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Senators, Wolf Pack Complete Minor League Deal

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The Hartford Wolf Pack have traded minor league forward Eric Selleck to the Belleville Senators in exchange for future considerations, bringing in the veteran for their remaining games. Sellack is signed to an AHL contract, meaning he wasn’t taking up a contract spot for the New York Rangers this season.

The 30-year old signed his first NHL contract in 2010 when the Florida Panthers inked him to a two-year entry-level deal, and he made his NHL debut during the 2012-13 season. With three NHL games under his belt, Selleck has just three points in 32 contests this year and won’t be relied upon for any offense during the Senators’ stretch run.

Morning Notes: Nash, Karlsson, Weber

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Trade deadline rumors are coming fast and furious these days, and NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton took to Twitter to express his thoughts on several topics this morning. Lawton contends that a deal for Rick Nash will definitely happen, and it’s just up to the New York Rangers at this point to decide which package is the best offer. There have been previous reports that linked Nash to Nashville, Dallas, Winnipeg, Columbus and Boston, though it’s not clear who has actually put forward an offer for the veteran winger.

Lawton also states that Ryan McDonagh is “closer to being moved then [sic] anyone realizes” which make earlier reports that the Boston Bruins are still in the mix for the New York captain that much more interesting. The Rangers are clearly one of this year’s biggest sellers, looking to give themselves something of a new slate to work with in 2018-19.

  • Erik Karlsson rumors have dominated the last few days, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) notes that even the Nashville Predators have checked in on the Ottawa Senators’ captain. One might assume that Nashville would have no interest given their glut of outstanding defensemen, but as LeBrun writes, GM David Poile “leaves no stone unturned.” Asking on the kind of return the Senators are expecting for Karlsson would be good information to have even if the Predators have no intention of acquiring him, which can often lead to speculation of interest where there is none (though, that can’t necessarily be said for this specific case).
  • LeBrun also notes on Twitter that interest is picking up on Michael Grabner, and that teams are “coming harder at NYR today it seems.” That increased interest could lead to an incredibly exciting weekend for Rangers fans looking to the future.
  • Unfortunately it looks like Shea Weber’s season may be over, as Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the team will update his status later today. Weber has consulted two specialists in recent days, and with Montreal clearly out of the playoffs could aim at the beginning of next season as a return date.

Speculation Continues To Increase Around Erik Karlsson

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“Erik Karlsson is in play.” That’s how Frank Seravalli starts his latest update to the Trade Bait board on TSN, after Bob McKenzie released a thorough examination of the market for the Ottawa Senators’ captain. Karlsson is still a long-shot to be traded by Monday’s deadline, but McKenzie writes that more than six teams are believed to have made contact (one way or another) with Senators’ GM Pierre Dorion.

Erik KarlssonThe return in any Karlsson trade would be astronomical, and could include getting Bobby Ryan’s contract off the Ottawa books. While McKenzie reports that isn’t absolutely necessary, it’s obviously something the Senators want to do in the coming days or months.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic chimes in on Twitter to add that a Western Conference GM believes the Senators might just be “laying down the framework” for an offseason move of Karlsson. That seems more likely, as a trade of this magnitude would take a considerable amount of work to pull off, something that teams are running out of as we approach the Monday deadline.

Still, the fact that the Senators are considering moving one of the best defensemen in the league will certainly change many team’s outlooks at the deadline. It could freeze the market until a real decision comes out of Ottawa, or could make deadline day one that drastically changes the playoff picture. Karlsson would immediately vault any playoff challenger to contender status, or cement a team like Tampa Bay as an absolute powerhouse.

Nothing that has come out over the last few days is definitive, and McKenzie himself states that a trade is still probably not going to happen. But it definitely makes rumor season a lot more interesting.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Karlsson, Raanta, Iginla

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Erik Karlsson’s name has come front and center once again as the last few days tick down before Monday’s trade deadline. There have been several reports that the Ottawa Senators intend to listen on offers for their superstar defenseman, but Darren Dreger of TSN has thrown some cold water on the speculation. Dreger tweets that the chance Karlsson is dealt by the deadline is low, even if GM Pierre Dorion is listening to offers.

Any team seriously interested in Karlsson at the deadline would need to put together a huge package, and perhaps even take Bobby Ryan’s contract back as well. Those obstacles are in addition to a 10-team no-trade list that Karlsson has submitted, making a deal increasingly difficult to pull off. Still, if there is movement on him in the next few days the acquiring team would be getting one of the best defensemen in the world for two playoff runs, something that would surely vault them into the Stanley Cup contender list.

  • Antti Raanta is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer, and many wondered if the Arizona Coyotes would move him at the deadline for whatever asset they could. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, that isn’t the plan for GM John Chayka and the rest of the Coyotes front office. Instead, they plan on trying to re-sign the 28-year old goaltender and keep him in the crease for the foreseeable future. Raanta is having an excellent season when healthy, with a .924 save percentage that puts him fourth among goaltenders who have started at least 30 games this season.
  • Jarome Iginla is back skating after his latest injury, practicing with the Providence Bruins today. According to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal, Iginla is just testing out his health and doesn’t have any contracts pending in the NHL. If Iginla does find a taker this season, he’d need to sign by the trade deadline on Monday to be eligible for the playoffs.

Gabriel Dumont, Taylor Chorney On Waivers

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According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Ottawa Senators have placed forward Gabriel Dumont on waivers. The 27-year old forward was claimed earlier this season from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Joining him is Washington Capitals defenseman Taylor Chorney, who was absent from the team’s morning skate after they acquired Michal Kempny yesterday.

Dumont is in the first season of a two-year deal signed last summer, that interestingly turns into a two-way contract in 2018-19. His entire $650K cap hit can be buried by the Senators if he clears and is assigned to the minor leagues, but he could potentially be claimed by a team looking for a player with experience at center. He offers little offensive upside, as he has scored just two points this season and nine in 87 career games.

Chorney on the other hand is a veteran defenseman with ten seasons of professional hockey under his belt. The 30-year old has played 24 games for the Capitals this season, but was made expendable by the Kempny addition. The Capitals can bury his entire $800K cap hit in the minor leagues if he clears, giving them a little more flexibility at the deadline.

Ryan Dzingel To Rejoin Senators On Tuesday

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  • Senators winger Ryan Dzingel is expected to rejoin the team on Tuesday, notes Postmedia’s Ken Warren. He has missed the last two games due to a family matter.  The 25-year-old is in the midst of a career year as he is on pace to hit the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career.

Eugene Melnyk To Become Next CEO Of Senators

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  • The Senators won’t be bringing anyone to replace outgoing team president and CEO Tom Anselmi. Instead, team owner Eugene Melnyk will assume the CEO role and be more active in the day-to-day operations of the team, reports Postmedia’s Don Brennan.  Melnyk has come under harsh criticism recently for public comments made about attendance and the potential of the team moving down the road although they have taken some steps towards getting their new downtown arena in place.  Brennan notes that Melnyk will officially step into his new role sometime next week.

Blues, Senators Discussing Derick Brassard And Mike Hoffman

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The Blues and Senators are discussing trade scenarios involving winger Mike Hoffman and center Derick Brassard, Blues beat writer Lou Korac reports on his personal blog.  He adds that the talks would see St. Louis acquire one or the other and not both players.

Among the players that Ottawa is believed to be interested in is winger Robby Fabbri, who has yet to play this season due to his second torn ACL.  Korac notes that the Sens have asked for permission to view Fabbri’s medical records.  The 22-year-old will become a restricted free agent for the first time this summer but will not have arbitration eligibility.

A pair of St. Louis centers are also on Ottawa’s radar as well as the scribe links Vladimir Sobotka and Patrik Berglund as part of the trade discussions.  Sobotka has two years left on his contract after this one with a $3.5MM cap hit although his deal was slightly front-loaded in terms of salary.  Berglund, meanwhile, has four years remaining at a $3.85MM cap charge; his contract is also front-loaded salary wise.  The 29-year-old Swede also has a full no-move clause in 2017-18.

Both Brassard and Hoffman would have the potential to be impact players with the Blues.  Brassard would give them another top-six option down the middle and give them a boost on the second line.  He would also serve as insurance if Paul Stastny, a pending unrestricted free agent, leaves the team in the summer.  He has one year left on his contract after this one with a $5MM cap hit but just a $3.5MM salary.

Hoffman has been linked to St. Louis in recent weeks and he would certainly give their attack a boost.  His 16 goals this season would rank fourth on the Blues in scoring while his 39 points would slot in fifth.  The 28-year-old has two years remaining on his deal with a cap hit just shy of $5.2MM and has a ten-team no-trade clause in his contract.

The salary cap will undoubtedly be a factor in any talks between the two teams as St. Louis has very limited space to work with this season.  They have the ability to add another $1.8MM in a full-season cap hit per CapFriendly but that includes Fabbri’s LTIR provision.  As a result, the finances will need to be pretty close for a trade to work here.

Penguins Showing Interest In Brassard, Pageau

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The Penguins have expressed an interest in Senators centers Derick Brassard and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.   However, the scribe notes that Ottawa isn’t likely to deal either player and it was reported earlier this week that the asking price for Brassard was quite steep – a first-round pick, a top prospect, plus another piece.  The ask on Pageau is obviously lower but with two years at $3.1MM per season left on his deal, it might be a challenge for Pittsburgh to fit that into their salary structure.  It’s well known that the Pens are still looking to add help down the middle but they will likely have to look elsewhere for that assistance.

Ottawa Senators Acquire Ville Pokka From Chicago Blackhawks

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After clearing waivers today, Chris DiDomenico is on his way to Chicago. The Ottawa Senators have traded the forward to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Ville Pokka. Both players can immediately be sent to the minor leagues, since that was where they were assigned when the trade occurred.

DiDomenico was finally slipped through waivers after being claimed and then re-claimed by Tampa Bay and Ottawa earlier this season. With that came some flexibility, and Chicago has decided that was enough to pull the trigger to bring him into the Rockford picture. Whether he’ll get time at the NHL level is unclear, but he can now be moved up and down for the time being.

Pokka on the other hand has yet to make his NHL debut, and didn’t look likely to make it anytime soon for the Blackhawks. The 23-year old defenseman was selected 34th-overall by the New York Islanders in 2012, and has shown good offensive ability in the minor leagues. Unfortunately, that has come with a lot of struggles in the defensive end and a lack of any real consistency on the ice. That sort of wildcard is exactly the kind of risk Ottawa is willing to take as they try to build their club back up.

Interestingly, DiDomenico is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and won’t help the Blackhawks at the NHL level in any meaningful way unless they re-sign him (provided the team doesn’t go on an incredible hot streak and slip into the playoffs this season). Whatever value he’ll bring this season to Chicago or Rockford was apparently enough to give up on Pokka, who clearly had been passed over several times by other prospects in the organization. Pokka is a restricted free agent and could become a Group VI UFA in 2019 if he isn’t given an extended opportunity at the NHL level between now and then.

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