Troy Mann Hired As Head Coach Of AHL Senators
The Ottawa Senators have hired Troy Mann to lead their AHL team for at least the next two seasons. Mann was most recently employed by the Washington Capitals organization, where he was the head coach of the Hershey Bears for four seasons. Mann’s younger brother Trent is currently the Senators’ chief amateur scout. GM Pierre Dorion released a statement about the hiring:
Troy is a talented, experienced head coach who has a track record of developing players. Troy is a teacher and a winner. We feel that he’s a great fit for both Belleville and for our organization and will able to impart on our young players the values of leadership, character and chemistry that are so important to us. We’re excited to welcome him to the Senators and looking forward to introducing him to the fans in Belleville.
Mann led Hershey to a 162-102-40 record during his time as head coach of the Bears, and even took them to the Calder Cup Finals in 2016. Unfortunately the team struggled this season and ended up near the bottom of the league, leading to his firing. The Capitals trash is the Senators treasure though, as he’ll try to turn around a Belleville franchise that was even worse this year.
Ottawa needs to start developing more internal talent as they try to replace players like Kyle Turris, Derick Brassard, Mike Hoffman (and perhaps Erik Karlsson), all of whom have left (or could leave) the organization over the last year. Adding Brady Tkachuk to their prospect pool was a good start, but without a first-round pick next season they’ll be relying on Mann to develop some more underrated prospects that are currently in the system.
Snapshots: Karlsson, Thornton, Talbot, Brodziak
While the free agent market is slimming more and more after John Carlson opted to re-sign with the Washington Capitals, the trade market has barely gotten active as teams wait to see how the free agent market shakes out. Regardless that could change in the next few days. While there were a few trades this weekend during the draft, one name that stayed put is Ottawa Senators’ defenseman Erik Karlsson.
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, general manager Pierre Dorion was fielding phone calls all the way up to the Senators picked at No. 4, but still hasn’t found the right deal as he’s looking for a big haul of players and picks considering that Karlsson is a franchise player.
As expected, Garrioch writes that the Vegas Golden Knights were at the forefront in trying to make a deal and Vegas was prepared to take the contract of Bobby Ryan, who still has four years at $7.25MM AAV remaining on his contract, but other teams are also trying to get into the Karlsson sweepstakes, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks and the Washington Capitals. No word on whether the other teams are willing to take on Ryan’s contract. While the Capitals are likely out of the running now that they’ve signed Carlson, the Carlson signing may force other teams to press harder to acquire Karlsson.
- David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that there is mutual interest between Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks to return to the team, regardless of whether the team signs John Tavares or not. Thornton, who suffered a season-ending torn MCL in January, would have to come back at a lower salary than the $8MM he made last year, but at 38 years old, he can still be a productive player even if he is forced to play on a lower line. Thornton put up 13 goals and 23 assists in 47 games, but “Jumbo Joe” is well past the days of putting up 82 points in 2015-16.
- Pagnotta also commented on Edmonton Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot as he says both the Oilers and Talbot have agreed to hold off on extension talks until the start of the new season. The 30-year-old Talbot had been a major piece to the team’s success up until this past year. After posting 2.39 GAA and a .919 save percentage two years ago, he struggled this season, posting a 3.02 GAA and a .908 save percentage. The team likely wants to ensure that Talbot bounces back to form before offering him an extension.
- Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic writes that the St. Louis Blues and center Kyle Brodziak both have interest in an extension. The 34-year-old center put up his best season since 2011-12 as a fourth-line center. He tallied 10 goals and 33 points last season. While the Blues have bigger concerns at the moment, Rutherford points out that neither party is in a big rush.
Ottawa Senators Agree To Terms With Chris Wideman
Though there was plenty of speculation that the Ottawa Senators would not re-sign Chris Wideman, the team announced today a one-year contract extension worth $1MM for their defenseman. Wideman was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, but will remain with the Senators for at least one more season.
Wideman, 28, is a hard player for some Senators fans to get excited about after missing nearly the entire season due to injury after suffering a torn hamstring in late November. Even before that, the Senators and head coach Guy Boucher seemed loathe to use him in various situations and gave him fewer than 14 minutes a night through his 156-game NHL career. Wideman performed extremely well in those limited minutes though, posting huge possession numbers over the last few seasons. A lot of that is due to sheltering from the coaching staff, since they had Erik Karlsson and Cody Ceci to play during the tough minutes, but he could see an increased role should Karlsson be sent packing this summer.
The Senators enter the year with a clear goal of putting the last few months behind them and finding some sort of stability for the franchise. Though this summer will be filled with rumor about Karlsson’s future, bringing a familiar face back for another season will do nothing but help that stability. Wideman has shown ability to contribute when called upon, and for just $1MM is a nearly risk-free proposition for the team.
Atlantic Notes: Pacioretty, O’Reilly, Nash, Reinhart, Tkachuk
Montreal Canadiens Max Pacioretty was the most talked about player throughout this weekend’s NHL Entry Draft, but the skilled forward remains with the Canadiens and a trade will have to wait, according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required). Evidently general manager Marc Bergevin had many conversations about the 29-year-old, but wasn’t able to get a deal done. The rumor that Montreal and San Jose had struck a trade was false as the two teams had never spoken about him.
LeBrun also writes the closest team to pulling off a trade was the Los Angeles Kings earlier this week as he surmises that both teams were ready to pull the trigger on a trade, but the Kings failed to reach a contract extension with Pacioretty and the deal fell through. However, whether the pieces of a trade were actually in place at the time seemed unlikely, according to LeBrun. The Kings came out OK, however, as they won the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Another wrinkle in trade talks is that Pacioretty also switched agents today as he left Pat Brisson and joined Allan Walsh of Octagon. Pacioretty, who is in the final year of a six-year, $27MM deal ($4.5 AAV), is looking to get paid after putting up big numbers as an underpaid player, suggesting he wants to cash in on that.
- One other trade topic that didn’t get as much attention this weekend was the potential trade of Buffalo Sabres center Ryan O’Reilly. Mike Harrinton of the Buffalo News writes that Buffalo had extensive talks with the Montreal Canadiens as well as the St. Louis Blues about O’Reilly, but weren’t able to strike a deal. “We just didn’t feel comfortable what was presented the last couple of days,” Botterill said in American Airlines Center. “We’ll see how things progress over the next week or two. Our main focus was the draft and we’re very excited where we’re at the last three days.” O’Reilly is expected to receive a roster bonus of $7.5MM on July 1. If the Sabres intend to trade him, they are more likely to do that before that date, otherwise, expect him to stay in Buffalo.
- Dan Rosen of NHL.com writes that after losing out on Kovalchuk earlier today, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said he is interested in bringing back unrestricted free agent Rick Nash. Boston acquired the veteran forward at the trade deadline and fared well in the Bruins’ lineup, posting six points in 11 games to finish out the season and then added three goals and two assists in 12 playoff games. Sweeney said they have been in contact with Nash. “He’s strongly indicated that Boston is a place he would consider, as would we,” Sweeney said.
- Buffalo Sabres general manager Jason Botterill said he isn’t worried about contract negotiations with restricted free agent Sam Reinhart, according to The Athletic’s John Vogl. “Our discussions with Craig Oster have been positive,” Botterill said. “I don’t view it as a difficult situation at all. Hopefully, we’ll look at some different structures in the upcoming weeks and get something done.” The 22-year-old put up a career-high 25 goals last season.
- One key decision that the Ottawa Senators hope to work in their favor will be what avenue 2018 first-round pick Brady Tkachuk will take next season. The Boston University winger was taken fourth overall by the Senators and had previously indicated that he wanted to return to the school. However, after the draft, Tkachuk told reporters he intended to sit down with his father, Keith Tkachuk, to discuss it, according to Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch. While a another year of development at BU wouldn’t be a bad idea, the Senators might want prefer him to be on the ice with them next season.
2018 Draft Results By Team
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft is now complete. Check out how each team did with accruing talent and filling needs with each of their selections this weekend:
Anaheim Ducks
1-23. F Isac Lundestrom, Lulea (SHL)
2-54. F Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
3-79. F Blake McLaughlin, Chicago Steel (USHL)
3-84. G Lukas Dostal, HC Kometa Brno (Czech Republic-Jr.)
4-116. F Jack Perbix, Elk River HS (USHS)
5-147. G Roman Durny, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
6-178. D Hunter Drew, Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL)
Arizona Coyotes
1-5. F Barrett Hayton, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2-55. D Kevin Bahl, Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
3-65. F Jan Jenik, HC Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic-2)
3-73. D Ty Emberson, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
4-114. G Ivan Prosvetov, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
5-142. D Mitchell Callahan, Central Illinois Flying Aces (USHL)
5-145. D Dennis Busby, Flint Firebirds (OHL)
6-158. G David Tendeck, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
7-189. F Liam Kirk, Sheffield Steelers (England)
Boston Bruins
2-57. D Axel Andersson, Djurgardens IF (SuperElit)
3-77. F Jakub Lauko, Pirati Chomutov (Czech Republic)
4-119. F Curtis Hall, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
6-181. D Dustyn McFaul, Pickering Panthers (OJHL)
7-212. F Pavel Shen, Mamonty Yugry (MHL)
Buffalo Sabres
1-1. D Rasmus Dahlin, Frolunda HC (SHL)
2-32. D Mattias Samuelsson, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
4-94. F Matej Pekar, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
4-117. D Linus Lindstrand Kronholm, Malmo Redhawks (SuperElit)
5-125. D Miska Kuukonen, Ilves (Jr.-Liiga)
7-187. D William Worge Kreu, Linkoping (SuperElit)
Calgary Flames
3-105. F Martin Pospisil, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
3-108. F Demetrios Koumontzis, Edina HS (USHS)
4-122. F Milos Roman, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
6-167. F Mathias Emilio Pettersen, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
7-198. F Dmitri Zavgorodny, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)
Carolina Hurricanes
1-2. F Andrei Svechnikov, Barrie Colts (OHL)
2-42. F Jack Drury, Waterloo Blackhawks (USHL)
4-96. F Luke Henman, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
4-104. F Lenni Killinen, Espoo Blues (Jr.-Liiga)
6-166. D Jesper Sellgren, MODO (Allsveskan)
7-197. G Jake Kucharski, Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
Chicago Blackhawks
1-8. D Adam Boqvist, Brynas IF Gavle (SHL)
1-27. D Nicolas Beaudin, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
3-69. F Jake Wise, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
3-74. F Niklas Nordgren, HIFK Helsinki (Jr.-Liiga)
4-120. F Philipp Kurashev, Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
5-139. F Mikael Hakkarainen, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
6-162. G Alexis Gravel, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
7-193. F Josiah Slavin, Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Colorado Avalanche
1-16. F Martin Kaut, Dynamo Pardubice (Czech Republic)
3-64. G Justus Annunen, Karpat (Jr.-Liiga)
3-78. F Sampo Ranta, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
4-109. F Tyler Weiss, U.S. National Development Program (USHL)
5-140. F Brandon Saigeon, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
5-146. D Danila Zhuravlyov, Irbis Kazan (MHL)
6-171. F Nikolai Kovalenko, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (MHL)
7-202. G Shamil Shmakov, Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)Read more
Ottawa Senators Trade 22nd Pick To New York Rangers
The Ottawa Senators have traded the 22nd pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft to the New York Rangers in exchange for the 26th and 48th pick. While this isn’t a blockbuster deal, it does allow the Rangers to move up and take the player they feel has dropped down the board.
That player is K’Andre Miller, a defenseman from the US Development program that has only been playing the blue line for two seasons but has taken to it immediately. Miller can absolutely dominate a game when he’s playing his best, but that’s something he’ll have to do more often moving forward.
Obviously the Rangers believed he wouldn’t make it all the way to the 26th selection, and were willing to give up a second-round pick to secure their guy. New York is trying to rebuild a franchise that has had a lot of regular season success but hasn’t been able to get over the hump in the postseason, and are looking for dynamic, elite skaters. Miller is that, but also provides length and an impressive set of instincts in the defensive end.
For Ottawa, adding value anywhere at this point is a bonus. The team has struggled the last few months dealing with several off-ice incidents, and may not be able to re-sign Erik Karlsson this summer. If they weren’t married to selecting Miller, moving down a few spots for a second-round pick is more than worth it.
Senators Shopping Craig Anderson
The Ottawa Senators are looking to move goaltender Craig Anderson, TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link). Chris Stevenson of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that the netminder has requested to be dealt. However, no trade is believed to be imminent.
Anderson is coming off of a tough season that saw him post a .898 SV% and a 3.32 GAA, his worst numbers since the 2005-06 campaign when he was with Chicago. However, he is just one year removed from putting up a .926 SV% and a 2.28 GAA so the Sens are certainly hoping that his 2017-18 performance isn’t necessarily an indicator of things to come. Over the past several years, Anderson has alternated good years with not-so-good ones.
Back in September, Ottawa inked the 37-year-old to a two-year, $9.5MM contract extension that is set to kick in next month. The deal is front-loaded with a $5.5MM salary for next season and $4MM for 2019-20. It also contains a ten team no-trade list.
GM Pierre Dorion may have some difficulties finding a deal in the short-term. Teams that are focused on longer-term starting help are focused on Washington RFA Philipp Grubauer while those that are looking for a short-term upgrade may prefer to wait until next weekend where they can try to sign one of Carter Hutton, Jaroslav Halak, Jonathan Bernier, Kari Lehtonen, and Anton Khudobin who are all set to become unrestricted free agents. Former Senator Robin Lehner is also set to hit the open market as he is not expected to receive a qualifying offer next week. With all of those players being available without having to give up anything for their rights, Ottawa may have to wait to see if there are any teams left standing after the free agent shuffle to see if there is a potential taker for Anderson.
Ottawa Senators Still Expected To Use Fourth-Overall Pick
Since trading Mike Hoffman earlier this week and reportedly re-entering talks on captain Erik Karlsson, speculation has swirled up again around the Ottawa Senators and the fourth-overall pick. The Senators of course owe either this year or next year’s first-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for their acquisition of Matt Duchene earlier this year, and without Hoffman and Karlsson in the lineup many believe they’d be better to try for the first-overall selection a year from now. That pick could potentially be Jack Hughes, who is being regarded as a potential franchise-changing player at center, something the team may not be able to get at #4 this season.
That’s not to say they can’t get an excellent player where they sit this year, with more reports coming out that Filip Zadina may drop past the Montreal Canadiens and fall into Ottawa’s lap. Zadina is an excellent offensive prospect, capable of scoring from nearly anywhere on the ice. The team is also not guaranteed to finish anywhere near the bottom of the league next season, and even if they do could drop out of the top-3 with three bad results in the draft lottery. With that knowledge, the team is still planning on using the pick this season according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, meaning Colorado will acquire their 2019 first-round pick. Things can change right up until the moment they make the selection, meaning the Avalanche need to be ready, but all signs are pointing to GM Pierre Dorion selecting a player this Friday.
The Senators are in rough shape at the moment, dealing with off-ice incidents revolving around players and management, all while trying to prepare for an upcoming contract negotiation with Karlsson. The superstar defenseman has just one year left on his current contract, and is eligible for an extension on July 1st. While Dorion has been clear with the fact that he will make Karlsson’s camp an offer, there is growing speculation around whether the captain will even want to stay with the team long-term. If they can’t come to an agreement quickly, the Senators will have to see what the market is for him in trade, or risk losing him for nothing at the end of what could be another season outside of the playoff picture.
Zadina, Brady Tkachuk or whoever the team selects at fourth-overall will surely be an excellent player in the league and that isn’t something to throw away so easily. Even though Hughes is an attractive idea, the fact is that even the last place team has a relatively low chance of selecting first-overall. There’s also still a core of players like Mark Stone, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Thomas Chabot that will do everything they can to keep Ottawa out of the basement of the league, which could result in a much later draft pick in 2019. It’s not an easy situation for the Senators, but Dorion clearly believed that Duchene would help the team reach the playoffs again and the whole argument would be moot. Now he’s got an extremely difficult decision on his hands, one that could play out poorly no matter what he does.
Vegas Golden Knights Revisiting Talks On Erik Karlsson
The Ottawa Senators made waves this morning when they traded Mike Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks, but may not be done stealing the headlines this week. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that all eyes are now on captain Erik Karlsson, and that talks have started up again with the Vegas Golden Knights who came close to acquiring the superstar defenseman at the trade deadline:
There are lots of teams around the NHL that have perked up and believe that Erik Karlsson could be on the move at some point this week as the NHL Awards wrap up in Vegas on Wednesday night and teams head to Dallas for the NHL Draft. The team to watch continues to be the Vegas Golden Knights, the team that went down to the wire with the Ottawa Senators at 2:45pm before the 3pm trade deadline back in February, nearly pulling off a blockbuster deal to bring the two-time Norris trophy winner to the Stanley Cup finalist Golden Knights. It seems like those two teams have revisited those talks, they’ve heated up. To be sure Pierre Dorion’s phone is ringing.
The Golden Knights apparently came as close as anyone during the trade deadline, with a deal falling apart because the team refused to include top prospect Cody Glass. Glass, selected sixth overall last summer, had 102 points in the WHL this season and looks like a future top-two center for the Knights and potential star. While Karlsson is obviously worthy of a huge package, the team likely wasn’t thrilled with the idea of trading for him only to see him hit free agency in the summer of 2019. Now, as July 1st approaches the Senators can potentially get Karlsson to agree to a long-term extension with the acquiring team, increasing his price tag even further.
It’s not just Vegas that will be after the 28-year old defenseman if he’s truly on the block. Karlsson is the type of talent that could turn a playoff bubble team into a contender, even despite his relatively down 2017-18 season. After offseason ankle surgery Karlsson started the year playing at a level not indicative of his talent, but turned it around and ended up with 62 points by season’s end. That came with just nine goals though, a relatively low total for Karlsson who has five times scored at least 16 in a season.
There will be plenty of interest from around the league, and the Senators could potentially land a huge package of picks and prospects before Friday’s draft. That said, the team is still in the troublesome situation of having to give Colorado either their pick this year—the fourth-overall selection and a potential shot at Filip Zadina—or next year, which could end up near the very top of the draft given their exodus of talent.
Pittsburgh Re-Signs Tobias Lindberg
Tuesday: The team has officially announced the signing, confirming that it is a two-way deal worth $650K at the NHL level.
Monday: It’s easy to forget that Derick Brassard was not the only player acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the three-team blockbuster that brought him over from the Ottawa Senators through the Vegas Golden Knights. The Penguins also added minor league forward Tobias Lindberg as compensation for sending an extra draft pick to Vegas. However, Lindberg remained with the Knights’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, for the remainder of the season and has yet to really be associated with the Penguins organization.
That is, until now. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that the Penguins have signed Lindberg to a one-year, two-way extension worth the league minimum $650K at the NHL level. In terms of adding the affordable depth and upside that GM Jim Rutherford is looking for, this deal is right on track. Lindberg, 22, already has six NHL games and 164 AHL games under his belt in three pro seasons. A fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2013 out of Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League, Lindberg has experience playing – and producing – at several different levels already.
His next challenge will be fighting for his place in the Penguins organizational pecking order when he joins the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins next season. It would be a stretch to assume that Linberg would earn a spot in Pittsburgh out of camp, especially with fellow youngsters like Daniel Sprong and Zach Aston-Reese having been promised increased roles next year, but Lindberg should be among the group of primary call-up candidates at the AHL level. Not only did Lindberg get a taste of the NHL with six games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016-17, but he also has experience playing on both wings and playing both scoring and checking roles. That versatility is extremely valuable as a minor league depth option. Rutherford has been honest that some of the Penguins’ restricted free agents may not be re-signed this off-season, so Lindberg’s speedy extension would seem to indicate that the team envisions a role for him moving forward.