- Edmonton Sun’s Ken Warren reported that Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki will return to Ottawa after sustaining a viscous hit Sunday from New York Rangers defenseman Brandon Smith that left the Senators’ blueliner momentarily unconscious after he hit the boards. He will be further evaluated once he returns to Ottawa, and could miss significant time as coach Guy Boucher referred to the injury as a concussion.
Senators Rumors
Chris Wideman Out “Weeks” With Torn Hamstring
The Ottawa Senators had been conducting an experiment with Chris Wideman, playing the defenseman on the wing over the last few games. That will come to a definite halt now, as head coach Guy Boucher revealed that Wideman will be out “weeks” with a torn hamstring. It’s unclear where he’ll fit into the lineup when he gets back.
Wideman, 27, is an interesting case study in traditional versus analytical evaluation. While generating exceptional possession statistics last season, he still received just under 14 minutes a night in ice time and was generally sheltered against the tough matchups. Again this year he generates solid shot metrics from the back end, but was pushed out by more traditional “defense-types” like Mark Borowiecki and Fredrik Claesson. The Senators have a rigid defensive system under Boucher, and even though some latitude is given to Erik Karlsson, Wideman was not granted the same freedom.
The Senators have kept around Nick Paul for the time being, who is likely the first option to jump onto the fourth line in Wideman’s absence. Paul has just one game under his belt with the Senators this season, but gives them a big body to put into the lineup and provide much more physicality. Whether he stays there will depend on his and the team’s performance.
Poll: Which Team Needs Help At Forward The Most?
In last night’s Insider Trading on TSN, the panel—comprised of Pierre LeBrun, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger—spoke about the increased demand for top forwards around the league. According to them, the supply isn’t quite there for all these teams to go out and acquire someone impactful, so it’ll have to come down to the highest bidders.
The list of ten teams that McKenzie gave that are in the market for a forward include some surprises like Tampa Bay—who LeBrun clarified are currently looking for a winger to play with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn—and obvious choices like Anaheim and Montreal.
Columbus put together a trade offer for Matt Duchene, and as LeBrun stated on TSN radio yesterday they’re still in the hunt for an upgrade down the middle. There’s no clear option at center as impressive as Duchene (or Kyle Turris, who was included in the same trade), but players are sure to shake loose as the season progresses.
So, who on this list needs the forward help the most this year? While deciding your vote, make sure to not just take in the offensive struggles but the proximity to Stanley Cup contention for each club. Which team will be the most willing to spend at the deadline, and go after the big fish to put them over the edge?
We’ve included all the teams on McKenzie’s list, but if you feel strongly that another should join the pursuit of another forward make sure to leave your comments below.
Which team needs forward help the most?
Montreal Canadiens
24.60%
(185 votes)
Boston Bruins
19.41%
(146 votes)
Anaheim Ducks
16.22%
(122 votes)
New York Rangers
11.57%
(87 votes)
St. Louis Blues
9.18%
(69 votes)
Edmonton Oilers
6.78%
(51 votes)
Columbus Blue Jackets
5.59%
(42 votes)
Florida Panthers
2.79%
(21 votes)
Tampa Bay Lightning
2.79%
(21 votes)
Ottawa Senators
1.06%
(8 votes)
Total Votes: 752
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Snapshots: MacArthur, Predators, Matthews, Zajac
Clarke MacArthur failed his physical before the season, and according to GM Pierre Dorion on TSN radio he likely won’t be playing at all this year. MacArthur is not with the team and has moved to Florida, which could signal the disappointing end to a solid career.
MacArthur came back for the Senators just before the playoffs last year, and was an integral part of their run to game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. His career was derailed by head injuries, but he was once a consistent offensive producer and reliable top-six winger. In 552 games he scored 304 points. Dorion did admit that they’d look at bringing him back in should he want to play next season, as he’s under contract for $4.65MM per season through 2019-20. More likely he’ll spend the next few seasons on long-term injured reserve.
- The Nashville Predators also have some bad news when it comes to injuries, as the team announced Yannick Weber and Scott Hartnell would each be out several weeks with their respective injuries. While Nick Bonino is back from his injured reserve stint, losing Weber and Hartnell will put some more stress on the Predators’ depth chart. Luckily, the team already relies so heavily on their top three defensemen that Weber’s role shouldn’t be too difficult to fill. While Hartnell is a bit tougher, there are several young wingers ready to step into the situation.
- The New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs could each get a boost to their forward group when they meet on Thursday night, as both Travis Zajac and Auston Matthews have a chance to play. Zajac was back at practice centering the top line for the Devils today, while Matthews was on the ice for an hour with a few teammates despite being given the day off. The Devils and Maple Leafs each have 24 points through the first part of the season, and it should be a good matchup on Thursday especially if both get their top centers back.
Ottawa Senators Activate Ryan, Borowiecki From Injured Reserve
The Ottawa Senators got some good news on the health front today, as they activated both Bobby Ryan and Mark Borowiecki from injured reserve. The Senators are off until Thursday, when the pair are expected to get into the lineup.
Ryan is coming back off his latest finger injury, the fifth consecutive season he’s had to deal with a hand problem of some sort. The top-paid player on the Senators was off to a pretty good start this year, with six assists in eight games. Though he hadn’t been able to score a goal himself, he had already put up a quarter of his point total from all of last season.
The 30-year old forward silenced many critics in the playoffs last season, when he came to life as one of the team’s best players. With 15 points in 19 games, he was a huge part of the Senators coming within a game of the Stanley Cup Finals. He’ll likely see time next to Ottawa newcomer Matt Duchene, hopefully finding some early chemistry. That duo will be counted on this season, as they combine for $13.25MM in salary this year.
Borowiecki is also an important piece who has faced some controversy among fans and media. His hard-nosed play style can sometimes be seen as a throwback to an NHL far gone, but continually his teammates speak highly of him both on and off the ice. Borowiecki is a wrecking ball on the ice, recording 28 hits in just nine games this season. That total puts him ahead of all but one defender on the team (Frederik Claesson) despite having missed seven games.
Zack Smith Dislocates Thumb, Out Three Weeks
The Senators will be without center Zack Smith for the next three weeks as a result of a dislocated thumb, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports (Twitter link). The injury was sustained on Friday against Colorado in the first of their two games in Sweden.
This will mark the second time this season already that he has been out of the lineup after Smith missed three games back in October due to an upper-body injury. He had played on Ottawa’s new-look top line on Friday alongside recent acquisition Matt Duchene and winger Mike Hoffman but that line will have to change for a few weeks yet. Smith has played in a dozen games with the Sens this season and while he has yet to score, he has collected six assists along with 11 penalty minutes.
As a result of the injury, Nick Paul is set to make his season debut after being recalled earlier in the week. It was recently noted that teams have been calling about his potential availability so it will certainly be interesting to see how he is deployed.
While their winger depth is weakened for the time being, they should get some good news in the near future as winger Bobby Ryan is expected to return within the next week or so and he could be a candidate to skate in Smith’s spot alongside Duchene and Hoffman when he gets the green light to return.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NHL Commissioner Says New Arena “Vitally Important” To Ottawa Senators Future
Before the first game of the Colorado Avalanche-Ottawa Senators series in Stockholm, Sweden (which Ottawa won 4-3 in overtime) NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman took to the podium (video via Sportsnet) to speak with the media. When asked his thoughts on a new, downtown arena in Ottawa Bettman didn’t hesitate.
A new arena, a downtown arena I think is vitally important for the long-term future, stability and competitiveness of the Senators and the process is ongoing. I think asking Mr. Melnyk or the Senators as to the status of that would be more appropriate than asking us, however we believe there needs to be a solution long-term.
Ottawa currently plays at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, a good thirty minutes outside of the downtown core and inaccessible by many modes of public transportation. There has been complaints about the arena’s location for some time, and this summer Bettman and Senators’ owner Eugene Melnyk went to speak with Ottawa mayor Jim Watson about a proposed downtown arena project. Melnyk’s financing group wants to build a new rink in the LeBreton Flats right down along the Ottawa River, serviced by transit and within walking distance of much of the city.
In August, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen wrote about the proposal, including a timeline of early 2018 for a decision to hopefully come down. While Bettman didn’t answer anything to do with the timeline so far, it’s clear that he supports Melnyk’s group in their pursuit of a downtown arena. With the Senators in the midst of some of the best hockey in the organization’s history and with a true franchise player in Erik Karlsson, a move downtown can only help their popularity and success in the region.
Teams Calling On Senators’ Nick Paul
After completing the biggest trade of the season so far, the Ottawa Senators have some new faces in town. One of them is the incoming Matt Duchene, but another is 22-year old forward Nick Paul, a recent recall from Belleville of the AHL. Paul had recorded five assists in eleven games this season for the baby-Sens, but had regularly been one of the most dominant players on the ice.
Now, the team has to see what they have. Paul played in just one game last season, and afterwards GM Pierre Dorion called his year “disappointing.” Don Brennan of the Ottawa Citizen profiled Paul’s work this summer to improve his game, and how he struggled with added pressure in 2016-17. Some of that pressure comes from the fact that he’s the last remnant of the Jason Spezza trade of 2014.
Dorion spoke recently to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, saying that he’s “anxious to see how Nick Paul will play” given his recent success in Belleville, before making another deal to help his club up front. Darren Dreger of TSN agrees, reporting that teams have been calling the Senators to ask about Paul as a potential trade target. The Senators know that they need to find out what they have before moving on, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be sticking around even if he shows he’s ready for the NHL.
Paul is with the team as they prepare to take on Colorado in a pair of games in Stockholm, Sweden which could easily turn into a showcase for the young forward. If he does get into the lineup you can bet the NHL will take notice of his play. Whether he stays with the Senators or is turned into a trade asset, it’s clear that this season is the chance for Paul to really show what he can do.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Flames, Hammond, Ekman-Larsson
Tanner Glass has cleared waivers and been assigned to Stockton of the AHL, leaving room for the Calgary Flames to activate Jaromir Jagr prior to their game tonight. Glass signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Flames this summer but is at best a 13th forward used in especially physical matchups. It won’t surprise if the 33-year old is back up before long to serve in that role.
Jagr though will jump back into the lineup after a long layoff, and will look to recapture the early success he had found with his new team. The legendary winger’s already exquisite possession numbers were off the charts in his first five games for Calgary, and he should help the team continue their current win streak. Jagr is just 51 games behind Gordie Howe for the most all-time, a record he could break should he stay relatively healthy for the rest of the year.
- Andrew Hammond was clearly a salary dump by the Ottawa Senators in their recent trade, to help even out the salary difference between Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris. Now, James Gordon of The Athletic reports that Colorado will look to flip Hammond somewhere else around the league. Hammond will remain with the Belleville Senators on loan until that happens, but it may not be so easy. “The Hamburgler” as he is so affectionately nicknamed, is owed $1.5MM this season and carries a $1.35MM cap hit. Though last year was a struggle for him before going down to injury, he’s played well early on for Belleville.
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson has somehow become the center of much trade speculation, but Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka wants to put an end to that. Speaking with Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, Chayka again said he won’t trade the All-Star defenseman, and revealed “I haven’t had a single conversation about Oilver that has lasted more than five seconds.” Ekman-Larsson is a free agent after next season and would be one of the top names on the market.
Poll: Who Won The Matt Duchene-Kyle Turris Trade?
Yesterday brought the culmination of several weeks of work for the front offices of three separate franchises. Ottawa, Colorado and Nashville consummated the biggest trade of the season, and the first three-team trade in several years. Kyle Turris ended up on the Predators and Matt Duchene on the Senators while Colorado finally got their haul of prospects and draft picks. Nashville only made the deal contingent on a Turris contract extension, which came in the form of six years at $6MM per season. That deal will keep the 28-year old center in Nashville until 2024, and immediately improves their depth down the middle.
Colorado GM Joe Sakic has been criticized for months as the Duchene saga lingered on and on, as he seemed to be over-valuing him in trade. Duchene clearly wanted out of Denver, and it was frustrating for many to watch him struggle in front of the media for so long. Still, Duchene went about his work and showed early this season he was still an elite player. That allowed Sakic to stick to his price tag, which eventually resulted in quite the haul.
Ottawa on the other hand had been pursuing Duchene for quite some time, with GM Pierre Dorion saying he first approached Sakic about him at the 2016 GM meetings. The Ontario-born center has just one year on his contract after this one, but has elite upside and could help the Senators take the next step in the playoffs. Already they found themselves in the Eastern Conference finals last season, and if Duchene can get back to the nearly point-per-game player he has been at times throughout his career they could go even further.
So who really won this trade? All three could claim victory, but there are risks on each side. Cast your vote and explain in the comments why.
Who won the Kyle Turris-Matt Duchene trade?
Colorado
55.45%
(783 votes)
Nashville
29.46%
(416 votes)
Ottawa
15.08%
(213 votes)
Total Votes: 1,412
[Mobile users click here to vote!]