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Anderson Triumphant In Courageous Return To Net

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Everyone knew this was coming.

Craig Anderson pitched a 37-save shutout in his return to the crease after his wife Nicholle was diagnosed with cancer. Anderson had taken a personal leave of absence last week, but returned to the team at the behest of his wife after backup Andrew Hammond went down with injury. It was Anderson’s second shutout in a row, with a week in between them.

It wasn’t an easy return to action for Anderson, as the Senators were in Edmonton to face the top team in the Western Conference. Oilers coach Todd McLellan knew what was coming; he was the coach of San Jose when Dominic Moore left the team during the 2012 playoffs to tend to his wife Katie, who had been diagnosed with liver cancer. The Senators were heavily outshot, but the game never seemed in question with Anderson in net.

Senators captain Erik Karlsson told Sportsnet’s Mark Spector afterwards that despite the rivalries, the NHL is a tight league, “I feel like we have a lot of respect for each other… We do a lot of stupid things, but at the end of the day, we all have a life outside of the rink. When things like this happen, you have a lot of human respect for that.”

Anderson was named first star of the game, and the Oilers fans gave the teary-eyed goaltender a loud ovation when he came out to wave to the crowd. Oilers goalie Cam Talbot remained on the bench to clap and show support for his peer.

TSN’s Ray Ferraro and Ryan Rishaug both noted the quiet nature of the Senators locker room after the game (Ferraro on the Senators broadcast, Rishaug on Edmonton radio Monday morning). The visitor’s locker room was empty when the media entered the room; the Senators communications staff brought out select players one-by-one for interviews. Anderson did not speak to the media after the game.

Atlantic Division Snapshots: Anderson, Deslauriers, Conacher, Vanek

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As noted earlier this week, Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson is going through a tough stretch in his personal life with the recent news of his wife’s cancer diagnosis. At his wife’s insistence, Anderson has returned from a brief leave of absence and will be pressed right back into service tonight between the pipes for the Senators, who are in Edmonton to play the red hot Oilers. Bruce Garrioch confirmed via Twitter that Anderson will get the start tonight as Ottawa attempts to snap the Oilers five-game winning streak.

Anderson has won four of his five starts this season despite a GAA approaching three and a S% just above 90%. Now in his 14th NHL season, Anderson has won 217 career games and has twice finished fourth in Vezina voting. During the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Anderson led the league in GAA (1.69) and S% (94.1%).

With Andrew Hammond now on IR the Senators desperately need Anderson, though it would be understandable if the veteran netminder’s focus is somewhat divided. It’s likely most everyone outside of Edmonton is going to be an Ottawa Senators and Craig Anderson fan tonight.

More from the NHL’s Atlantic Division:

  • Physical winger Nicolas Deslauriers of the Buffalo Sabres left Saturday’s win over Florida after a collision along the boards in the game’s final minute, writes Amy Moritz of The Buffalo News. Later, Mike Harrington, also of the Buffalo News, revealed on Twitter that Deslauriers has a knee injury and will be out of the lineup for “weeks.” To replace the four-year veteran in the lineup, at least for the time being, the Sabres have recalled winger Nicholas Baptiste from Rochester of the AHL, once again courtesy of Harrington. Baptiste has already appeared in two games this season for Buffalo – the first NHL action of his career – and scored his first career NHL goal on October 20th.
  • Cory Conacher, who was recalled on Friday to take the place of the injured Nikita Kucherov, has been returned to Syracuse of the AHL, according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Conacher played 13:26 last night for the Lightning but didn’t register a point and recorded a -1 plus-minus rating. Smith suggests the reassignment of Conacher could mean that Kucherov or perhaps even Ryan Callahan is ready to return to the lineup for tonight’s contest against the New York Rangers. As Smith also notes, it would be fitting for Callahan, who has yet to play this season following hip surgery this summer, to make his 2016-17 debut against his former team. It’s also possible head coach Jon Cooper will simply dress seven defensemen; a tactic he utilized on many occasions last season.
  •  Originally listed as day-to-day due to a lower-body-injury, it now appears as if Detroit forward Thomas Vanek has been downgraded to week-to-week and is expected to miss the next few games, according to Ansar Khan of MLive.com. Vanek is off to a good start in his first year in Detroit, scoring four goals and eight points in his first seven contests. Detroit was considered a fringe playoff team at best coming into the season but the Austrian winger has helped the Wings to a 6 – 3- 0 start and a second place standing in the Atlantic. His extended absence is certainly bad news for a Wings club that has overachieved to this point.

Senators Place Andrew Hammond On IR

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Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports this morning that the Ottawa Senators have officially placed goaltender Andrew Hammond on the injured reserve. Hammond suffered a groin injury early in the Sens’ game against the Calgary Flames on Friday night. He was replaced by Chris Driedger, who allowed four goals on just 15 shots in the loss. Fortunately for Ottawa, starter Craig Anderson has returned from his leave of absence, encouraged by his wife following Hammond’s injury. Driedger will also remain with the team, and Senators called up Matt O’Connor.

However, the presence of three goalies on the roster for now will not stop Ottawa from taking a long look at the goalie market. A groin injury is one of the most difficult for keepers to come back from and Hammond could be looking at a lengthy absence. In the meantime, while the Senators are happy to have Anderson back, he is not guaranteed to be around all season with his wife battling cancer. That could potentially just Driedger and O’Connor in net. While O’Connor put up good numbers as the starter for Boston University, he has yet to establish his pro game since signing with Ottawa in 2015. Driedger, a 2012 third-round pick, has never been able to live up to expectations, spending time in the ECHL as well as the AHL with pedestrian numbers for the past three years.

With over $5MM in salary cap space, the Senators are one of the few teams that are capable of bringing in one of the goalies in a trade market saturated with high-priced options. With Anderson and Hammond each signed for only one more year, it would not be a surprise to see Ottawa have interest in a long-term option. Jimmy Howard, Marc-Andre Fleury, one of the Dallas duo, or potentially even a return for Ben Bishop could all be possibilities for the Sens if their goalie situation becomes desperate. The immediate health of Andrew Hammond will go a long way in determining just how far the Senators will go to ensure solid tending in 2016-17.

Nicholle Anderson Diagnosed With Cancer, Craig Rejoining Senators

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Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion addressed the media on Saturday afternoon and offered an update to Craig Anderson’s situation. Craig’s wife Nicholle has been diagnosed with cancer.

Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the 35-year-old Anderson will be rejoining the team in Edmonton, where they will take on the Oilers on Sunday.

Anderson had taken a leave of absence on Thursday. The Senators backup goalie, Andrew Hammond, subsequently suffered a lower-body injury, leaving the team with their AHL tandem in the NHL. According to Garrioch, Nicholle encouraged Craig to return.

Chris Driedger and Matt O’Connor will both remain with the Senators, as the team is unsure if Anderson’s return is permanent.

Everyone here at Pro Hockey Rumors sends their thoughts to the Anderson family at this difficult time.

Ottawa Senators Recall Matt O’Connor

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With Craig Anderson on a leave of absence from the team, the Ottawa Senators have recalled goaltender Matt O’Connor from the Binghamton Senators today. The Sens other goaltender, Andrew Hammond left yesterday’s game with a lower-body injury, leaving Chris Driedger as the only healthy netminder left in Ottawa.

Now with O’Connor up, the team will be playing with the pair that was meant to be their AHL tandem this season, not unlike the situation in Los Angeles. O’Connor only left Boston University two seasons ago, and has 37 professional starts to his name. While he hasn’t had much success so far at the AHL level, he was exceptional in college; the netminder went 25-4-4 with a 2.18 GAA and .927 save percentage in his final year.

Driedger, for what it’s worth, is even younger than O’Connor and has a similar level of pro experience. The Sens’ third-round pick in 2012, Driedger has spent more time in the ECHL than the AHL since his selection. The 22-year old has played in a single NHL game in each of the last three seasons though, as the Senators have dealt with issues in net on a regular basis.

Craig Anderson To Take Leave Of Absence From Senators

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The Hockey News’ Jared Clinton reports that Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson will take a leave of absence from the Sens indefinitely. The team released a statement via their website, and general manager Pierre Dorion said that Anderson has the club’s full support:

“While we are uncertain of how long Craig may be away, he will continue to have our support for as much time as is needed,” Senators GM Pierre Dorion said in a release. “We will respect his privacy and will have no further comment at this time.”

The announcement from the 35-year-old netminder was unexpected. CBC, along with Clinton, reports that a reason was not provided by the Senators for Anderson’s sudden departure. In his place, the Sens have called up Chris Driedger from Binghamton.

The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that it’s the second time in a month that Anderson has left the club due to personal reasons. But like the other two outlets, Garrioch reports that there is no timetable for his return. Andrew Hammond becomes the number one goalie in his absence.

Anderson was fresh off a shutout Tuesday evening against Vancouver with a 22 save performance. In six games, Anderson was 4-1-0 with a .903 save percentage.

Shane Prince Activated From Injured Reserve

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Isles winger Shane Prince has been activated from the injured reserve list. The 23-year old was put on the shelf more than 10 days ago after suffering a lower-body injury against the Washington Capitals.

After scoring 43 goals in his final season in junior, Prince took the AHL by storm becoming a 65-point player in 2014-15. He got into 42 games for the Senators last season before being dealt (along with a seventh rounder) for a third-round pick at the deadline. Prince was part of the Islanders’ playoff run, scoring four points in eleven games, including a two-goal effort in game 1 of the second round.

A second-round pick from 2011, Prince has yet to find consistency at the NHL level but is still regarded as a potential top-six scorer in the future. While injury has slowed the start of the year, he’ll likely be back in the lineup tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Senators Notes: Chabot, Lazar

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Ottawa Senators rookie defenseman Thomas Chabot will be staying with the Ottawa Senators for the time being. Chabot made the Senators after a solid pre-season, but has only appeared in one game this season where he went -2 in seven minutes in a 7-4 win against the Arizona Coyotes.

Chabot still has one year of junior eligibility left, but Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch quoted GM Pierre Dorion as saying a decision doesn’t need to be made right now. Dorion believes being around the NHL club isn’t hurting Chabot’s development.

The Senators handling of Chabot appears to be similar to the St. Louis Blues handling of Alex Pietrangelo. Also a first round pick, Pietrangelo played 8 games in 2008-09 before being returned to junior in mid-November, then played 9 games in the first half of 2009-10 before being loaned to Canada at the World Junior Championships and subsequently sent back to the OHL. Pietrangelo played his first full NHL season in 2010-11 and had 43 points. If Chabot ends up even close to the player that Pietrangelo is, then the Senators will be very happy.

Meanwhile, another Senators first round pick remains in Binghamton with no timetable for his return. Curtis Lazar was assigned to Binghamton at the end of training camp after battling mono through the summer. Lazar has spent two seasons with the Senators, scoring 15 and 20 points respectively. While the totals are not what a team would like from a first round pick, Lazar is a smart two-way player who should develop into a good middle-six forward who can score reliably. Lazar scored 169 points in 199 games with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Expansion Draft Tool, Senators

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News and notes around the NHL this evening:

  • The NHL named its three stars of the week today: (1st) Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot, (2nd) Chicago Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov, and (3rd) Detroit Red Wings defenseman Mike Green. Cam Talbot leads all goalies in wins, and racked up a 3-0-0 record with a .970 SV% and a 1.00 GAA. Talbot topped it all off with a shutout in the Heritage Classic last night against the Winnipeg Jets. Artem Anisimov led the league in points this week, scoring 4G and 3A in three games. Anisimov has struggled to find his foothold in the NHL, but with more opportunity in the Chicago Blackhawks organization after they shed salary to remain cap compliant, this year could be the year Anisimov fulfills his potential. Finally, Mike Green scored 3G and 2A in four games, though all three came in a 5-1 win against the Ottawa Senators.
  • Capfriendly—PHR’s cap tracker website of choice—has unveiled a new Expansion Draft tool that allows visitors to mock a team’s expansion draft protections. The addition comes a week after the Las Vegas NHL Expansion Team hired General Fanager creator Tom Poraszka and shut down the General Fanager site, including its popular Expansion Draft tool.
  • The Ottawa Senators have mixed up their offensive lines ahead of their three-game Western road trip, reports Ottawa Sun reporter Bruce Garrioch. The Senators are 3-2 this season and sit 6th of 8 in the Atlantic Division. Tom Pyatt joins Mike Hoffman and Kyle Turris, and Ryan Dzingel gets a chance to play with Bobby Ryan and newcomer Derick Brassard. Ottawa has struggled to find chemistry after losing winger Clarke MacArthur to yet another concussion in the pre-season.

Ben Smith, Phil Varone Placed On Waivers Today

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According to Elliotte Friedman, Colorado’s Ben Smith and Ottawa’s Philip Varone have been placed on waivers today. Eric Boulton of the New York Islanders has cleared, and will be sent to Bridgeport.

Smith, 28, had suited up for four games this season with the Avalanche. The former Blackhawk has never been able to repeat his 2013-14 in which he scored 14 goals and 26 points while playing in a career high 75 NHL contests.  Now a 13th (or 14th) forward, he’ll likely clear waivers and be sent down, only to come back up at some point this season.

Varone is a bit of a different story, starting with his age of only 25. An established AHL scorer, Varone doesn’t offer as much on a fourth line for an NHL squad but can provide a little jump on a short-term basis. He’s coming off a 55 point season split between the Rochester Americans and Binghamton Senators last year, and will likely resume his role as a top-six forward for the baby-Sens this season.  Varone also led all NHL forwards in scoring in the preseason, with two goals and seven points in four games.

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