Snapshots: Senators, Lindback, Flyers
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson has left the team again for personal reasons, reports the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. Anderson has left the team twice so far this season to be with his wife after her recent cancer diagnosis. Andrew Hammond will serve as back-up to newcomer Mike Condon, who the Senators acquired from Pittsburgh for a fifth-round draft pick. Condon is 2-0-0 since being acquired and has put up a stellar 0.48 GAA and a .983 SV%.
- Former NHL goalie Anders Lindback was ostensibly released from, and reinstated to, his PTO today with the Los Angeles Kings affiliate Ontario Reign, reports Ontario Reign Insider Lindsay Czarnecki. The team initially announced that it released Lindback from the team before retracting that statement within the hour. Lindback was signed to the PTO on October 25th after the Kings found themselves without any starting goalies because both Jonathan Quick and Jeff Zatkoff were out with injury. The Kings are now carrying three goalies in Peter Budaj, Jack Campbell, and Zatkoff (injured), and will most likely send Campbell down when Zatkoff heals.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have scratched defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi. In an ironic twist, Gostisbehere was named Philadelphia’s Pro Athlete of the Year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association earlier this morning. Coach Dave Hakstol says that the benching should be good for his growth and development. The young defenseman currently has 3G and 7A in 17 games for the Flyers. He will be replaced by Andrew MacDonald who has 1G and 2A in 10 games.
East Notes: Snow, Senators Power Play, Merrill, Hall
While Islanders head coach Jack Capuano has come under fire for their slow start to the season (they sit 15th in the Eastern Conference with a 5-8-3 record), not enough criticism has been directed towards general manager Garth Snow, suggests Peter Botte of the New York Daily News.
Snow has been at the helm of the Isles since 2006, retiring from his playing career to take the position. At the time, he stated that the goal was to take them from being a team looking to sneak into a playoff spot to one that would be a consistent contender but that has yet to be the case; two of their last three appearances came as a wild card or eighth seed.
While previous owner Charles Wang had placed significant restrictions on spending for the most, that isn’t the case with new owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin as the team sits with just over $600K in cap space according to CapFriendly. Snow’s offseason spending has yet to work out as left wingers Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera have underachieved while P.A. Parenteau is off to a good start…for New Jersey after the Islanders waived him in training camp.
Wang had a reputation for being very loyal to his employees but neither Capuano nor Snow have that type of history with the new ownership. In their first year owning the team, it’s hard to imagine them cleaning house so quickly but if the team continues to struggle, that could change. It’s not often that in-season GM changes are made given the lack of available candidates from other organizations which could play a role should ownership feel a change is necessary at some point.
Other notes from the Eastern Conference:
- The Senators are last in the NHL on the power play with a success rate of just 9.3% (a surprise given that Guy Boucher’s teams have a reputation for being strong in that regard). Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun wonders if sticking defenseman Dion Phaneuf up front in the crease to work as a more effective screener is the way to go. Boucher calls a move like that a last resort and is more inclined to try different forwards – including tough guy Chris Neil – in different spots on the man advantage for the time being.
- The Devils announced via Twitter that they have activated defenseman Jon Merrill off of injured reserve. Merrill broke his index finger in the preseason and has yet to suit up for New Jersey since the regular season got underway. He had five points in 47 games last season while averaging nearly 17 minutes per game of ice time. Still with the Devils, left winger Taylor Hall will not play tonight due to a lower body injury. Andrew Gross of Fire and Ice adds that Hall is being evaluated by team doctors and more should be known about his situation later today.
Quotable: Senators GM On Trade Market, Team Needs
Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion expects trade talk to pick up in the next couple of weeks and is expected to gauge what the market looks like at the GM meetings set to take place in Toronto on Tuesday, writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
While Dorion was looking to add defensive depth both in the offseason and in training camp, he suggested that getting that doesn’t appear to be as much of a concern at the moment:
“Specifically I’m really happy about the play of Freddy Claesson coming up and I’ve always talked about adding depth on defence so I’m really happy about that and I don’t feel as much of a need as I did in training camp especially with the emergence of the way Chris Wideman and (Mark Borowiecki) have played.”
[Related: Senators Depth Chart]
Over the offseason, the team added center Derick Brassard and head coach Guy Boucher and the expectation was that the Sens would become an even higher scoring team after finishing ninth in the league in that regard in 2015-16. However, that hasn’t been the case early on as the team has just 33 goals (excluding two awarded for shootout victories) which ranks them 27th in the league so far. Despite that, Dorion won’t be actively pursuing another scorer and hopes that as the team adapts to Boucher’s new system, the goals will eventually come on their own:
“People are going to look at our scoring. For me, to play good defensive structure we had to sacrifice goals early on but at the same time we’re winning games and that’s what matters the most. It’s not like any of the guys who have produced here in the past are in the tail end of their careers. They’re all still in their prime and they’re all still all going to be able to produce.”
With goaltender Andrew Hammond nearly ready to return, Dorion plans to sit down with Hammond and go over the options. The team could ask him to play with their AHL affiliate for a couple of weeks on a conditioning stint but even if they don’t, the GM reiterated that they’re comfortable carrying three netminders (joining Craig Anderson and Mike Condon) for the foreseeable future. A trade isn’t out of the equation either as Dorion is reportedly gauging the market on Hammond as well.
Senators Testing The Market On Andrew Hammond
The Ottawa Senators are testing the market regarding backup goaltender Andrew Hammond, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link). Hammond noted recently that he is close to being ready to return to game action after missing the last two weeks with a lower body injury.
The 28 year old has played in two games with the Senators so far this season, posting a 0-1-0 record with a 4.50 goals against average and a .793 save percentage. Those are both well down from his career averages which are much stronger, a GAA of 2.25 and a SV% of .925.
His best run in the NHL came back in 2014-15 where he won 20 of 23 decisions after coming up late in the year to propel the Sens to a highly improbable postseason appearance. That earned him a three year deal with a cap hit of $1.35MM; 2016-17 is the second season of that contract.
With the uncertainty surrounding Craig Anderson due to his wife’s cancer diagnosis, GM Pierre Dorion made a trade with Pittsburgh earlier this month to bring in Mike Condon to give them extra depth. Condon has allowed just a single goal in two starts in Ottawa while stopping 58 of 59 shots. He also has a cap hit of the league minimum $575K; those two factors could have him ahead of Hammond in the pecking order moving forward.
In the meantime, the team will soon have to decide whether or not to ask Hammond to accept a conditioning assignment. Given how little he has played so far this season, that might go a long way towards shaping what type of value he might have on the trade market as teams will likely want him to shake off any potential rust before making a move for him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cole Schneider Recalled By Buffalo Sabres
According to John Vogl of the Buffalo News, the Sabres will recall forward Cole Schneider prior to tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators. No word on a corresponding move, though as reported earlier Ryan O’Reilly is questionable and Tyler Ennis is out.
Schneider is an established AHL scorer off to a blistering start this season with the Rochester Americans. Fifteen points in ten games leads the club and ties him for the league lead. A three time 20-goal scorer, he’s proven his offensive ability at the lower level and now much try to prove that he can contribute in the NHL.
The Sabres currently find themselves at the bottom of the Atlantic Division and looking for a way to score more goals; they currently rank 29th in goals for with just 25 in 12 games.
Atlantic Notes: Leafs Skate, Soshnikov, Blunden
In a scene from a mid-90’s sports movie, the power went out at Maple Leafs practice today as the team was put through a hard practice by head coach Mike Babcock. The Leafs lost 7-0 to the Los Angeles Kings last night and, as Morgan Rielly put it (via Pierre LeBrun)“I think we all understood if we didnt skate last night we were going to skate today.” The young Leafs were on a three game winning streak before getting dismantled by the experienced Kings.
- Also from practice today, Nikita Soshnikov was absent according to David Alter of NHL.com. With a groin injury, the coaching staff didn’t want to put him through the high-tempo practice. Soshnikov only just returned from injury a few games ago, but has contributed two points already and saw time with Auston Matthews during the loss.
- Despite saying that Craig Anderson would be the starter whenever he was with the team, Mike Condon will start for the Sens tonight, according to head coach Guy Boucher. Condon recorded a shutout in his first game for the Sens last week.
- Mike Blunden will be recalled from Binghamton to play tonight for the Senators, though no word has been given on who he’ll be replacing. The 29-year old has four points in nine AHL games thus far.
- According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, Jonathan Drouin is working out on his own, and still has no timetable to return to the Lightning. Drouin was injured a week ago on a hit from Calvin de Haan. Coach Jon Cooper says he’s “gradually coming along” in his recovery.
Jacob Trouba Signs Two-Year Deal With Winnipeg
The Winnipeg Jets announced that they have re-signed defenseman Jacob Trouba to a two-year deal worth an AAV of $3MM with the Winnipeg Jets. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first with the report. The contract will pay him a prorated $2.5MM this season and $3.5MM in 2017-18. The restricted free agent had been holding out all season hoping for a trade to a different club where he could play a bigger role on his preferred right-side.
While this does not rule out a trade completely – as we saw with Kyle Turris just a few years ago – the Jets may have convinced Trouba that playing this year is more important than finding the perfect situation. The defenseman would have been ineligible to play had he not signed by December 1st.
The former first-round pick is considered a potential top-pairing defenseman able to play in all situations, and is currently blocked by both Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers on the right-side. Believing he’s deserved of more minutes and a core role, many teams had inquired on him this summer and into the first part of the season.
Again, this doesn’t mean he won’t be dealt this season, in fact he may become even more desirable for teams who were worried about him demanding a long-term deal. Now with the cost certainty for the next two seasons, a club can fit him in under their payroll structure. Teams like the Maple Leafs or Canucks now who have big contracts expiring over the next couple of seasons may find room and pick up the phone once again.
As Trouba likely realized, holding out is rarely helpful to a player’s case. While his hope was clear from the beginning, a strong front office can hold on and take any leverage you may have away from you. We saw it with Jonathan Drouin last season, who eventually made good with the club and has become a strong part, and the aforementioned Turris who was forced to sign a similar bridge deal before being dealt to the Ottawa Senators.
If Trouba can get back to playing, and prove that he’s the puck-moving shutdown defender that he’s looked like in the past, many teams around the league will be after him. At a $3MM hit this year and next, he’d be a welcome addition to almost any blueline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Canadiens, Senators, Lightning, Red Wings
How are the top four teams in the Atlantic Division really doing? There have been some surprises like Montreal’s red-hot start doused by a 10-0 drubbing at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Ottawa Senators have played great defensively. And the Detroit Red Wings will need a lot more effort wise should they want to make a 26th consecutive playoff appearance. For now, let’s take a closer look at the top four teams in the division.
- Montreal Canadiens (9-1-1; 19 points; 1st place)
The Habs have benefitted from the return of Carey Price, who has been sparkling between the pipes, registering a 6-0 record, a .964 save percentage, and a goalie point share of 2.3. Al Montoya was fine through Friday night until he surrendered 10 goals in a ghastly game against Columbus. Shea Weber has also been a bright spot, making Marc Bergevin look smart early after the blockbuster trade netted him for P.K. Subban. Weber has ten points (4-6) in 11 games, and leads the Habs in average ice time, logging nearly 26 minutes per night.
- Ottawa Senators (7-3-0; 14 points; 2nd place)
The Sens have looked strong early, riding a three game winning streak through Friday despite playing a brutal game of musical chairs in net. Craig Anderson has been tending to his wife during a health concern and has been in and out Ottawa, understandably. Andrew Hammond suffered a lower body injury that will keep him out for at least a week. Despite this, the Sens have charged on, and contribution from Erik Karlsson, Kyle Turris, and Ryan Dzingel have helped. Though some think they’ll come back to earth, Guy Boucher has done well early on.
- Tampa Bay Lightning (6-4-1; 13 points; 3rd place)
The Bolts have scored a lot of goals–but they’ve also been fishing the puck out of the net. After jumping out to a 5-1 start, the Lightning have gone 1-3-1 since and suffered from Ben Bishop looking very human with a pedestrian .891 save percentage. Though some of this can be chalked up to struggles and on the blue line, Bishop is in a contract year and isn’t doing enough to help himself–or the Bolts should they look to deal him away instead of losing him for nothing. Steven Stamkos continues to be dominant, putting up 13 points (7-6), while Nikita Kucherov is tied with him (3-10).
- Detroit Red Wings (6-5-1; 13 points; 4th place)
Sure, they’re fourth, but the Red Wings record is probably the weakest of the any team in the Atlantic. The Bruins have two games in hand, and are only a point behind while the Leafs and Panthers are two points behind, with a game in hand. The Sabres, last in the division, are only three points out of the Wings’ spot. Thomas Vanek was a bright spot until a hip injury sidelined him for 2-3 weeks, but the defense has been abysmal. Worse, the Red Wings are coughing up leads in the third period. Personnel decisions have been questionable, too. The deployment of the OMG line–Steve Ott, Drew Miller and Luke Glendening–has been lampooned by many while younger players, such as Andreas Athanasiou, continue to get limited ice time. The Red Wings can’t afford to sit back should they want to make another playoff appearance. The division–and conference–are much better.
Lineup Updates: Backes, Carrier, Stone, Russell, Edler
News and notes from around the NHL this morning:
- The Boston Bruins announced that they expect David Backes back tonight in their tilt against the New York Rangers. Backes—the Bruins’ prized free agent signing this summer—has been out since October 24th with an elbow injury. The forward underwent surgery last week and sat out the past few games as he recovered. The Bruins did not want to rush Backes back, citing a need for complete recovery and to prevent infection. Surprisingly, the surgery was Backes’s first in his eleven-year career, reports CSN NE’s Joe Haggerty.
- The Buffalo Sabres called up prospect William Carrier from the Rochester Americans early Friday morning, reports the Buffalo News’ John Vogl, in anticipation of tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators. Carrier is having an excellent season in Rochester, scoring 3G and 1A in seven games.
- Mark Stone returns to the lineup for the Ottawa Senators in the same game, says the team. Stone missed the Sens last game with a neck injury, but it was not severe enough to sideline him for more than a game. Stone has 1G and 4A in 9 games for the Senators after returning from a pre-season concussion.
- The Edmonton Oilers will be without Kris Russell tonight as he sits with an undisclosed injury, reports Bob Stauffer of AM 630 CHED. Russell is still looking for his first goal of the season, but his defensive play has anchored the Oilers as they lead the Pacific Division. The new-look Edmonton defense featuring Adam Larsson and Russell allows the team to move the puck quickly to its highly-skilled forwards, something the team has lacked in years past.
- The Vancouver Canucks announced that Alex Edler is day-to-day with an injury and will not suit up tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friendman. Edler only has one goal on the season but is logging over 24 minutes a night. The Canucks have lost seven straight after winning their first four games to start the season.
Craig Anderson Returns To Senators
Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson returns tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, reports the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. Anderson left the team for a second time this month following his wife Nicholle’s cancer diagnosis. The Sens reassigned goaltender Chris Driedger back to Binghamton to make room for Anderson.
Anderson initially left the team in October when his wife was first diagnosed, but returned after the Sens backup goaltender Andrew Hammond went down with an injury. Anderson posted two wins in his brief return, including an emotional shutout against the Edmonton Oilers. He then left the team again to be with his wife while the Senators announced that there was no timetable for his return.
It may not be a coincidence that tonight’s return is the same day as the NHL promotes Cancer Awareness day, and his presence is sure to garner extra attention. Anderson’s play, however, deserves attention regardless of what event the NHL is promoting. Anderson boasts a 6-1-0 record with a .924SV% and a 2.24GAA. And while it is a small sample size, his performance provides Ottawa with the goaltending stability necessary for the young team to progress.