Ottawa Senators Acquire Viktor Stalberg From Carolina
The Ottawa Senators aren’t finished. The team has acquired winger Viktor Stalberg from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2017 draft.
As noted when the team traded for Alex Burrows yesterday, the Senators have needed depth on the wing all season and have now added both size and scoring potential in their two new players. Stalberg is a big bodied winger with speed to burn and a 20-goal season in his past, though he’s used more as an intimidating forchecker and penalty killer these days. A role-player in the Chicago Blackhawks 2013 Stanley Cup, he does have 43 games of playoff experience and will fit well into the bottom-six of the Senators.
With Ottawa just four points back of Montreal for first place in the Atlantic (with two games in hand mind you), owner Eugene Melnyk gave a clear directive for the Sens front office to follow. Playoffs or bust in 2017. The Senators are an internal budget team that relies on playoff revenue to continue to operate slightly above the cap floor, and with the two additions they’ve helped their case down the final 20 games. Though a third-round pick may seem pricey for a rental in Stalberg, they will likely recoup some of their lost draft selections with other trades—like a possible Curtis Lazar swap—before the draft this year.
For the Hurricanes, this represents an excellent value for Stalberg after signing him in the summer to a one-year deal. Though they had hoped that a playoff run was on the table this season, they still have an excellent young team and now own seven selections in the first three rounds of this summer’s draft. With the Metropolitan looking like a juggernaut for at least this season, but several teams (see: Washington) having multiple free agents leaving them this summer the slow burn of a Carolina rebuild may eventually pay off.
The Hurricanes still have Jay McClement and Lee Stempniak as possible veteran additions or a handful of young defenders to waive in front of team’s noses for the next 25 hours. They could easily acquire even more picks, or perhaps another young scoring forward before the deadline.
Pierre LeBrun of ESPN was first to break the deal on Twitter after Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet heard rumblings earlier today. Darren Dreger of TSN chimed in with a confirmation and the details on the pick going to Carolina.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ottawa Senators Sign Chris DiDomenico To One-Year Deal
Tuesday: The team has officially announced the deal as a two-year, two-way contract that will pay DiDomenico the prorated version of $575K/$150K for the rest of this season, and $650K/$190K for 2017-18. The forward will go on waivers today.
Monday 8:21am: The Ottawa Senators have looked outside the NHL for some help up front. The team completed a one-year deal with forward Chris DiDomenico today, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Johnston reports that it is a one-way deal for the remainder of the 2016-17 season.
DiDomenico had been playing with the Langau Tigers of the NLA (Switzerland) where he had 38 points in 48 games. You’re forgiven if you don’t remember DiDomenico from his brief stint in the AHL after originally being selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the sixth round of the 2007 draft. After being traded to Chicago as part of the package that brought Kris Versteeg to Toronto, DiDomenico played 74 games over two seasons with the Rockford IceHogs but never found his way.
After a short stint in the ECHL, DiDomenico headed to Italy where he dominated the professional leagues before moving on to Switzerland. Working his way up through the system there, he has spent the last two seasons at the highest level and has been quite successful.
Once thought of as too small for the NHL, DiDomenico may have been unfairly judged because of his thin frame. Though he is by no means an intimidating center, he does have strong faceoff skills and at one point was thought of as an excellent penalty killer. We’ll see in what capacity the Senators use him this season, but perhaps he’s made the decision to come back to North America full-time. At just 28, he surely still has something to offer.
Vancouver Canucks Trade Alex Burrows To Ottawa Senators
Following the Maple Leafs’ acquisition of Brian Boyle, the Ottawa Senators have made their own deal up front. The Vancouver Canucks have sent Alex Burrows east in exchange for Jonathan Dahlen, a prospect selected in the second round this summer. The deal includes a two-year extension for Burrows which will pay him $2.5MM per season.
Ottawa has needed help on the wing since Bobby Ryan broke a finger and was ruled out for more than a month if not before. When Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman were both injured the next day, it proved just how fragile their depth at the position was. Burrows adds to that depth in a big way, despite not being the 30-goal scorer of his youth. His production has dropped to that of a third liner in recent years, though he does give you some special teams flexibility with experience on both the powerplay and penalty kill.
Burrows is currently earning a full season salary of just $3MM, though his cap-hit comes in at $4.5MM. For a team like Ottawa who does not spend right up to the cap, having a lower actual salary is a big plus.
Despite having his offensive production slip in recent seasons, Burrows still provides an ample amount of sandpaper to any game, getting under the skin of star players and often forcing teams into bad penalties. His style of play and general demeanor will be welcome on an Ottawa team that has missed that kind of play from Chris Neil due to being scratched or only playing a handful of minutes. Burrows would immediately become a hated target in the Atlantic Division, and a valuable playoff asset.
Burrows had a full no-trade clause in his contract, and may have only been willing to waive it after agreeing to an extension with the Senators. There was no guarantee he would get a two-year deal on the open market this summer, especially at the age of 35. With the Atlantic crown is clearly up for grabs, the Maple Leafs and Senators have pushed some of their chips forward as they reach for the top. We’ll see if the Montreal Canadiens now answer with a move of their own (turns out they will).
In Dahlen, the Senators have paid a very high price for the addition of grit and depth. The Swedish prospect was selected at #42 in this summer’s draft and is tearing up the Swedish second league with 41 points in 43 games. The 19-year old forward is an exceptionally skilled offensive player that dropped in the draft due to his small stature. The Canucks, dealing with a nightmarish season have pried a very good return out of a rental with a no-trade clause. While they didn’t receive any draft picks, Dahlen should be considered no worse than a late-first/early-second round pick in this year’s draft.
It’s a hefty price to pay for Burrows, even if he does fit the Senators lineup well. We’ll see if Ottawa has any more additions in the next few days, as teams load up for a dogfight in the last two months.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun was the first to announce that the two were finalizing a deal, though Joshua Kloke of The Athletic heard rumors of the deal earlier today. Kloke would include that it came with an extension, one that Dan Murphy of Sportsnet gave us the financials on.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Andrew Hammond Will Require Hip Surgery, Out Three Months
The Ottawa Senators goaltending depth got a little weaker today after Andrew Hammond was ruled out for the next three months. He’ll need surgery on a torn labrum in his hip, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The Senators will go with Craig Anderson and Mike Condon for the rest of the season.
Since his dream debut for the Senators in 2015 going 20-1-2 down the stretch and leading them into the playoffs, Hammond hasn’t been able to replicate that play or consistency. Bounced back and forth between the NHL and minor leagues the last two seasons, he struggled mightily this year filling in for Anderson and Condon. Now 29 with one year remaining on his contract, it’s unclear what the Senators plan on doing in net going forward.
With Anderson signed through next year, and the team considering a long-term extension for Condon, they would have three goaltenders making substantial money under contract. He may stay buried in the minors, or potentially bought-out this summer. For a player who once looked like a future starting goaltender in the NHL, it has been a long and painful fall to where he is now. Perhaps a summer of rehab and a new start somewhere else would get him back on track.
Atlantic Division Notes: Sens, Franson, Panthers
The Ottawa Senators have been in the market for a top-six forward for much of the season and that need has only grown with the recent news that Bobby Ryan would be on the shelf for three to six weeks due. Ryan, with just 24 points in 50 games, hasn’t been as effective this season as in years past but still brings the track record of a proven scoring forward. However, despite the team’s need, Senators GM Pierre Dorion is not willing to give up too much in any deal, as Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes.
As the scribe notes, the Senators are one of several clubs that have been linked to Colorado center Matt Duchene at various times this season but the asking price, a young NHL defenseman, a prospect and a first-round pick, is too rich for Dorion’s blood. Cody Ceci, Thomas Chabot and Colin White, players Colorado would certainly demand as part of a package in any trade talks, are considered off limits according to Garrioch. That leaves Ottawa shopping in the second tier rental market in all likelihood, with Garrioch suggesting the team has or may have interest in pending free agents Jiri Hudler, Thomas Vanek and/or Drew Stafford. While those names may not be particularly awe-inspiring to Sens fans, as long as Dorion chooses to hoard the team’s best young assets then that’s more than likely the best they can do ahead of the trade deadline.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- There has been no shortage of teams with reported interest in St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, the top offensive defenseman believed to be on the trade market. Every year contenders burn up the phone lines looking for quality blue line depth ahead of the deadline to bolster their chances of making a deep postseason run. Of course only one team will end up with Shattenkirk, which will leave plenty of disappointed teams looking for alternatives. One option for some of those clubs may well be Cody Franson, according to Bill Hoppe in a piece on Buffalo Hockey Beat. Earlier in his career, the right-shot blue liner was a solid point producer capable of playing in all situations. Since signing with the Sabres ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, the 29-year-old’s offensive game has regressed with Franson posting just 16 points in 53 games this season. However, given the high demand for defensemen capable of playing the right side, it’s likely the Sabres could flip Franson for a solid return to one of the teams either unwilling or unable to meet the high price tag the Blues have set for Shattenkirk.
- Since Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau returned from injury nine games ago, the Florida Panthers more closely resemble a viable playoff contender even if they’ve actually drawn no closer to a postseason spot. The recent surge has possibly shifted GM Dale Tallon’s deadline position from potential seller to potential buyer. In the event they go the latter route, the Panthers could be in the market for a depth winger, as Tallon tells TSN’s Frank Seravalli in a recent interview. The longtime NHL executive tells Seravalli that he feels the team is “strong up the middle,” and that “either wing some place would work.” He also says that while the team has a couple of talented young wingers in the system, he doesn’t feel that “they’re ready to take the next step yet.” Tallon was extremely aggressive at last year’s trade deadline, adding forwards Teddy Purcell and Jiri Hudler to improve the club’s scoring depth. With plenty of veteran wingers reportedly available, there’s little reason to believe he won’t be just as aggressive this year, assuming he can find a deal or two to his liking.
Morning Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Senators, Rangers
News and notes from around the NHL this morning:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced yesterday that forward Matt Calvert is week-to-week with a strained oblique muscle. Calvert hasn’t had a large impact production-wise, scoring 9G and 2A in 51 games, but is a valuable part of the team’s penalty kill and fourth line energy unit. In his stead is Finnish prospect Markus Hannikainen, who has 12G and 8A in 36 games for the AHL Cleveland Monsters. He’s appeared in 7 games for Columbus so far, scoring 1 goal in the process. This is only Hannikainen’s second season in North America, so its taken him some time to adjust from the Finnish leagues.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled forwards Mike Blunden and Phil Varone this morning, the team announced. The team simultaneously reassigned forwards Casey Bailey and Max McCormick. Blunden has bounced between the AHL and NHL for 10 seasons now, and currently has 12G and 10A in 47 games for the AHL Binghamton Senators. Varone—acquired from Buffalo last season—has 13G and 25A in 48 games with Binghamton, but has yet to register a point in 4 games for Ottawa. The Sens hope that his AHL production will transition to NHL points. Bailey did not impress in his two-game stint with the Senators, going pointless and averaging under 10 minutes a game. McCormick fared even worse, registering zero points and averaging less than 6 minutes in the same two games.
- New York Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein‘s back issues are more severe than initially thought, reports New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis. Klein originally suffered back pain while warming up before Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and pulled out of that game. He did not attend Friday’s practice, and coach Alain Vigneault now says that Klein will miss the Rangers’ back-to-back games this weekend. Klein acts as a depth defenseman for the Rangers, scoring 3G and 11A in 52 games while averaging under 18 minutes a night. With the Rangers comfortably in a playoff spot, its prudent to rest veteran players for the upcoming post-season grind.
Injury Notes: Marner, Pouliot, Senators
Mitch Marner is likely out again on Saturday night, but it doesn’t seem like that’s what his coach wants. Yesterday before Marner sat out against the New York Rangers, Mike Babcock told Kristen Shilton of TSN that it’s not up to him at this point.
Mitch and I had that little discussion today. We wondered how the science project was going…and we didn’t get any good answers.
I’ve said it before – that’s why coaches and players aren’t allowed to make those decisions.
Shilton again today reported that Marner had a vigorous on-ice workout on his own before Leafs practice, but didn’t skate with the team. Babcock would love to know when he gets his dynamic winger back, and so would Leafs fans. The team could have used him last night in a shootout loss against the Rangers, and it has now been nine days since he suffered his “day-to-day” upper-body injury.
- Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED reports that the Edmonton Oilers got some good—or bad, depending on who you ask—news today on the injury front, as Benoit Pouliot rejoined the team in Washington. Andrej Sekera also was at practice though Adam Larsson, who missed Wednesday’s game with a lower-body injury, was still absent.
- Columbus has lost winger Matt Calvert on a week-to-week basis, according to the team. Calvery suffered an oblique injury just before their bye-week, but will be out on a longer term than expected. This is the reason for the Markus Hannikainen emergency recall this morning.
- Terry Frei of the Denver Post tells us that both Erik Johnson and Rene Bourque will be back in the lineup tomorrow, a good sign for a team heading into the trade deadline. Bourque could warrant a look from teams looking for depth up front if he can prove he’s healthy enough to contribute.
- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen is the bearer of bad news for Senators fans, as he reports that both Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone likely won’t play tomorrow night against the Carolina Hurricanes. Stone has a chance, but head coach Guy Boucher “wouldn’t bet on it”. If the pair remains out for any length of time, the Senators may be forced to make a move at the deadline, if they weren’t already planning one.
Ben Bishop Has A Limited No-Trade Clause In His Current Contract
During the blitz of this morning’s Ron Hainsey deal that saw the defenseman move to the Pittsburgh Penguins, CapFriendly tweeted out a bombshell about pending UFA Ben Bishop. Bishop has been long thought of to be on the move at the deadline if the Tampa Bay Lightning feel they’re out of the playoff race, but it may be harder for Steve Yzerman and company to do that than previously believed. According to the site, Bishop actually has an eight-team list that he cannot be traded to. While there isn’t any clarification on which teams those may be, it definitely makes it harder to trade him. 
The goalie market is more robust than year’s past because of the sheer number of teams that are still in the mix for the postseason, but if that list contains some specific teams it could completely tie the Lightning’s hands at the deadline.
New York (Islanders), Calgary, St. Louis, Philadelphia and Winnipeg could all have various interest in the goaltender, depending on how the next week shakes out for them and their own confidence in their current situation. His recent play has looked more like the Vezina-quality netminder than the one we saw earlier this season, including a shutout of the Los Angeles Kings earlier this month. The Lightning, who are making a case for their own playoff spot, may choose they are better off with him but risk losing him for nothing this summer.
The 30-year old netminder ranked fifth among our Top Midseason UFAs, and he is destined to be sought after this summer by multiple teams looking for a change in goal. All this NTC does is make it even tougher for the Bolts to move him, should any of the above teams fall on his list. He could, however choose to waive the clause to go after a Stanley Cup somewhere else if the Lightning fall out of it—with just two games before the deadline, it could very well hinge on Monday night’s tilt against the Ottawa Senators to decide which way the team goes at the deadline.
Injury Notes: Marner, Senators, Johnson
The Maple Leafs escaped with two points last night against Winnipeg despite having to kill an Auston Matthews penalty in overtime, and got some more good news this morning. Though practice was cancelled for the majority of the team, Mitch Marner hit the ice and looked no worse for wear since sustaining a shoulder injury last week. Though coach Mike Babcock says he won’t play tomorrow night against the New York Rangers, he has a chance at playing on Saturday.
That would be a nice boost for the Maple Leafs who are actually just five points out of first place in the Atlantic Division. The continued brilliance of their rookies was on display again last night as Matthews recorded three assists in the victory.
- The Leafs will be without Connor Carrick however, who suffered an upper-body injury when he collided awkwardly with Mathieu Perreault and left the game. Alexey Marchenko will slot into the lineup in his place for the first time since being acquired off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this month. Carrick’s timeline for return is unknown.
- Pierre Dorion told the Ottawa Citizen that both Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone could play as early as Sunday, which is extremely important news for the Ottawa Senators. Getting the two wingers back would be a boost to a group that had trouble scoring last night in a 2-1 victory. The team generated just 23 shots on goal and needed Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson—their two remaining offensive options—to each light the lamp in the win.
- Erik Johnson will return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup on Saturday according to Terry Frei of the Denver Post. The big defenseman has been out since the beginning of December and is finally skating without the non-contact jersey. As the Avalanche prepare for a busy trade deadline, Johnson looks like he’ll remain in Denver for the time being. His long contract and partial no-trade clause would make him difficult to move in-season even if there were people impressed enough by his return.
- Ryan Callahan had another surgery on his hip yesterday, and is out indefinitely for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Callahan only played in 18 games for the club this season and now sounds like he might be out for the remainder of the year. While he’s not an integral part of their offense, losing a player of his experience is never a good thing. About to turn 32, Callahan is signed for another three seasons in Tampa Bay at a cap-hit of $5.8MM. Steve Yzerman said just a few days ago that he was operating under the assumption that Callahan and Steven Stamkos would be back at some point along with their cap-hits, and perhaps this clears that up.
Snapshots: Miller, Chayka, Dorion
Ryan Miller was the topic on the mind of Pierre LeBrun of ESPN yesterday, when he discussed the possibility of the goaltender waiving his no-trade clause to move at the deadline. Today, Rick Dhaliwal of 1130 News in Vancouver reports that Miller’s agent Mike Liut will talk to his client about the possibilities this week, but that nothing is decided as of yet.
Miller has just five teams that he can be traded to without his permission, and with the news that the Los Angeles Kings will be soon getting Jonathan Quick back, the three we know of—Los Angeles, San Jose and Anaheim—don’t seem to need a goaltender. If he is acquired at the deadline it will likely be because he’s waived his clause to pursue another chance at the Stanley Cup.
- Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News writes that John Chayka isn’t even close to finished after dealing Michael Stone earlier this week. He has so many assets that he could move at the deadline—like Radim Vrbata, Martin Hanzal and Shane Doan—that he’ll likely be one of the busiest GMs this week. Indeed, Chayka himself admitted today on Arizona Sports 98.7 (via Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports) that he’d had discussions on some big deals. The trio of rentals mentioned above are likely to move, but the Arizona GM could also move Anthony Duclair, Jamie McGinn or Tobias Rieder if he chooses to.
- We learned today that Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion had been getting calls on Curtis Lazar, but what did those deals look like? He joined TSN today (video link) and said that other teams have been trying to “fleece” him. Obviously teams are looking at his single point this season and thinking that they could get a former first-round pick at an all-time low value. Dorion for his part still believes he will be a very good NHL player, and it’s just an unfortunate set of circumstances this season.