hart could be the final straw for new GM Chuck Fletcher, as he is still allegedly unsure of whether to sell or not at the deadline. With Elliott, Wayne Simmonds, Michael Raffl, and several others drawing interest, Fletcher should be more encouraged to part with those pieces now that his stud goaltender is out for what could be weeks.

  • The New York Rangers are one of the most talked-about teams as the deadline approaches, as rentals Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello, and Adam McQuaid and even term players like Chris Kreider and Vladislav Namestnikov are drawing considerable interest. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the Nashville Predators are one of the teams in talks with the Rangers, but it appears that one of their best assets may be off the table. Brooks reports that the Predators will not trade 2017 first-round pick Eeli Tolvanen for a rental this season. Nashville does not have interest in Hayes, but has looked into Zuccarello, however they won’t offer up Tolvanen to land him. Brooks believes Tolvanen would only be available to the Rangers in a deal for Kreider. The talented Finnish forward has only seen limited NHL action thus far, but is still coveted by sellers – not only the Rangers – for his potential. In this scenario, it’s the sellers who may have to ante up with a signed player to get the prized prospect. As for the Rangers, they may have better luck getting a top return for Zuccarello elsewhere. Brooks states that the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins are among the teams pursuing the veteran winger, while a report yesterday stated some contenders are willing to pay the price to package Zucarello and Hayes together.
  • Meanwhile, the price for McQuaid has gone up significantly today following the trade of Ben Lovejoy to the Dallas Stars. McQuaid is arguably the top rental defenseman left on the market, currently ranked No. 21 overall on TSN’s Trade Bait List. With the trade statuses of Alex Edler, Niklas Kronwall, Cody Ceci, and others still unclear, McQuaid looks like the top target for defense-needy teams versus the likes of Michael Del Zotto and Bogdan Kiselevich. McQuaid is by no means a star or season-changing acquisition, but he is likely the best available defenseman even as just a physical, stay-at-home defender. If the New Jersey Devils can draw a third-round pick and young roster player for Lovejoy, the Rangers are suddenly looking at second-round territory with McQuaid. To protect their top trade assets, New York will not play McQuaid, Zuccarello, or Hayes today, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
  • Many have felt that the allure of the free agent market for Matt Duchene and Mark Stone and the caliber of return the Ottawa Senators could get for trading them left Ryan Dzingel as the most likely of the trio to re-sign with the team. That certainly isn’t going to be the case. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Dzingel recently turned down a five-year extension offer worth more than $20MM, a significant pay raise over his current $1.8MM cap hit. After that, the team made the definitive decision to trade him before the deadline. Garrioch adds that Stone also rejected the Senators’ last offer, and eight-year pact of unknown value, but the team has not yet completely closed the door on a new deal. They continue to take offers on the star winger though, as Garrioch writes that the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning are the team’s most involved in Stone talks. He believes the Bruins are also interested in Dzingel. It remains to be seen who ends up with Stone or Dzingel and how the returns compare to that of Duchene, but one way or another the Senators are walking away from the deadline with a complete lack of star power on the roster, but a massive influx of picks and prospects to show for it.

Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Matt Duchene

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The Matt Duchene era in Ottawa is over.  The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired Duchene and minor league defenseman Julius Bergman from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a package including a 2019 first-round pick (top-3 protected) and prospects Vitaly Abramov and Jonathan Davidsson. While extension talks have not yet occurred between the Blue Jackets and Duchene, the team would give up an additional first-round selection in 2020 if he re-signs. The two teams play each other tonight in Ottawa.

This deal has huge implications for not only the two teams involved, but the entire league that was waiting for a price to be set on the very best rentals available at this year’s deadline. Duchene was one of three players considered the top tier of the market, along with former teammate Mark Stone and, coincidentally new teammate Artemi Panarin. The fact that the speedy center is heading to Columbus complicates matters, given that it now seems unlikely that the Blue Jackets would move on from Panarin after adding such a big name.

In fact, there may be reason for Columbus to add even more in the coming days. Despite not having seen playoff hockey since the 2013-14 season, Duchene remains an incredible talent that can take over a game with his speed and skill. The Blue Jackets, who currently sit one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, likely see this opportunity as their best chance to finally win a playoff series, something the franchise has still never accomplished. The Metropolitan Division playoff spots are even still up for grabs, with third place Pittsburgh holding just a two-point lead on Columbus heading into tonight’s action.

Still, it’s a hefty price to pay for a player who is having a career year and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Duchene has 58 points through 50 games and will likely break his previous highs of 30 goals and 70 points, but is completely unproven in the postseason. In a ten year NHL career, Duchene has played just eight playoff contests and has never scored a playoff goal.

Bergman, who also comes to Columbus in the deal is unlikely to spend much time in the organization. There have been reports recently that the Swedish defenseman will be heading back to the SHL after the 2018-19 season when his entry-level contract expires. The Senators needed to keep the number of contracts equal given their other upcoming moves and the fact that they are currently sitting just two spots under the 50-contract threshold.

The Blue Jackets did however avoid giving up the very best of their prospects. While Abramov is armed with incredible puck skills (perhaps among the best in the world), he is undersized and has weaknesses throughout his game. In 52 games with the Cleveland Monsters this season the 20-year old winger has 22 points, but also still holds a development ceiling of a first-line NHL player. If Ottawa can get him there they’ll have a star on their hands, but that’s far from guaranteed at this point.

Davidsson meanwhile is a sixth-round pick who has found real success in Sweden since being drafted. The 21-year old forward recorded 31 points in a breakout season in 2017-18, and has 20 through 35 games for Djurgardens this season while playing a bigger role. His ceiling may not be quite as high as Abramov’s, but there is a good chance that Davidsson will play NHL games at some point in the near future.

If you only look at this trade, it looks like a win for the Senators. Selling off an expiring asset during a lost season for potentially four valuable assets is a good way to build up your system and compete in the future. Unfortunately, Duchene leaves Ottawa with quite a bit of baggage that cannot be ignored. The Senators gave up a ton of value to acquire him from the Colorado Avalanche in the fall of 2017, sending out Kyle Turris, Shane Bowers, Andrew Hammond, a third-round pick and, most notably, an unprotected first-round selection.

That first-round pick did have a condition that the Senators could give up their top selection in either 2018 or 2019, but after finishing fourth in the draft lottery and staring at Brady Tkachuk on the board, Ottawa decided to push it to this season. The hope was that with some added youth and health the team would not find itself at the bottom of the standings again. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened and Ottawa now sits in last place in the entire NHL and has the best shot at first overall in June’s draft. Colorado now owns that pick, meaning the Senators may very well have given up Jack Hughes in order to acquire Duchene for less than two seasons.

The Senators were never going to recoup full value for Duchene, but they do still have a chance to make this deadline a success. With this return plus potentially even more in trades for Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel, the team can start their rebuild in full and hand the keys to a new wave of talent. The team already recalled Drake Batherson and Logan Brown today, and will still have at least three picks in the first two rounds in June.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

 

Minor Transactions: 02/22/19

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While trade deadline season dominates the headlines, minor moves may actually give hints to what is on the way. Teams often prepare for a trade by moving certain pieces around, and we’ll be here keeping track of all those moves.

  • As the Ottawa Senators prepare to move on from three key forwards, the team has embraced the youth movement. Drake Batherson and Logan Brown have both been recalled while Darren Archibald and Cody Goloubef are on their way to the AHL.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Henri Jokiharju today, as Brent Seabrook will be unable to play due to an abdominal strain. Carl Dahlstrom is also questionable with an illness, meaning Jokiharju could get into his first NHL game this month. The young defenseman is up under emergency conditions, though that could be changed should the team want him to stay even after Seabrook is healthy enough to play.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have called up goaltender Harri Sateri and sent Christoffer Ehn to the minor leagues. Jimmy Howard is dealing with an illness, meaning Jonathan Bernier will get the start tonight.
  • Tyler Gaudet was up for just a single day with the Nashville Predators, and is now on his way back down to the AHL. Gaudet hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2016-17 season, but has 23 points in 41 games for the Milwaukee Admirals this year.

Senators, Devils Hold Top Trade Candidates Out Of Lineup

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The match-up between the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils tonight could have somewhat of a preseason feel. When two of the NHL’s three worst teams face off, they will do so without many of their top players. Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, and Ryan Dzingel will not dress for Ottawa and neither will Marcus Johansson and Ben Lovejoy for New Jersey.

Both teams have confirmed that the scratches are “precautionary”, but seeing as all five are impending unrestricted free agents rumored to be on the trade block with the NHL Trade Deadline just four days away, it is easy to read between the lines. While the likes of Duchene and Johansson have been confirmed as on the market and likely to be traded, speculation is set to soar about Stone and Dzingel, as well as Lovejoy. Case in point: TSN’s Frank Seravalli has moved Stone up to No. 1 on the TSN Trade Bait List following this news, stating that “sitting out signals his apparent decision to forego a contract extension with the Senators in favour of testing the open market.” Stone and Duchene are now occupying the top two spots on the list, with Dzingel at No. 9. For New Jersey, Johansson comes in at No. 14 and Lovejoy at No. 41. Tonight’s lineup decisions indicate all five could be headed elsewhere in the coming days.

Fans in attendance tonight will likely be disappointed by the lack of star power, but not as much as the scouts in attendance. TSN’s Gord Miller notes that the many scouts still evaluating Ottawa’s big three – who make up 41% of their scoring this season – will likely be frustrated by the absence of not just Duchene, who sat out last game, but also Stone and Dzingel. This includes the Winnipeg Jets, who have been frequently linked to the Senators’ stars. NJ.com’s Chris Ryan reports that the Jets have three scouts in attendance, yet no Ottawa stars to observe. Ryan states that ten teams have scouts in attendance and some were likely there to see Johansson and/or Lovejoy as well, but instead will only see sellers protecting their assets.

Latest On Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators submitted a substantial offer to pending free agent winger Mark Stone last week, and things seemed to be trending in the right direction between the two sides. All that changed today according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, who reports that Stone could be scratched tonight and traded before Monday’s deadline after that optimism has “quickly turned to pessimism.” The Senators recalled two forwards—Filip Chlapik and Darren Archibald—today in preparation for tonight’s game which could also see fellow forward Matt Duchene held out as a healthy scratch.

Garrioch notes that if Stone is available at the deadline the Winnipeg Jets are the top contender, though the talented winger would be on the minds of nearly every contender in the league. To that end, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic spoke today about how the Calgary Flames also have interest in Stone if they could somehow get an indication that he would be open to a contract extension.

The 26-year old Stone is an incredible talent in the midst of his second consecutive point-per-game season and will likely reach the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career. A Selke candidate every year even as a winger, there are few players in the league who can drive possession like Stone on a regular basis. His ability at both ends of the rink make him a perfect fit for basically every team in the league, and could potentially make him the most valuable asset at the deadline.

It’s not just as a rental player that Stone has value though. The Senators have tried for some time to sign him to a long-term deal given that he is still in the prime of his career and even an eight-year deal would be buying out mostly productive seasons. That eighth year is also a consideration in trade, as if Stone wants to sign a deal of that length he can only do so with the team who owns his rights as the deadline passes. On the open market, he would only be able to sign for seven years (though sign-and-trade is still a possibility).

If Stone is held out of the lineup tonight it will be a clear indicator that the Senators intend to trade him by the deadline. At that, teams from all around the league will surely reach out if they have not done so already and see what the cost in acquiring him would be. The trade market has been somewhat held up by names like Stone and Duchene so far, but things should be starting to move along in the next few days.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ottawa Senators Recall Two Forwards

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With the Ottawa Senators expected to keep at least Matt Duchene out of the lineup tonight against the New Jersey Devils, two forwards have been recalled from the minor leagues. Filip Chlapik and Darren Archibald have both been added to the roster giving the team 14 forwards for the time being. The team obviously has three major trade chips up front in Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel, but won’t be able to sit them all without suiting up seven defensemen.

If the team does insert Chlapik into the lineup it would be a great opportunity to show that he can be a full-time part of the team going forward. The 21-year old played 20 games for the team last season and recorded four points, but has been limited to minor league duty this year. The 6’2″ forward has 30 points in 41 games for the Belleville Senators and is developing nicely after being picked with the 48th overall selection in 2015.

Archibald meanwhile is just trying to get any chance at the NHL level before it’s too late. The 29-year old forward spent years in the Vancouver Canucks system toiling in the minor leagues, but arrived in Ottawa as part of the Anders Nilsson trade earlier this season. A mix of skill and physicality, he has just 14 points in 54 career NHL games and is looking for his first point for Ottawa.

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