Bruins Notes: Chara, Pastrnak, Miller
The Boston Bruins are off to a solid 11-8-0 start to the year, and much of the success has to be attributed to the tight defensive hockey the team is playing. That might take a hit over the next two games, as the team has officially announced that Zdeno Chara will miss tomorrow’s game against the Ottawa Senators, and is questionable for Friday’s matchup. Without Chara, the Bruins’ and their 6th place ranking with 44 goals against is in jeopardy. Even at his advanced age (39), the Solvakian defender is a monster on the ice, limiting goal opportunities and dominating puck battles.
- The team will get David Pastrnak back though, in a hope that his added offense will equal out the defensive loss. The Bruins’ leading goal scorer this season was out for two games this weekend before returning to practice today. Skating alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, the former first-round pick has 10 goals in 14 games, on pace to shatter his career-high of 15. At just 20-years old Pastrnak looks like he’s developing into a top-line winger, capable of skating opposite Marchand for many years. Coach Claude Julien says he’s likely to play “unless there’s a setback tomorrow”.
- Kevan Miller was also cleared to return to practice today, and took a regular turn alongside Joe Morrow among Boston’s defense pairings. While Julien wouldn’t say whether Miller would get back into the lineup, his return obviously lines up fairly well with Chara’s absence. “We’re going to have some decisions to make before tomorrow’s game” is all the coach would say. Miller has yet to suit up for a game this year after breaking his left hand and needing surgery prior to the season opener. The 29-year old played in 71 games for the club a season ago, notching 18 points and 53 penalty minutes.
Matt Puempel Claimed Off Waivers By Rangers
The New York Rangers have claimed Matt Puempel off waiver from the Ottawa Senators, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston.
Puempel was the Senators first round pick in 2011, but has not been able to find consistent scoring in the NHL. He has played 13 games this season, but has not scored a point. He has six points in 52 NHL games over the last three seasons. Puempel has been a prolific scorer in the OHL and AHL, so perhaps a change of scenery will do him good. His contract is worth $900K and expires after this season.
Read more: Senators Place Matt Puempel On Waivers, Andrew Hammond Clears
The Rangers received some bad injury news on Monday morning, with former Senator Mika Zibanejad out for 6-8 weeks after breaking his fibula on Sunday night. New York will be hoping that Puempel can re-discover his scoring touch to help replace some of Zibanejad’s offence.
Senators Place Matt Puempel On Waivers, Andrew Hammond Clears
Another day, another Ottawa Senator on waivers.
After goaltender Andrew Hammond cleared waivers on Sunday morning, the team placed forward Matt Puempel on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Puempel has played 13 games this season, but has not scored a point. Overall, he has six points in 52 NHL games over the last three seasons.
This is a disappointing development for Puempel, who was a prolific goal scorer in the OHL. He scored 119 goals in 195 games with the Peterborough Petes and Kitchener Rangers. Puempel was selected 24th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Since turning pro, he’s also been a consistent scorer at the AHL level, with 111 points in 170 games. Unfortunately for him and the Senators, Puempel has been unable to find success at the NHL level.
Teams with scoring troubles, like the Vancouver Canucks or the New York Islanders, could take a look at Puempel, who will be a restricted free agent at season’s end. He makes $900K, which can easily be sent to the minors should he not work out.
Meanwhile, The Hamburglar cleared waivers. Hammond has only played two games this season, with an 0-1-0 record. He has a brutal 0.793 SV% and a 4.5 GAA to show for his work this season.
No word yet on whether or not he’ll be assigned to the AHL, though Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch believes that’s likely to happen sometime on Sunday. Hammond had been hurt in late October, in the game right after Craig Anderson first left the team. The team acquired Matt Condon from the Penguins shortly thereafter. He hasn’t played since, and recently refused to go to Binghamton on a conditioning stint. Hammond makes $1.35MM, so he’ll still count against the Senators’ salary cap to the tune of $400K, should he be sent down.
Bobby Ryan Out With Broken Finger
The Senators will be without the services of Bobby Ryan, one of their top offensive threats at least for tonight’s game against Florida due to a broken finger, according to the team’s official Twitter account. The team also described the likelihood of Mike Hoffman suiting up tonight as “less than likely,” suggesting it’s probable that two of the Sens best forwards will be out of the lineup tonight.
Curtis Lazar, who was recalled from Binghamton of the AHL this morning, will be in the lineup.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun adds that this is the third broken finger over the last three years for Ryan.
Ryan has struggled at the outset of the 2016-17 campaign, scoring just three goals and recording six points in 17 games to date. The native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey and former second overall draft choice in 2005 – selected only after Sidney Crosby – tallied four straight 30-goal campaigns from 2008-09 through 2011-12 while a member of the Anaheim Ducks. Since being acquired by the Senators in a blockbuster deal which saw Jakob Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen and a first-round pick going to Anaheim, Ryan has failed to to reach the 30-goal mark. His best season came last year with a scoring line of 22G – 34A – 56Pts.
One of the reasons the Senators traded for Derick Brassard was to give Ryan a skilled, left-handed pivot who could more easily get the puck to the right-handed right wing on the rush. The two have failed to click as hoped and were recently moved to different lines in an attempt to jump start the offense.
Hoffman, like Ryan, is off to a slow start with just three goals and seven points in 16 games. He is considered day-to-day with a lower-body-injury. Hoffman inked a massive four-year contract extension worth a total of $20.75MM this summer on the heels of a 29-goal, 59-point performance in 2015-16.
The Senators currently rank 27th in the NHL in goals scored and losing Ryan for what could be a lengthy period won’t help matters. Lazar has been considered one of Ottawa’s better prospects and the hope is he is ready to contribute some offense.
Senators Place Andrew Hammond On Waivers
The Ottawa Senators have placed goaltender Andrew Hammond on waivers today, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Hammond is the odd man out in Ottawa after the Senators acquired goaltender Mike Condon from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Hammond has struggled so far this season in Ottawa. In his short two game stint with the big club he’s earned a .793 SV% and a 4.50 GAA. His numbers are a far cry from two seasons ago when he put up an astounding .941 SV% and a 1.79 GAA in 23 starts, going 20-1 down the stretch for Ottawa.
The club’s decision to waive Hammond indicates that Craig Anderson will be returning to the team for good. Anderson has taken personal time away from the team to tend to his wife after her recent cancer diagnosis.
It is uncertain, however, whether Hammond would report to Binghamton if he clears waivers. The goaltender previously declined to consent to a conditioning stint in the AHL after returning from a groin injury this week. The Sens attempted to trade Hammond this week, but this waiver addition implies that there were no takers.
Recalls and Reassignments: Senators, Sabres, Canadiens
News and notes from around the NHL this morning:
- The Ottawa Senators recalled forward Curtis Lazar from the Binghamton Senators this morning, first reported by the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch and then confirmed by the team. The Senators have been hit hard by the injury bug lately, and have been without Bobby Ryan (hand), Clarke MacArthur (concussion), and Mike Hoffman (lower body). Bruce Garrioch reported that the Sens would wait until Friday night—after Binghamton played the Albany Devils—to see who would be called up. Lazar scored last night and must’ve impressed team brass enough to earn a recall. He currently has 3G and 1A in 13 games for Binghamton.
- The Buffalo Sabres have called up forwards Cal O’Reilly and Cole Schneider from the Rochester Americans (Amerks) this morning, reports Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. The Sabres are hoping that the callups spark the team’s scoring woes—Schneider has 7G and 10A in 13 games and O’Reilly 3G and 15A in 15 games—as they’ve scored a mere 6 goals in six games. The two forwards lead the Amerks in scoring.
- The Montreal Canadiens have reassigned forward Sven Andrighetto back to the St. John IceCaps, reports TSN 690’s Amanda Stein. The Swiss forward has 5G and 6A in 10 games for St. Johns, but went scoreless in 4 games with the Canadiens. He averaged under 12 minutes a night for those four games.
Senators Notes: Claesson, Anderson, Injuries
After being called up two weeks ago, Fredrik Claesson will be sent back to Binghamton of the AHL according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The team, facing a handful of nagging injuries up front, needs the roster spot to bring up another forward for tomorrow’s game. Claesson got into six games with the big club this year, barely playing much at all as Erik Karlsson continues to log huge minutes (27 per game).
A fifth-round pick, Claesson has progressed nicely into a solid depth defenseman for the club. Recently, GM Pierre Dorion specifically mentioned him as impressive in his development, saying he doesn’t really need to go out and get another blueliner now.
- Craig Anderson will again be in net tomorrow night after returning to the club. His season-long battle continues as he pops in and out of the dressing room whenever he can. Two nights ago marked Hockey Fights Cancer night in the NHL, where players and teams around the league donned lavender sweaters and the names of loved ones for warm up. Multiple players wore the name of Anderson’s wife Nicholle, honoring their peer in the only way they could. Today, the Anderson’s announced through a Sens press release that Nicholle has been diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
- The team is fighting a number of small injuries, as Garrioch reports. Bobby Ryan, Mike Hoffman and Chris Neil are all day-to-day and will be game-time decisions for tomorrow night’s matchup. The team will have to call up replacements for each of them if they miss, as they’re currently only carrying one extra forward.
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.