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Trade Rumors: Senators, Blackhawks, Avalanche

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With leading scorer Matt Duchene on injured reserve and expected out for “weeks”, what little chances the Ottawa Senators had of making the playoffs this season are likely to slip away. This was always the expected result of the 2018-19 season for Ottawa, but their efforts thus far to stay out of the basement of the NHL have surprised many and inspired some. However, as reality now begins to finally set in, the team must decide what they want to do with Duchene and fellow impending free agents Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel. As Ken Warren of the Ottawa Sun writes, Duchene – currently tied for ninth in the league in scoring – will likely ask for an eight-year deal in the ballpark of $60-70MM to remain in Ottawa, reflective of the salary he will likely command on the open market. Stone will be in the same neighborhood, with Dzingel significantly lower albeit not cheap by any means, but the Senators cannot even begin negotiations with the pair until the new year, per the rules pertaining to their recent salary arbitration decisions. As such, the team is dealing with three high-quality expiring assets without any guarantee that they will be re-sign or if the team will be willing to meet their salary demands. In a season in which Ottawa could finish with one of the worst records in the league but lacks their first-round pick – given to the Colorado  Avalanche in the deal that landed Duchene – it stands to reason that GM Pierre Dorion will strongly consider recouping as much trade capital as possible if extensions are not in place by the trade deadline. Given the uncertainly surrounding the ownership status of Eugene Melnyk, whose tactics thus far leave much to be desired anyway, Warren believes that Duchene, Stone, and Dzingel, as well as any other free agent in the coming off-season, will think twice about a future in Ottawa. All things considered, it’s beginning to look like the trio stand a better chance to all be traded away in the coming months than any of them do of signing a long-term extension.

  • The Athletic’s Graeme Nichols wonders if yet another Senator is prime trade bait right now as well. With veteran goaltender Craig Anderson playing his best hockey of the season so far, Nichols opines that Ottawa would be best-served to try moving their starter while his stock is high. While the recent home-and-home series with the Montreal Canadiens did not go so well, Anderson did look very good in wins over the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks prior, recording 63 saves on 65 shots over the two contests. Anderson also made 48 saves against the Dallas Stars last month and notched wins over the Tampa Bay Lighting and Pittsburgh Penguins. Admittedly, even as this best, Anderson is still a 37-year-old replacement-level goaltender at this point in his career and won’t command much of a return. However, the Senators’ season is sinking and they should get what they can while his value is potentially at its peak. The knock on moving Anderson this season has been that Ottawa has no suitable replacement – backups Mike Condon and Mike McKenna have performed very poorly in limited appearances – and thus trading Anderson means giving up on the season. Yet, with Duchene out long-term, any postseason hopes will fade and moving Anderson will begin to make more sense. As Nichols recalls, Anderson himself also alluded to a desire to move on from Ottawa this summer, so making a deal seems to be in the best interest of all parties. There are plenty of teams out there who would be intrigued by adding an established veteran in net this year and Anderson could soon fill that role.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks made it known yesterday that they are looking to move out some of their defensive depth, but NBC Sports’ James O’Brien asks if they are focused on the wrong players. Rather than try to flip the likes of Brandon Manning or Jan Rutta, for which they would receive relatively little, O’Brien believes that the team’s long-term needs would be better served by trading away a mainstay like Duncan Keith or Brent Seabrook. This is not so cut-and-dry, as O’Brien admits, but would be worth looking into. Both players carry no-trade clauses that Chicago GM Stan Bowman would first need to ask them to waive. Even if Seabrook was to agree, it seems very unlikely that Bowman would find a taker for the depreciating defenseman and his albatross of a contract. If by some chance he does, it would be a small return similar to Manning or Rutta, but with a far greater salary cap relief. Keith is another matter; while not what he once was, the 35-year-old is still a very capable defenseman who would play in the top four for nearly every team in the NHL, at least for now. The worry is that Keith will continue to age and his ability will fall off, while the Blackhawks continue to pay him more than $5.5MM per year and rely on him for top minutes. Removing that crutch (and cap hit) now, in what appears to be another lost season for the team, would give Chicago a strong return that they could use to begin rebuilding the team. The alternative, which also appears to be the current plan, of waiting for the current roster to turn things around, will only increase the risk of injury or drop-off from Keith while damaging his market value as he ages. A move now would be painful to the fan base in the short term, but the right move looking toward the future.
  • One team who could be a dangerous player at the trade deadline this season are the Colorado Avalanche. Per CapFriendly, the Avs are currently projected to have more than $56MM in cap space available at the deadline, or in other words have no limit to the amount of talent they can bring in if they so choose. Colorado is currently tied for the lead in the Central Division with the Nashville Predators and could even emerge as President’s Trophy threats this season. Armed with the best line in the NHL, including the top two scorers in the league, Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon, and the best power play as well, the Avalanche are second in goals for per game among all teams. They also play well in their own end, seventh in goals against per game behind the efforts of Semyon Varlamov. Yet, the Avalanche are not without fault and could stand to add a contributor or two both on defense and up front. The team was expected to add top prospect Cale Makar to their blue line by the end of the regular season, but with his college squad, the UMass Minutemen, ranked No. 1 in the nation, Makar could be occupied through the Frozen Four tournament in mid-April. A capable puck-moving defenseman should thus be at the top of the list for Colorado, followed by an injection of offensive ability and two-way accountability among the forward corps, where their secondary scoring and penalty kill could both use work. While the matter of cost in trade capital is another question entirely, the Avalanche will have the cap space to hypothetically address their needs by adding the likes of Jordan Eberle, Kevin Hayes, and Jay Bouwmeester for example. That’s a dangerous premise for other contenders to consider as Colorado continues to excel this season.

Senators Place Matt Duchene On Injured Reserve

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UPDATE: Senators coach Pierre Dorion spoke with the press this morning, and TSN’s Brent Wallace relays the news that Duchene’s condition is worse than initially expected. Dorion revealed that his star center suffered a groin injury and gave a rough timeline of “weeks” before a return. Any hope that Duchene would miss only three games is lost, as he could easily be out through the holiday break. Not to be ignored in Wallace’s report is that Bobby Ryan has also been placed on IR by Ottawa, having suffered a concussion. The Senators will now be missing the skaters ranked first and sixth on the team in scoring into the foreseeable future.

9:30 am: The 12-14-3 Ottawa Senators need Matt Duchene in the lineup to win hockey games. They also need him on the ice and scoring as much as possible to boost his trade value if the impending free agent center has no plans to re-sign with the team. In either case, an injury absence is of no help to the Senators. Yet, that is what they are dealing with currently. NHL.com reports that Ottawa has placed Duchene on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

Duchene left the Senators’ match-up against the division rival Montreal Canadiens on Thursday after apparently suffering the injury at hand. While no specific incident prior to his departure could be identified as the source of the injury, the team quickly ruled him out following his exit. They have since worked quickly to place him on IR.

Duchene’s stint must last at least seven days, although he could be sidelined even longer. At the very least, Ottawa’s No. 1 center will miss a difficult back-to-back this weekend against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins and even tougher contest against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. On one hand, the Senators would be underdogs in each game with or without Duchene, but on the other their odds of an upset drop considerably now that he is out. Any absence longer than the required week could put Duchene at risk of missing six games, as Ottawa plays three games in four nights next weekend, facing the Detroit Red Wings and rematches with the Canadiens and Predators.

Duchene hits the injured reserve as a top ten scorer in the NHL at present. Last season’s high-profile trade acquisition, Duchene has found his stride in Ottawa this year, notching 34 points in 29 games thus far. That mark ties him for ninth in league scoring with the likes of Jack Eichel, Alex Ovechkin, and Niklas Backstrom for now, but his stint on the IR will certainly drop him down the ranks. Nevertheless, Duchene is proving his value this year, whether that means earning the big-money extension that Ottawa has seemed hesitant to hand out or establishing himself as a prime free agent target this off-season. Either way, both the team and player would be best served to see this injury recovery move along as quickly as possible.

Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Ben Sexton, Macoy Erkamps

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The Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins have completed a trade, though it isn’t as major as some had hoped. The Penguins will be sending Stefan Elliott and Tobias Lindberg to the Senators in exchange for Ben Sexton and Macoy Erkamps.

The deal will bring Lindberg back to the team that drafted him back in 2013, after quite the tour of the NHL. Traded originally to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Dion Phaneuf deal, Lindberg has since spent time in the Vegas Golden Knights and Penguins organizations. Despite bouncing around, the 23-year old forward still has just six NHL games under his belt, all with Toronto. Armed with good size and some keen offensive instincts, he still hasn’t been able to put it all together in the minor leagues and had just six points in 15 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Elliott meanwhile has much more professional experience, and plenty of success in the minor leagues. The 27-year old defenseman is a legitimate goal-scoring threat every time he touches the ice, and scored 19 times for the Lake Erie Monsters just a few seasons ago. After testing his skills in the KHL and SHL over the last two years, he resurfaced for the baby Penguins this season and has eight points in 20 games.

In return, the Penguins are likely mainly interested in Sexton, who can give them some more depth in the middle. The seventh-round pick from 2009 has just two NHL games under his belt, but has been a dependable two-way player in the minor leagues for several years. Erkamps on the other hand has spent this season exclusively in the ECHL, where he has six points in 21 games.

A flip of two-way contracts, neither team will add or subtract any cap hits unless one of the players is recalled. For now, all four will report to their respective minor league clubs.

Board Of Governors Notes: Salary Cap, Melnyk, Seattle

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The NHL’s Board of Governors Meeting began today in Sea Island, Georgia, as the league’s owners and executives sat down today for the first of two days of discussions. Commissioner Gary Bettman then spoke with the media this evening, apprising the press of certain topics of discussions. The biggest announcement made by Bettman related to the projected salary cap for next season. As relayed by NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, Bettman expects the 2019-20 salary cap to raise to $83MM, a significant jump of $3.5MM for this season’s ceiling of $79.5MM. Rosen notes that this value could change, but that the league has been consistently accurate in their predictions in the past. Such an increase would serve to accommodate the growing salaries of younger players, as emphasized by the recent William Nylander negotiations. With several high-profile players on high payroll teams becoming restricted free agents this summer, this added cushion should help those squads to stay together in a more comfortable manner.

  • TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk is not in attendance at the meetings, which is perhaps why Bettman took the opportunity to speak about his unhappiness with the situation in Ottawa. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relayed that Bettman is “disappointed” in how the progress on a new arena in Ottawa has been going, although he did not point any fingers and stated that he understands it is a complex process. Nevertheless, with Melnyk’s seemingly poor management of the team, as well as his poor placement in the public eye, and now an admission from the commissioner that he is frustrated with the situation, perhaps the idea that the Senators owner will be forced to sell is not as outlandish as it once seemed.
  • The meeting today did not involve any discussion on the expansion bid of the potential Seattle ownership group, although Rosen reports that David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer were in attendance. Instead, any discussion has been tabled until tomorrow, when the owners will vote on Seattle’s entry into the league. A two-thirds vote in favor of expansion is needed to make Seattle official and there is a strong expectation of such a result. However, the vote also more or less is a vote of realignment, as Seattle will almost certainly be added to the Pacific Division, whereas the Central Division is currently short a team. One organization who could be moved, but has no desire to do so, is the Edmonton Oilers. The team does not want to move to the Central, meaning the Oilers’ and Calgary Flames’ owners could be two potential votes against on Tuesday. If those two teams don’t move, it’s likely the Arizona Coyotes being shifted to the Central and they can’t be too happy about the possible move either.
  • The one piece of Seattle news that did come out today, albeit still not official, is that the team is likely to begin play in 2021. TSN’s Darren Dreger states that no one would go on the record, but that all signs point to the team’s inaugural season being 2021-22. While this is a year later than most expected when the current round of expansion officially began, the delays in making the move official combined with concerns over collective bargaining have hinted at a 2021 start for some time.

Minor Transactions: 12/1/18

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It’s a full day of hockey today across the NHL, with Sharks-Senators kicking off the action with an early afternoon matinee, Stars-Canucks later on in the afternoon, and ten more contests on the way tonight. With 24 teams in action, it’s fair to expect some movement over the course of the day, even if all eyes will be on William Nylander regardless. Keep up with all of the minor transactions here:

  • After claiming Valentin Zykov off waivers, the Edmonton Oilers have made a move to open up a roster spot. The team announced that forward Patrick Russell has been returned to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Russell, a native of Denmark, was on his first career NHL call-up after signing with the Oilers out of St. Cloud State University in 2016. Russell was held scoreless in his four games with Edmonton, albeit with limited ice time, but was involved at both ends and should see another opportunity soon.
  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled veteran defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer, the team announced. The 29-year-old is in the second season of a two-year minimum deal, during which he has primarily played with the Belleville Senators in the AHL. Named the minor league Sens’ captain this season, Burgdoerfer has six points in 16 games in Belleville and leads the team with a +5 rating. Burgdoerfer has only played in one game with Ottawa this year, but is expected to see some more action on this call-up. The Senators then announced after their 6-2 victory over San Jose that Burgdoerfer has been returned to Belleville. He was just recalled as a emergency forward and did not play in the game.
  • Eeli Tolvanen is back in the NHL, as the Nashville Predators have recalled their top prospect per a team release. It wasn’t long ago that Tolvanen was considering returning to the KHL this season, but opted instead to stay stateside and work toward a regular role for Nashville. It’s unclear if this call-up will be long-term or not, but Tolvanen has 11 in 21 games, tied for second among forwards on the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, and has shown flashes of brilliance amid some streaky play. Tolvanen already has an NHL skill set and would be better served to stay in the NHL if the Predators can afford the roster spot and regular play time.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have activated both Brett Pesce and Haydn Fleury from the injured reserve, the team announced, signaling the end of the brief debut call-up of promising young defenseman Jake Bean. Bean has been returned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, but not before he skated in two games with the Hurricanes and looked comfortable competing at the NHL level. Bean has 11 points on the year and a +6 rating, both second among Checkers defenseman. Bean is the next man up for Carolina and hopefully will get another look sooner rather than later.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced that they have activated defenseman Steven Santini and have assigned forward Michael McLeod to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL to make room for him. Santini has been with Binghamton since Nov. 20 on a conditioning loan after suffering a broken jaw. The 23-year-old has only played in one game for New Jersey this season and played in just three with Binghamton, going scoreless. McLeod, the team’s first-round pick in 2016, had a brief callup, but did make his NHL debut, but failed to register a point in that one game. He will continue to develop his skills in the AHL where he has three goals and 10 points in 21 games.
  • With the Winnipeg Jets placing Joe Morrow on injured reserve, the Jets announced they have recalled defenseman Nelson Nogier from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. The 22-year-old stay-at-home defender has just one assist in 22 games for the Moose, but offers the team some size at 6-foot-2. He joins a bunch of Manitoba players on the Jets’ current roster, including Mason Appleton, Sami Niku and Cameron Schilling.

Josh Norris Unsure About Turning Pro Next Season

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Norris was one of the key players involved in the Erik Karlsson trade back in September and was a first-round pick of the Sharks back in 2017.  He sits tied for tenth overall in NCAA scoring with eight goals and eight assists through 13 games and if he can maintain that level of production, he could certainly make a case that he’s ready to suit up for the Senators as early as next season.

Ottawa Senators Sign Justin Falk

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Justin Falk saw his professional tryout with the Colorado Eagles terminated today, but he didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity. The veteran defenseman has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Ottawa Senators that will carry a cap hit of $650K at the NHL level.

Falk, 30, is by no means a savior for the Senators, but does bring a healthy amount of experience to a blue line that lacks it at times. The left-handed defenseman has suited up for 269 regular season NHL games, split between the Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets and most recently the Buffalo Sabres. In that time he’s only registered 33 points, but is a big—6’5″ big—body that can be used on the penalty kill and in the defensive zone.

There’s no guarantee that Falk plays a ton for the Senators, but with Mark Borowiecki on injured reserve and Chris Wideman recently traded, the team is employing six defensemen all 25 or under. Dylan DeMelo, the elder statesman of the group, has only 159 regular season NHL games under his belt. For now, Falk will likely be asked to fill in and play the role of the veteran seventh defenseman while the young group gets their legs under them at this level. His first task will be to serve as insurance for Max Lajoie, who is currently dealing with a minor injury.

Minor Transactions: 11/27/18

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Another day, another 10-game schedule for the NHL that will start with an intriguing matchup between the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres. Jack Eichel and company will try to prove once again that they belong in the conversation for the Atlantic Division crown as they look for their tenth consecutive win, while Erik Karlsson and the Sharks are just trying to stay above water. As teams prepare for tonight’s festivities, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league.

  • Mark Borowiecki has been moved to injured reserve, though he already hasn’t played in six days. The bruising Ottawa Senators defenseman is out with an undisclosed injury and will be eligible to return as soon as he is healthy enough to do so.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have activated captain Shea Weber, and will have him in the lineup tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes. Weber’s recovery went even better than expected and the Canadiens will welcome him back several weeks before his initial timeline suggested. The veteran defenseman will be a huge boost for the team as they look to continue their relatively strong start.
  • Tim Gettinger has been sent down by the New York Rangers, returned after just a day at the NHL level. The club has been bouncing Gettinger up and down for the past week, using him as an extra body for the past couple of games but giving him very little ice time. The 20-year old is still looking for his first NHL point.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Lawrence Pilut for the second time this season, and could get him into the lineup given Zach Bogosian’s absence from practice today. The young Swedish defenseman has great offensive upside, but will need to fight to get a full-time spot with the Sabres.
  • Antti Raanta should be fine to start tonight for the Arizona Coyotes, but the team has recalled Hunter Miska from the minor leagues just in case. Carrying three goaltenders for the time being, Miska is likely headed back to the Tucson Roadrunners after the game.
  • Michael Raffl has been activated from injured reserve by the Philadelphia Flyers, and is expected to be back in the lineup tonight. Raffl hasn’t played since October 22nd when he suffered a lower-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche.

New Lawsuit Creates More Doubt Around Ottawa Arena Deal

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Yesterday in Ottawa, the National Capital Commission (NCC) went public with concerns over “internal partnership issues” within RendezVous LeBreton Group, a venture between Capital Sports Management Inc. (CSMI), a group headed by Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, and Trinity Development Group Inc., chaired by John Ruddy. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson called out the group quite bluntly, saying that “they have to get their act together” before any potential development plan could be pushed forward surrounding the LeBreton Flats area near downtown Ottawa. The RendezVous group was trying to build a new arena for the Senators along with other commercial ventures in the space, but haven’t been able to put together a concrete development plan.

The NCC gave the group until early January to find some internal consistency, but that deadline does not seem relevant after today’s news. According to the Canadian Press, Melnyk and CSMI have started legal proceedings against Ruddy’s company and are “seeking damages arising out of a failed joint venture between Trinity and CSMI.” According to Shaamini Yogaretnam of the National Post, the lawsuit is claiming $700MM in damages and alleges that Trinity “misused confidential inside information about the LeBreton project and abused the trust (CSMI) had placed in them.”

While the news yesterday from the NCC put a huge wall in the way of a downtown arena, this lawsuit may have both parties walking away from each other entirely. The project seems almost certainly to be over, though no one has issued a statement to that exact effect as of yet. The Senators currently play outside the city center at an arena that is difficult for many fans to travel to, and have been attempting various means of moving closer to downtown for years.

Melnyk, who has been outspoken about the team’s poor financial situation in the past, is at the middle of this next unfortunate chapter in the Senators search for a new home. The owner has repeatedly claimed to not be interested in selling the franchise, even as immense pressure from the fan base builds after their plummet in recent seasons. Ottawa was in overtime of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals just a year an a half ago, but have seemingly found nothing but disaster at every turn since Chris Kunitz scored to send the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Edmonton Oilers Acquire Chris Wideman

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The Edmonton Oilers have added a right-handed puck-moving defenseman, and for a relatively low price. The Ottawa Senators have traded Chris Wideman to Edmonton in exchange for a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick. The pick that is expected to be sent is the one Edmonton received from the St. Louis Blues earlier this year.

Wideman, 28, found himself on the outside looking in recently with the Senators, scratched in the last two games. Even before that, and really for his entire career in Ottawa, his minutes were extremely limited as the team tried to shelter his defensive shortcomings. Wideman has never averaged more than 14 minutes a night for a full season, but still has produced 43 points over 175 games with the team.

That offensive upside—which is exceptional given the 19-goal, 61-point campaign he posted in the AHL—is exactly what the Oilers have been looking for. Edmonton has suffered from a lack of real puck-moving options on their blue line the last few seasons, and Wideman brings that in the form of excellent skating ability and a quick first pass. Getting the puck up to Connor McDavid and company is an obvious recipe for success, and what will be asked of Wideman immediately. The fact that he is right-handed only adds to the perfect fit, as the team currently has just Adam Larsson and Matt Benning on their natural right sides (Kris Russell also often plays on the right, but is left-handed).

Questions will immediately surface about why the Senators moved on from Wideman, with many pointing at the recent Uber controversy. Wideman was one of the members of the Senators caught on video badmouthing the coaching staff, though there is no guarantee that it has anything to do with this move. Perhaps more likely is the simple explanation that Wideman had been outplayed by younger options including Christian Jaros and Max Lajoie, that offer a little different skill set for Guy Boucher and his coaching staff. With Wideman an expiring asset set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2019, the Senators got what they could for him in trade and opened up a roster spot.

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