Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Senators Rumors

Latest On Erik Karlsson Trade Talks

at CDT | by 12 Comments

Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson remains the most prominent defenseman available on the trade front and it there have been a few times already when a move looked imminent.  In an interview on TSN 1050 (audio link), TSN’s Darren Dreger noted that there is a growing sense that a trade could happen in the next day or two.

Similar to what happened with the Canadiens and Max Pacioretty, the beginning of training camp could serve as an artificial deadline in an effort to try to get something done before Karlsson’s situation becomes the focal point of media attention.

Dreger noted that the Stars, who were at one point viewed as the front-runner for Karlsson’s services, do not appear to be in the hunt at the moment.  He suggests that the recent managerial change in Tampa Bay could wind up sparking something while he believes that Vegas could still be in the mix as well despite moving one of their top trade chips in prospect Nick Suzuki to Montreal as part of the Pacioretty deal.  David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal echoes that sentiment, adding (Twitter link) that the Golden Knights have upped their efforts to get a deal done.  It’s believed that Ottawa has already turned down an offer that included six elements – two roster players, two prospects, and two draft picks although that was contingent on the acquiring team working out an extension.

Karlsson is in the final year of his contract with a $6.5MM cap hit and a $7.5MM salary.  The Sens offered him a long-term extension when the window to do so opened up in July and it has previously been reported to range between $10MM and $11MM per season but it was quickly rejected.  It’s likely that if and when he does get moved, his new deal should still wind up between those two amounts.

The 28-year-old is coming off of a bit of a quieter year by his standards but still put up 62 points (9-53-62) in 71 games while logging 26:44 per night, his lowest average since 2011-12.  However, he was slowed down at the beginning of the year with an ankle issue but indicated earlier this summer that he has fully recovered from it.

Karlsson’s status has been one of the dominant storylines of the offseason but it appears that this one could be coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Jack Skille To Attend Ottawa Senators Training Camp

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators released their training camp roster today, and while it contained most of the expected names—including Erik Karlsson despite continuing rumors of his trade availability—there was one that stood out. Jack Skille, veteran of 368 NHL contests, will join the Senators camp on a professional tryout in hopes of another chance in North America.

Skille, 31, played in the KHL last season where he recorded 25 points in 41 games. The seventh-overall pick from 2005 last played in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks in 2016-17, and has also suited up for the Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks during his career. Once a top prospect, Skille now represents a potential depth option for the Senators at the bottom of their lineup.

Perhaps one of the “new” players that owner Eugene Melnyk was talking about, Skille could actually represent a fine veteran option for a team in the midst of a rebuild. Though he’s shown very little offensive upside at the NHL level, he obviously possesses enough skill to play in the league and actually posted positive possession numbers in his small sample with Vancouver. Ottawa is looking for bodies to fill up the lineup as they sell off expiring assets, and Skille could earn himself a short-term contract.

Trade Talks For Erik Karlsson Have Picked Up In Recent Weeks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • Trade talks regarding Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson have picked up in recent weeks, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. As for their other prominent pending restricted free agents, Garrioch suggests that Ottawa’s belief is that center Matt Duchene and winger Mark Stone could still be a part of their long-term future.  If that’s the case, they won’t be engaging in trade discussions involving those two for a while.

Poll: How Many Pending UFAs Will Stay With Ottawa?

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Ottawa Senators made waves last night when they released a bizarre marketing video that seemed intended to settle down fans and sponsors upset with the direction of the team. Owner Eugene Melnyk and defenseman Mark Borowiecki discussed the roster, and how it may look completely different over the next 12 months. Melnyk even went so far to say there will be 10 “new”—rookies or players who played around ten games last season—on the roster this season and 15 or 16 in 2019-20. While that seems difficult to pull off for the 2018-19 season given the veteran group that is there right now, perhaps there is huge turnover coming in the next few weeks and months.

When looking at the Senators salary structure, there is certainly a few things that stick out. Only Bobby Ryan is signed for more than three seasons, and just Marian Gaborik and Zack Smith are even under contract that long. Almost the entire roster is set to hit unrestricted free agency in either 2019 or 2020, meaning there is a good chance they could have a much different looking group down the line.

That different look though is predicated on the idea that the Senators won’t re-sign any of their pending free agents. While Erik Karlsson seems like he’ll be gone soon and at the very least won’t be re-signing with Ottawa, Mark Stone and Matt Duchene have both remained open to the idea. Beyond them though are other key players like Ryan Dzingel and Chris Wideman, both scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2019.

So how many of those pending UFAs will stick around? Vote below for all the players who you believe will re-sign with the Ottawa Senators before the beginning of the 2019-20 season. Leave your comments on where you think they are heading below!

Which pending UFAs will re-sign in Ottawa?
Ryan Dzingel 12.98% (181 votes)
None of the above 12.77% (178 votes)
Matt Duchene 10.98% (153 votes)
Magnus Paajarvi 9.47% (132 votes)
Chris Wideman 9.04% (126 votes)
Mark Stone 8.90% (124 votes)
Tom Pyatt 6.31% (88 votes)
Max McCormick 4.59% (64 votes)
Erik Burgdoerfer 4.16% (58 votes)
Mike McKenna 4.09% (57 votes)
Jim O'Brien 4.02% (56 votes)
Paul Carey 3.80% (53 votes)
Chase Balisy 3.73% (52 votes)
Ben Sexton 3.37% (47 votes)
Erik Karlsson 1.79% (25 votes)
Total Votes: 1,394

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Ottawa Senators Preparing For Huge Roster Turnover

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Late last night after much of the hockey news had died down for the day, the Ottawa Senators released a video of defenseman Mark Borowiecki and owner Eugene Melnyk discussing the future of the organization. Touching on subjects from dressing room leadership to overcoming the low expectations for 2018-19, Melnyk made clear he would be staying with the franchise for a long time and will not move it from Ottawa. He also noted an interesting point about roster construction, explaining how quickly the rebuild will get underway:

This coming year we’re going to have 10 out of the 22 players are going to be new. Meaning they’re either rookies or they’ve played maybe under 10 games last year. Then the following year, it’s going to go up to about 15 of the 22, maybe 16. So that’s a total turnover you know, which is exactly what should be in a rebuild. 

Stripping your roster down to the studs and letting a group of young players grow and mature together is often a strategy for struggling teams who want to rebuild, and the Senators saw a similar situation play out just down the road in Toronto a few years ago. In fact, when the Maple Leafs traveled to Ottawa to open the season in 2016 they had seven rookies in the lineup including Auston Matthews, who scored four times despite the loss. That would appear to be the blue print for Melnyk and the Senators as they look to pull a similarly speedy rebuild.

The question though becomes how do they achieve the goal of having 10 rookies on the roster at the beginning of the year. The team currently has at least 19 players—Mark Stone, Bobby Ryan, Matt Duchene, Zack Smith, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ryan Dzingel, Tom Pyatt, Magnus Paajarvi, Max McCormick, Colin White, Marian Gaborik, Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci, Chris Wideman, Ben Harpur, Thomas Chabot, Craig Anderson, Mike Condon and Borowiecki—who played more than 10 games for the organization last season and should at the very least be battling for roster spots. While perhaps Melnyk was exaggerating and players like White and Chabot would still be considered “rookies” given their relative youth and inexperience, it seems likely that there will be substantial turnover in the rest of the group.

We’ve heard for months that Karlsson may be on the block, speculation that will only increase given his complete absence from this video, but other players including Stone and Duchene are both heading into the final years of their contracts and could be shipped out for prospects and picks. If the Senators are committed to a full scorched earth rebuild, they are powerful assets in trade.

At the very least, we should expect the Senators to be involved in trade talks all season. Even though Melnyk and Borowiecki seem excited about playing the underdogs this year, the amount of roster turnover that the owner mentions isn’t possible without some transactions coming through the pipe quickly. Camp starts in just a few days and Senators rookies should be licking their chops on the opportunity that is apparently there for the taking.

Red Wings Re-Sign Matt Puempel To Two-Year Deal

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

There is one less restricted free agent remaining unsigned. With training camp opening up next week, the Detroit Red Wings have re-signed their lone remaining free agent, forward Matt Puempel. The team announced a two-year deal with Puempel, which will make the 25-year-old an unrestricted free agent when the contract expires after the 2019-20 season. No salary details have been disclosed.

Puempel came to Detroit early last season in a trade from the New York Rangers, a one-for-one swap for defenseman – and current free agent – Ryan Sproul. Although Puempel never suited up for Detroit in 2017-18, he still had an impressive season. The hard-working winger was an AHL All-Star and scored at nearly a point-per-game pace, with 57 points in 62 games. Among forwards with 60+ games played, Puempel had the sixth-best scoring rate in the league. The 2011 first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators has not panned out as expected, and likely won’t, but showed some impressive ability last year and can be a strong depth option for the Red Wings.

Of course, the question raised by any Detroit signing is how it impacts the salary cap. Most likely, Puempel has signed a two-way deal since he did not log and NHL game last season. The bigger question is his salary at the NHL level and whether or not it is a comfortable fit within the Red Wings’ cap crunch. Detroit’s payroll for a 22-man roster, which doesn’t include a seventh defenseman, is currently projected to be $82.77MM, almost $3.5MM over the salary cap. The team will gain cap space when Johan Franzen and likely Henrik Zetterberg are placed on long-term injured reserve, but after a defenseman and at least one replacement forward are added, much of that space will be used up. Whether or not Puempel can then fit into the roster remains to be seen.

Canadiens’ Jake Evans Recovering After Head Injury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens faced a scary situation last night in their NHL Rookie Showdown game against the Ottawa Senators’ prospects. First-year pro Jake Evans suffered a frightening injury after a hard hit and awkward fall late in the third period. (video) Evans was decked by defenseman Jonathan Aspirot, a Senators camp invitee, while trying to enter the offensive zone and lay motionless for some time after the check. Evans was stretchered off the ice and taken to a nearby hospital.

The first update on Evans’ condition came late last night, when the Canadiens revealed that he had arrived at the hospital and was conscious and moving his limbs. Just this small amount of news came as a major relief, as the promising prospect had avoided any sort of serious brain or spinal trauma. Montreal then announced this morning that Evans had been released from the hospital and was back in Brossard, the location of the team’s practice complex. Evans will undergo treatment for the injury and has entered the league’s concussion protocol.

While Evans’ recovery likely means that his chances of winning a spot on the NHL roster to begin the season are gone, the good news is that his quick turnaround implies that he avoided serious injury and should be healthy for the bulk of the coming season. A four-year starter at the University of Notre Dame, as the captain and team’s leading scorer last season, Evans has already greatly outpaced his seventh-round draft slot from 2014. He may not have won a spot even if he had avoided last night’s injury, but the skilled center will push for play time soon enough regardless. The Habs and their fans – as well as the rest of the hockey world – are just glad that a talented young player avoided serious injury.

Latest On Matt Duchene, Ottawa Senators

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Ottawa Senators look like they may have the keys to the 2019 free agent market at the moment, with Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone and Matt Duchene all heading into their final seasons. Duchene, the 27-year old center that Ottawa put together a big package of assets for last season, has spoken about how he would like to stay with the Senators if possible in the past, but today denied that the two sides have had any talks. Frank Seravalli of TSN quotes Duchene, who also notes the appeal of unrestricted free agency.

It’s the first time you have that ultimate power as a player and you have to do what’s best for you.

Duchene, like any other pending free agent, just watch John Tavares reach free agency and finally decide to follow his heart back to his hometown. A seven-year, $77MM deal awaited Tavares in Toronto, and while Duchene may not command that kind of commitment he would certainly be a sought after asset next summer. Just today, Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) released an article speaking with other star players who took notice of Tavares’ decision and respect how he took care of himself over any loyalty to his former team.

While none of this means that Duchene’s tenure in Ottawa is coming to an end, it has to be on the mind of the front office after spending so much last season to bring him in. The Senators’ season went downhill quickly after acquiring Duchene, but at the time there was already talk about extending him long-term if possible. GM Pierre Dorion had coveted Duchene for some time, and after a rocky start the star center fulfilled on some of his potential. With 49 points in 68 games for the Senators, Duchene showed that he can still be a very effective offensive player and could be a key member of a group that has been pushed into rebuild status without even trying.

Duchene was eligible for an extension on July 1st, but as he explained to Seravalli there have been more pressing matters to deal with in Ottawa this summer. With the Karlsson situation still hanging over the franchise and training camp opening in a few days, there may not be news on a contract extension for Duchene anytime soon. With every day that passes free agency becomes more and more enticing though, so the Senators have to make sure they make a decision on Duchene’s future before long.

The Framework Of An Offer Ottawa Has Received For Erik Karlsson

at CDT | by 3 Comments

  • The Senators have received a trade offer for defenseman Erik Karlsson that features six elements in it, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (audio link). The offer is believed to consist of a pair of roster players, two prospects, plus a pair of draft picks although it’s contingent on Karlsson agreeing to a long-term contract extension.  Dreger notes that the offer came in several weeks ago without a deal happening but that at least provides a better idea of what Ottawa is looking for in order to move their franchise player.

Morning Notes: Krejci, Senators, Canucks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The John Tavares saga wasn’t very fun for the New York Islanders, as they watched their captain and face of the franchise head to the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency. It also might not have been the best time for an opposing center, as David Krejci tells Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports. Krejci didn’t hear from anyone in the Boston Bruins organization during their own courtship of the star free agent, one that many believed would force the team to move on from one of their more high priced forwards. There’s no one in the Boston organization with a higher price tag than Krejci, who also happens to play the same position as Tavares.

With all that finished now, Krejci will get his chance to show why he earned his own big paycheck by taking on Tavares and the Maple Leafs this season. The Bruins knocked the Maple Leafs out of the playoffs last season by smothering top options like Auston Matthews and William Nylander with two defensively capable centers in Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. Toronto had little answers this spring, but will now be heading into the 2018-19 season with arguably the best group of centers in the league. The Bruins will have to find an answer for Tavares and Matthews if they want to get by them once again, given that the two teams seem destined for a collision in the postseason once again as two of the top contenders in the Atlantic Division.

  • The Ottawa Senators have announced the hiring of three additional scouts, hiring Kyle Flanagan, Peter Havluj and Christian De Blois. Each will have their own individual territories, with Havluj spending his time in the Czech Republic. The Senators notably passed on Czech forward Filip Zadina in the most recent draft, but may get some more insight into the country’s top prospects going forward. Ottawa’s scouting staff is notoriously small, but has found some solid results in the last few drafts in players like Alex Formenton, Filip Chlapik and Jonathan Dahlen, all selected outside of the first round.
  • Erik Gudbranson spoke to Luke Fox of Sportsnet about several pressing matters for the Vancouver Canucks this season, including the now-vacant captain position after Henrik Sedin’s retirement. Gudbranson believes the team needs a captain this season and suggests that “guys would be excited” about Bo Horvat as a candidate. Horvat is entering his fifth season in the NHL and has long been expected to take over a leadership role on the team when the Sedin twins finally called it quits. The 23-year old center wore an “A” with the London Knights and could be the center of the next wave of Canucks playoff hopes.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top