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Senators Notes: Bernard-Docker, Kubalik, Belleville

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The Ottawa Senators had a quiet deadline – only moving winger Vladimir Tarasenko – but it wasn’t from lack of trying, with Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reporting that teams called about defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker but weren’t willing to pay Ottawa’s high asking price. What that asking price was isn’t clear, though there’s no doubt that Ottawa highly values their former first-round pick, despite his struggles at the top level. Garrioch added that Ottawa likely wasn’t eager to move the 23-year-old, happy to continue letting him grow now in a full-time NHL role. Bernard-Docker, the 26th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, is still searching for a groove in the league, with just four goals and 12 points in 53 games this season. It’s his first full season in the NHL, entering the season with just 32 career games across the last three years.

Other Senators trade notes:

  • Garrioch also reports that Ottawa continued to try and find a trade for winger Dominik Kubalik, who the team has been shopping around since December. Garrioch adds that Kubalik will likely be out the door when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. The 28-year-old winger has 10 goals and 14 points in 58 games this season, netting double digit goals for the fifth-straight season, despite a down-year in overall production. Kubalik has managed 92 goals and 175 points across 341 career NHL games.
  • Tarasenko’s move opened up space on the Senators lineup that the team hopes to fill creatively. While they did claim bottom-six staple Boris Katchouk off of waivers, Senators general manager Steve Staios shared that the team could give top Belleville Senators prospects – including Tyler Kleven, Zack Ostapchuk, and Oskar Pettersson – a chance at the majors as well. He told Garrioch, “All of those players have progressed nicely. They’re worthy of an opportunity to play.” Ottawa currently sits second-to-last in the Eastern Conference, with just 25 wins on the season. With a quiet deadline not providing much change, they could be well-poised to try out their top young names.

Senators Recall Three Players On Emergency Loans

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The Senators thinned out their roster late yesterday but have since reversed those moves. Forwards Rourke Chartier, Jiri Smejkal, and defenseman Max Guenette are back on the active roster ahead of tonight’s game against the Sharks, per the AHL’s transactions log. All three players were briefly assigned to the Belleville Senators, making them eligible to suit up in the Calder Cup Playoffs. CapFriendly notes today’s moves are emergency loans, not standard recalls.

Chartier, Guenette, and Smejkal are projected to play in San Jose. Three forwards and two defensemen are unavailable due to injuries, and winger Parker Kelly is unavailable after being suspended yesterday night.

Chartier, 27, has settled back in as a capable minor-league scoring center after concussion symptoms nearly forced him out of the sport in 2019 and 2020. His time in the NHL has been less fruitful, though, scoring three goals and adding one assist in 55 games since making his debut with the Sharks in 2018-19. The San Jose 2014 fifth-round pick has played in a career-high 36 games this year with Ottawa, recording three points and a -4 rating while averaging 10:45 per game. Despite his limited offensive production, he has some value in the dot with a 50.9 FO% and a solid 50.2 xG%.

He’ll be in for a more expanded role tonight, sliding into a third-line position with Joshua Norris hurt and Vladimir Tarasenko traded to the Panthers before the deadline. Norris is expected to miss the remainder of the season as he searches for other opinions on his third left shoulder injury in the past few years, so Chartier may get an extended run in increased minutes down the stretch.

If the Senators want to assign him to the minors again this year, they’ll need to place him on waivers if he plays at least eight games and remains on the roster for 27 more days. He’s already played in two games and been rostered for three days after last clearing waivers on Jan. 31.

Smejkal, 27, is in his first professional season in North America after inking a one-year, two-way deal ($870K NHL/$82.5K AHL) in May 2023. However, the Czech power forward hasn’t had much impact in the NHL or AHL and is likely to return to Europe this summer. Skating in 10 games with the Sens, Smejkal has one assist and a -2 rating while averaging a minuscule 9:21 per game. He’s gotten caved in terms of possession quality in his limited minutes, recording a 36.6 xGF%. In Belleville, he has 19 points and a -11 rating in 39 games.

The 22-year-old Guenette carries the most intrigue as a somewhat recent draft pick, taken by the Sens in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. While he’s averaged only 11:56 through his three NHL showings this year, he’ll get a shot in the team’s top four tonight alongside Jakob Chychrun with Thomas Chabot out with a lower-body injury. A pending RFA nearing completion of his entry-level contract, Guenette has had a strong season in the minors with five goals, 29 points and a +4 rating in 49 games.

These recalls are under emergency conditions, so they don’t count toward Ottawa’s four allotted post-deadline recalls.

Sens Received Interest In Bernard-Docker

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The Senators received some trade interest in defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  However, it appears that Ottawa placed a fairly high price tag on the 23-year-old, one that other teams weren’t willing to pay.  Bernard-Docker actually cleared waivers back in training camp but has spent most of the year up with Ottawa, picking up 12 points and 108 blocked shots in 52 games while logging just under 16 minutes a night.  Signed for one more year after this one at an affordable $805K price tag, it’s understandable that the Sens would have had some interest in Bernard-Docker, perhaps not just from buyers either.  Instead, he’ll remain with Ottawa through the rest of the season at least.

Parker Kelly Receives Two-Game Suspension

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While it was a busy day on the trade front on Friday, the Department of Player Safety was busy as well.  On top of handing out three fines, they also announced that Senators center Parker Kelly received a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head on Kings defenseman Andreas Englund.

The incident occurred late in the third period of Thursday night’s matchup.  He received a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head on the play while Englund also received a minor for roughing as well.

It’s the first suspension of Kelly’s career and he’ll forfeit a little under $8K which goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.  Kelly will miss tonight’s game against San Jose and Tuesday’s contest versus Pittsburgh.  Ottawa shouldn’t need to recall a player to take his place on the roster with their addition of Boris Katchouk off waivers yesterday so they won’t need to use one of their four post-deadline regular recalls.

Senators Claim Boris Katchouk Off Waivers

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The Ottawa Senators have claimed forward Boris Katchouk off of waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks. Katchouk has been with the Hawks for the last three seasons, totaling 117 games and 26 points with the club.

Katchouk has largely served in a full-time NHL role since making his debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021-22, playing in just nine AHL games since. That includes six games with the Rockford IceHogs this season, where Katchouk has scored three goals and five points. But while he’s stayed on an NHL roster, his role hasn’t grown much – with Katchouk regularly rotating into the lineup as a depth winger. He’s totaled 155 career games over the last three seasons, averaging just under 11-and-a-half minutes each game and scoring a total of 32 points.

Katchouk will now join a Senators lineup that recently traded winger Vladimir Tarasenko, forcing them to rely on call-up Jiri Smejkal to fill their fourth line. Smejkal has managed just one assist in 10 games this season, adding 19 points in 39 AHL games. It’s his first year in North America, after spending the last seven years touring across Europe’s top leagues, playing in the KHL, Czechia Extraliga, Liiga, and SHL. He’s proven productive in every league, though he hasn’t yet found his scoring groove in Canada. Some healthy competition could be exactly what he needs, now battling with an experienced depth forward in Katchouk.

Sens Seeking Second-Round Pick For Brannstrom

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One player that the Senators have been believed to have been shopping is defenseman Erik Brannstrom.  Ottawa has placed a fairly high asking price on his services, however, as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team is seeking a second-round pick for the 24-year-old. Playing time has been difficult to come by for Brannstrom this season as he’s averaging under 16 minutes a night through 55 games where he has just three goals and ten assists.  Owed a $2MM qualifying offer in June, Brannstrom could be a potential non-tender candidate for the Sens which means it wouldn’t be surprising if the asking price comes down today, ensuring they get something for a player they could very well lose for nothing in three months.

Senators Still Trying To Move Chychrun

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  • One defenseman who has seen his name pop up in trade speculation for the last few seasons is Jakob Chychrun of the Ottawa Senators. Although it appeared that Chychrun had finally found a long-term home in Ottawa, the new front office does not seem as convinced. TSN’s Bruce Garrioch is reporting that although nothing is imminent on the Chychrun front, General Manager Steve Staios continues to work the phones regarding a Chychrun deal.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Ottawa Senators Announce Multiple Roster Moves

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6:00 PM: The Ottawa Senators have recalled forward Jiri Smejkal and defenseman Max Guenette. The pair will serve as fill-ins for the injured Matthew Highmore and Thomas Chabot, who are bearing with a lower-body and upper-body injury respectively. Ottawa has also sent goaltender Mads Sogaard to the minors.

Panthers Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From Senators

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11:33 a.m.: The Senators confirmed the trade and all its parts in a team release Wednesday morning.

10:45 a.m.: The Panthers are nearing a deal to acquire pending UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the Senators, according to reports from Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Florida is sending a 2025 third-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick to Ottawa, who retains 50% of Tarasenko’s $5MM cap hit, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. The 2024 fourth-rounder will upgrade to a 2026 third-round pick if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup.

Since no roster players are being sent back to the Sens, the Panthers must place a player on waivers and assign them a non-roster designation in the interim to create space. They have no open roster spots or waiver-exempt players to assign to AHL Charlotte. Swallowing Tarasenko’s reduced $2.5MM cap hit still leaves Florida with roughly $3.2MM in space ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.

Tarasenko joins his fourth team in the past two seasons and, based on previous reporting from Garrioch, ends up in his preferred destination. The 32-year-old has complete no-trade protection as part of the one-year deal he signed with Ottawa last summer, which he waived to approve the move to Florida.

In acquiring Tarasenko, Panthers GM Bill Zito addresses his squad’s most significant need on paper – another winger to ride shotgun with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. 30-year-old Nick Cousins, who has just five goals and 10 points in 51 games, has been shouldering top-six minutes with Anton Lundell and Evan Rodrigues finding chemistry together on Florida’s third line.

The defending Eastern Conference champions are now deeper than ever, adding Tarasenko’s 17 goals and 41 points this season to an offense that already ranked eighth in goals per game. Even his middle-of-the-pack possession metrics should be an improvement over the struggling Cousins, who’s hurt both the Bennett and Lundell lines, per MoneyPuck. When flanked by Carter Verhaeghe, Bennett and Tkachuk have controlled 60.4% of expected goals compared to 51.8% with Cousins.

It’s likely not the return the Sens wanted for their highest-value rental, especially with salary retention included. The extent to which Tarasenko’s no-trade clause limited Sens GM Steve Staios’ options for a return is unknown. Two draft picks are better than none, though, and there was little reason for Ottawa to hold onto Tarasenko with the playoffs out of reach for a franchise-record seventh straight season.

Tarasenko’s absence should translate to an uptick in ice time for 21-year-old Ridly Greig, who’s averaged under 15 minutes per game, down the stretch. He’s been one of the Sens’ bright spots this season, posting a team-high +17 rating along with nine goals and 21 points in 49 games. Tarasenko’s most common spot alongside Drake Batherson and Tim Stützle will be filled by another veteran in Claude Giroux, at least out of the gate.

By retaining $2.5MM of Tarasenko’s cap hit, the Sens remain over the $83.5MM Upper Limit, requiring Joshua Norris’ $7.95MM cap hit on LTIR to stay compliant. He remains out indefinitely with an upper-body injury potentially related to the shoulder problems that sidelined him for nearly all of 2022-23.

Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest was the first to report that two draft picks were heading from the Panthers to the Senators.

Senators Expected To Scratch Vladimir Tarasenko For Trade-Related Reasons

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The Senators will likely scratch pending UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko for trade-related reasons Wednesday against the Ducks, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports. Ottawa recalled winger Matthew Highmore from AHL Belleville in a corresponding transaction, a team announcement states.

In recent days, Tarasenko has generated interest from multiple teams. The Bruins, Oilers, Golden Knights, Hurricanes, Panthers, and Rangers have all inquired about picking him up before Friday’s trade deadline, Garrioch said Monday.

His one-year, $5MM contract contains a no-trade clause, so he can block a trade to any team he chooses. Per Garrioch, Tarasenko reportedly prefers the defending Eastern Conference champion Panthers as his post-deadline home, but it doesn’t appear he’ll force his way into a move to South Florida if another contender serves up an offer more to Sens GM Steve Staios’ liking.

Tarasenko, 32, has picked things up after a slow start in the Canadian capital, posting 17 goals, 24 assists and 41 points in 57 games. His 0.72 points per game matches last season’s rate split between the Blues and Rangers, albeit in a little less ice time. Tarasenko’s averaging 16:03 per game, his lowest usage in 10 years.

Interestingly, he’s been a much-improved player at controlling possession quality from his later days in St. Louis. He has a 0.2 expected rating, his first time in the black in an entire season since winning the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019.

As such, Ottawa will follow in the footsteps of the Kraken (Alexander Wennberg) and Coyotes (Jason Zucker) and scratch their most likely trade asset to avoid a pre-deadline injury. Tarasenko, who has four points in his last four games, will be a scratch for the first time since taking a brief personal leave in December.

He’ll be replaced in the lineup by the 28-year-old Highmore, who comes up from Belleville for the third time this season. The Nova Scotia-born winger made six appearances for the Sens in November and December, recording an assist, a -1 rating and one shot on goal while averaging a career-low 7:59 per game.

The former Blackhawks, Blues and Canucks depth forward is in his first season in Ottawa after inking a one-year, two-way deal ($775K NHL/$400K AHL) on July 1 last year. He’s spent most of the year with Belleville, scoring nine goals and adding 20 assists for 29 points in 40 games. It’s a significant step back from last year’s minor-league showing when he posted 61 points in 68 games with St. Louis’ affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.

As long as Highmore’s recall lasts under 10 days and sees him play four games or less, he won’t need waivers to return to the B-Sens. He’ll likely factor in on Ottawa’s fourth line tonight with Mark Kastelic and Parker Kelly. Zack MacEwen, who was quietly moved to injured reserve yesterday, per CapFriendly, is out with a lower-body injury.

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