Snapshots: Matheson, Harpur, Three Stars
Michael Matheson might not be the definition of a household name, but the Florida Panthers clearly understand what he can bring to the table. The team inked him to an eight-year extension yesterday, which was officially announced earlier today. Panthers’ GM Dale Tallon was complimentary of the young defenseman, and how he went about the negotiating process.
He’s going to skate, carry the puck and log a lot of minutes for us for a long time. The fact that he wanted to be a Panther for life, for us, was really impressive.
Matheson is an elite skater, but hasn’t yet take the next step to being an offensive force for the Panthers. They’ll hope he can find that next level after registering 17 points last season. The 23-year old will see his eight-year, $39MM contract ($4.88MM AAV) kick in next year.
- Ottawa Senators defenseman Ben Harpur has been placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia. The Senators have nine defensemen on the roster after the call-up of Thomas Chabot, but both Erik Karlsson and Johnny Oduya are still not locks to get back into the lineup. The team may have to go with seven defensemen anyway in their next game, as they look to rebound from consecutive shootout losses to open the season.
- The NHL released its first “Three Stars of the Week” for the 2017-18 season, and who else but Alex Ovechkin could be number one. Ovechkin scored an incredible seven goals in his first two games, almost as a direct response to all those who doubted his place on the Capitals going forward. After so much was written about how the Capitals may have to break up their core in order to win, Ovechkin came storming out of the gate and helped the club to two wins to start the season. Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, and Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds were the second and third stars respectively.
NHL Snapshots: Kadri, Sanheim, Matheson, Jaros
Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri is entering his ninth season of playing NHL hockey and for the first time ever, the 27-year-old broke the 30-goal plateau last year. Yet the center who feeds Patrick Marleau and Leo Komarov, believes he can do it again, according to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic (subscription required).
Siegel analyzes whether Kadri can, in fact, accomplish his boast. He writes that Kadri has one major asset that’s in his favor — to have a key role on one of the best power play units in the league, which he does. He scored 12 of his 32 goals last year on the power play, which was eighth in the league. Now with Marleau around added to the team’s arsenal, Kadri could very likely accomplish that feat.
However, one other thing that Siegel points out is that Kadri has learned a lot after having played in more than 400 games. His experience has taught him where to set up in front of the net, how to anticipate a scoring opportunity and quick reactions.
- Sam Cardichi of Philly.com writes that Philadelphia Flyers’ Travis Sanheim will likely stick with the Flyers for the time being after a bounce-back game against the Anaheim Ducks. Unfortunately, that means that 22-year-old defenseman Samuel Morin will likely be sent down to Lehigh Valley soon, despite a strong preseason and receiving three healthy scratches in the team’s first three games.
- NBC Sports Adam Gretz breaks down the Florida Panthers future salary cap situation after the team locked up defenseman Michael Matheson to an eight-year, $39MM contract Saturday. He writes the team now has nine players who are signed through the next four seasons, of which six are 25 years or under and they total $47.3MM combined. The group of Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, and Nick Bjugstad lead their youth movement, while they also have Keith Yandle, Roberto Luongo and James Reimer locked up. However, Gretz writes that since the team doesn’t have any upcoming big contracts to hand out, the team will have a significant amount of cap space to fill out their roster with even more talent, suggesting that the Panthers are heading in the right direction.
- Along with the recall of Thomas Chabot, the Ottawa Senators also recalled defenseman Christian Jaros on Sunday. The 21-year-old defenseman came over from Sweden just this year and has played in just two games for the Belleville Senators, picking up one assist. He and Chabot will fill in for all the team’s defensive injuries.
Chabot Recalled To Fill In For Injured Defensemen
- CBS Sports reports that Ottawa Senators have recalled top defensive prospect Thomas Chabot Sunday to help fill in for their many defensive injuries. The team is currently without Erik Karlsson, who is still out after foot surgery this offseason, as well as Johnny Oduya, who is out with a lower-body injury. The team attempted to fulfil their defensive needs a couple days ago when they promoted Ben Harpur, who has two years of AHL experience, unlike Chabot who has just two games of AHL experience, but Harpur suffered an upper-body injury in last night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. The 20-year-old Chabot had a goal and an assist in his first two games with the Belleville Senators. The 2015 first-rounder was one of the team’s final cuts, which surprised many, but he was held responsible for a poor preseason performance, a 9-2 drubbing to the Montreal Canadiens, in which he finished the game with a plus/minus rating of -5.
Latest On Turris; Senators Likely To Recall Multiple Defensemen
During his weekly Saturday Headlines segment (video link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman provided an update on the Kyle Turris contract situation in Ottawa on the heels of a report earlier in the week that suggested a trade could be a possibility. Friedman reports that Turris and the Senators are very close in terms of the dollar value per season on an extension (believed to be somewhere around $6MM per season) but they are not particularly close on the term of a new deal. He suggested that at one point in the preseason, there were teams that thought a trade might happen but now that the regular season is underway, Ottawa isn’t particularly anxious to deal him for the time being.
- Still with the Senators, they are considering recalling a pair of defensemen from their AHL affiliate in Belleville, reports TSN’s Brent Wallace (Twitter link). On top of missing Erik Karlsson who has yet to play this year, they remain without Johnny Oduya who suffered a lower-body injury in the opener while his replacement, Ben Harpur, is dealing with an upper-body issue sustained against Detroit on Saturday. Ottawa is set to head out for a three-game Western road trip this week.
Could Turris Contract Impasse Talks Have Come From Another Team?
- With the report earlier in the week that the Senators and center Kyle Turris aren’t close on a contract extension and that a trade could be a possibility, Postmedia’s Don Brennan speculates that the report may have stemmed from a rival general manager as neither the team nor Turris benefits from this coming out this early. Turris is no stranger to a contract squabble having had a holdout with the Coyotes in the past but considering it’s only October, it’s far too early to call this situation another one. However, it’s likely that he will be looking for a long-term deal given the demand for centers out there so if Ottawa wants to keep him around, they may have to go more years than they’d prefer to.
Minor Transactions: 10/6/17
The NHL season is underway. NHL (and AHL) camps have shaken out and the final AHL signings of the off-season are filing in, as well as early season NHL adjustments. Here are some minor transactions from across the minors today:
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled defenseman Ben Harpur from their newly relocated affiliate, the Belleville Senators, the team announced. Harpur played in six regular season games for the Sens last season, but suited up for an additional nine playoff games and was given substantial ice time. However, with the off-season addition of Johnny Oduya, Harpur was pushed from the top seven on the organizational depth chart. In fact, many would say that Harpur is actually the second-to-next-man-up, behind star prospect Thomas Chabot, but in their first promotion of the season – with Oduya dealing with a lower-body injury and captain Erik Karlsson still sidelined – Ottawa chose Harpur instead.
- Back in Binghamton, the former home of the AHL Senators, new tenants the Devils, New Jersey’s former Albany affiliate, has made a couple notable moves of their own. The team announced today that they have brought in a pair of NHL veterans, inking forward Tim Kennedy to a one-year deal and signing defenseman Tim Erixon to a PTO. Kennedy, a 31-year-old journeyman forward who last played in the NHL in 2013-14, scored 29 points in 37 games for the divisional rival Rochester Americans in 2016-17. Erixon, a 2009 first-round pick, was one of many AHL veterans to man the blue line for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ affiliate in Wilke-Barre/Scranton last season. The 26-year-old is solid, if not unspectacular, but stands a good chance of earning a contract for the Devils, who lack minor league depth on the blue line.
- The Stockton Heat, affiliate to the Calgary Flames, have added a pair of experienced defenseman to their own blue line, announcing the signings of Cody Goloubef and Colby Robak. Goloubef is particularly interesting as he played 33 games for the Colorado Avalanche last season and was a late camp cut by the Buffalo Sabres, performing well on a PTO. Goloubef is a major boost for Stockton, but he will certainly keep an eye out for NHL opportunities as the 2017-18 season progresses. Meanwhile, Robak has not played in the NHL since 2014-15 and hasn’t played a meaningful big league role since early in 2013-14 with the Florida Panthers. Yet, Robak continues plugging along and had a strong AHL season in 2016-17, one spent mostly with the Utica Comets but which began with the Stockton Heat. The team seemingly saw enough to bring him back.
- The Hershey Bears signed forward Jeremy Langlois to a one-year AHL deal today, as reported by the ever-popular Washington Capitals affiliate. The hard-working forward from Tempe, Arizona is trying to get back to the NHL after a one-year deal with the San Jose Sharks in 2015-16 was spent entirely in the AHL. The Quinnipiac alum was an undrafted free agent that first impressed with big numbers in the ECHL and then the AHL, with the Sharks then-affiliate in Worcester, earning him an entry-level deal and a major role on the re-located Barracuda squad two years ago. However, he was unqualified and signed with the Rockford Ice Hogs in 2016-17, where his offense steeply declined. Langlois will look for a fresh start in Hershey this season.
Could Senators Trade Kyle Turris?
We heard recently that the Senators and center Kyle Turris were making “healthy progress” on a contract extension. However, one pundit believes these talks will ultimately lead to a trade. TSN’s Darren Dreger said earlier tonight that he could envision the organization parting ways with the impending free agent.
“I think it’s headed to trade,” he said (via TSN.ca). “Trade seems likely. I’m not suggesting it’s imminent, it’s going to happen this week, next month. But before the February 26th trade deadline? Yes, and the simple reason is there has been a fair bit of dialogue between Senators management and the agent who represents Kyle Turris, dating back to early July or late June. Kyle Turris wants to commit long-term to the Ottawa Senators. We’re talking about a seven, eight-year term. So far, the Sens haven’t been willing to do that. So they cannot allow an important piece like Kyle Turris to walk out as an unrestricted free agent.”
For what it’s worth, NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek agreed with the sentiment (via Twitter), noting that “decision time” is coming in Ottawa. Meanwhile, TSN’s Bob McKenzie said he’d be surprised if the team ultimately signed Turris to a new deal.
After having recently inked starting goalie Craig Anderson to a new contract, the Senators had reportedly shifted their focus to Turris. The former third-overall pick is entering the final season of his contract, and he’ll earn an affordable $4MM in 2017. However, reports last week indicated that the 28-year-old was seeking a considerable pay raise at around $6MM annually over seven or eight years. As our own Zach Leach noted earlier this week, he’ll be competing with a number of notable free agent forwards for a hefty contract, and it might be best for both sides to work out an extension. However, if an agreement can’t be made, it makes plenty of sense for the Senators to get some compensation for a player they could lose in free agency.
Turris didn’t live up to expectations during his stint in Phoenix, but he’s turned into a dependable scorer for the Senators. The alternate captain and top line center has collected at least 55 points in three of the past four seasons, including a 27-goal, 28-assist campaign in 2017.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Ottawa Senators Extend Mark Borowiecki
The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Mark Borowiecki to a two-year contract extension. The deal will kick in for the 2018-19 season, and carries an average annual value of $1.2MM. Borowiecki is heading into the final year of his three-year, $3.3MM extension signed in 2014, and has established himself as a full-time member of the Senators blueline.
Borowiecki, 28, is an Ottawa native that has made it a long way from the fifth-round. Selected 139th-overall in 2008, a stint at Clarkson University before continually showing off his wrecking ball-like qualities in the minor leagues finally got him a chance. He stuck, and has now played at least 63 games in each of the last three seasons with the Senators. As he’s gotten more comfortable in the league his physical play has only increased, to the point of registering a league-leading 364 hits last year. Even more impressive, is the fact that he did that in just 14 minutes of ice time a night playing on the Senators’ third pairing.
The hitting machine won’t provide much offense, but with the system that the Senators play—which forces the puck to his side of the ice at the defending blueline—Borowicki is able to blast players over and over. In 217 games he’s recorded 17 points, 436 penalty minutes and 939 hits. Still, some would complain that the team would be better off with a more capable puck moving defenseman that can move up in the lineup. The team seems to be in no danger of needing him to play more minutes though, as Dion Phaneuf, Johnny Oduya are both locked in on the left side with Thomas Chabot and Ben Harpur still to come.
$1.2MM will be just a slight increase on the $1.1MM he earns this year, but will help the Senators keep costs low as they inch closer to an Erik Karlsson extension. The team has to sign Mark Stone, Kyle Turris and Cody Ceci this summer, while Karlsson and Derick Brassard are up the year after that. It doesn’t look like they’ll be able to keep everyone happy, so plugging in a relatively cheap veteran option on the bottom pair helps quite a bit.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Senators Trying To Add Forward Depth
Although they didn’t make any deals over the past few days, Senators GM Pierre Dorion had been actively trying to bring in some forward help before the season gets underway, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The Sens are already down one important forward in Clarke MacArthur and are set to have a pair of rookies in Logan Brown and Alex Formenton suit up in their opener on Thursday. Colorado’s Matt Duchene has been a target but Garrioch adds that the two sides remain nowhere close on a potential trade. Dorion also acknowledged that they feel they have enough defensive depth, even with Erik Karlsson set to miss the beginning of the season (although he’s not expected to miss more than a handful of games as he has nearly fully recovered from offseason foot surgery).
Ottawa Senators Sign Drake Batherson To ELC
The Ottawa Senators have signed another prospect, inking Drake Batherson to a three-year entry-level contract. The 19-year old forward was selected in the fourth-round of the most recent draft, and is back playing with Cape Breton of the QMJHL.
Batherson has several similarities to Alex Formenton, the late-blooming speedster that Ottawa signed yesterday to his own entry-level deal. Both players were late entrants into junior hockey, as Batherson was a rookie in the QMJHL last season even though he turned 19 during the year. Still, he 58 points in that rookie season and showed off some incredibly slick hands at the Senators’ development camp. He’s armed with a ton of skill, but will need to get stronger and more consistent before making a real impact.
Luckily he’ll get to do it in Cape Breton where there is plenty of opportunity after the team saw several key players graduate this summer, and traded away Pierre-Luc Dubois in the middle of last year. Batherson will be their go to center, and has already registered four points in the first three games. It’s an important year for Batherson, who will turn 20 in April and will be expected to join the professional ranks next year. For now, he just needs to focus on adding explosiveness and power and let his skill do the rest.