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Cam Talbot Scratched Late Due To Injury

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Tonight’s Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators matchup has had a couple of interesting developments just hours before game time. Mads Sogaard will now be get the start for the Senators as Ottawa netminder Cam Talbot has been scratched with what TSN 1200 is reporting as a minor lower body ailment. Talbot had a slow start in his first season with Ottawa but has been better as of late for the Senators, having won his last three starts.

Kevin Mandolese has been called up from Belleville (AHL) but will likely not make it down to Chicago in time for the game. Mandolese has been quite good for the Senators this season with a 1-1 record and a .928 save percentage. The 22-year-old netminder last dressed for Ottawa in a loss to the Boston Bruins on February 20th, a game in which he stopped 29 of 32 shots.

For this evening, Ottawa may have to dress an emergency backup goaltender (EBUG). In Chicago, that would be Scott Foster, who famously backstopped the Blackhawks to a 6-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets in 2018. Foster stopped all seven shots he faced in his one NHL appearance, and was named the game’s first star despite not being credited as the goalie of record.

Foster was signed by Chicago back in March 2018 to an amateur tryout contract because presumed started Anton Forsberg was sidelined at the time with an injury. Should he dress tonight for Ottawa, he would once again be working in as an emergency backup goaltender for a team that employs Forsberg.

Poll: Who Won The 2023 Trade Deadline Week?

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The 2023 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, with most of the action spread among the days leading up to last Friday. Playoff contenders were as active as ever, with an eyebrow-raising 13 first-round picks dealt in the weeks leading up to the deadline. With so much activity, though, it’s difficult to immediately say which team (and which general manager) came out on top.

First off, the world-beating Boston Bruins made a pair of significant deals with conference rivals. Their biggest acquisition came in the form of Dmitry Orlov from the Washington Capitals, who had been quietly one of the best defensive defenders in the league over the past few years. His two-way play has made an immediate impact, recording three goals and nine points in just five games with the Bruins since the trade, already doubling his goal total on the season. The team also acquired a pair of aggressive forwards, Tyler Bertuzzi and Garnet Hathaway, who seem to fit seamlessly into the tapestry of a quintessential Bruins lineup.

However, their Atlantic Division rivals were some of the most active teams on the market too. No team made more additions to their roster than the Toronto Maple Leafs, who added a significant complement of defensive-minded skaters in Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty, and Luke Schenn while also adding some power-play depth in the form of defenseman Erik Gustafsson. Like Boston, they were able to avoid parting with a top prospect in the process, although young NHLer Rasmus Sandin, already off to a strong start with his new team, the Washington Capitals, was a casualty of the roster crunch.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, looking to make a fourth straight Stanley Cup Final, made one of the most controversial moves of the deadline by parting with five draft picks in exchange for depth winger Tanner Jeannot. They also made some salary cap flexibility by swapping Vladislav Namestnikov for Michael Eyssimont, who’s provided some quiet upside in his first extended NHL opportunities with the Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks.

The best forward on the market on the market was undoubtedly Timo Meier, who the New Jersey Devils landed to complete a formidable top-six forward group alongside Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Tomas Tatar. The 26-year-old is amidst his second consecutive 30-goal season and is a powerful two-way force. They also acquired Curtis Lazar in a minor deal with the Vancouver Canucks to improve their fourth line.

No team made more star-studded acquisitions than the New York Rangers, not unexpected from one of the most aggressive front offices in the league. A pair of veteran stars headed their way in the form of Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane, who the Rangers hope will enjoy some revitalization alongside a more robust core on Broadway. It looks like that’s happened so far for Tarasenko, who’s scored four goals and nine points in 12 games as a Ranger. Kane is still looking for his first point and has a -4 rating in two contests since the trade.

It was one team out of the playoff picture, though, that may have made the most effective roster improvement. The Ottawa Senators acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes for a trio of draft picks, filling a gigantic hole in their defensive makeup. Now 7-2-1 in their past 10 games, the acquisition of Chychrun (under contract through 2025) gives the Senators a fighting chance at making the playoffs for the first time since advancing to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017.

It’s up to you, PHR readers, to decide who they think had the best overall haul at this year’s deadline. Cast your vote and let us know who you think came out on top.

Trade Deadline Roundup: Eastern Conference

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While trade deadline day was largely a dud in itself, that was because so many moves were made in the days leading up to March 3rd.  With that in mind, here is a recap of the trades made in the Eastern Conference in the ten days leading up to deadline day to show who all moved where in what was a busy trade period overall.  Players and picks that were acquired and then flipped are only noted for their final destination.

Boston Bruins

Acquired: F Shane Bowers, F Tyler Bertuzzi, F Garnet Hathaway, D Dmitry Orlov, F Andrei Svetlakov

Traded: G Keith Kinkaid, F Craig Smith, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 fifth-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick

Buffalo Sabres

Acquired: F Jordan Greenway, D Riley Stillman, D Austin Strand, 2023 third-round pick (LA), 2025 seventh-round pick (NSH)

Traded: F Rasmus Asplund, F Josh Bloom, F Anders Bjork, G Erik Portillo, D Chase Priskie, 2023 second-round pick (VGK), 2024 fifth-round pick

Carolina Hurricanes

Acquired: D Shayne Gostisbehere, F Jesse Puljujarvi

Traded: F Patrik Puistola, 2026 third-round pick

Columbus Blue Jackets

Acquired: G Jon Gillies, G Michael Hutchinson, 2023 first-round pick (LA), 2023 fifth-round pick (BOS), 2024 third-round pick (LA), 2025 seventh-round pick (VGK)

Traded: D Vladislav Gavrikov, G Joonas Korpisalo, F Gustav Nyquist, Jakub Voracek, 2023 sixth-round pick

Detroit Red Wings

Acquired: F Dylan McLaughlin, 2023 first-round pick (NYI), 2023 second-round pick (VAN), 2023 fourth-round pick (MIN), 2024 first-round pick (BOS), 2025 fourth-round pick (BOS), 2025 seventh-round pick (STL)

Traded: F Tyler Bertuzzi, D Filip Hronek, F Oskar Sundqvist, F Jakub Vrana

Florida Panthers

No trades made

Montreal Canadiens

Acquired: D Frederic Allard, F Denis Gurianov, D Tony Sund, 2024 fifth-round pick (SJ)

Traded: F Evgenii Dadonov, D Arvid Henrikson, F Nate Schnarr

New Jersey Devils

Acquired: G Zacharie Emond, F Timur Ibragimov, F Curtis Lazar, F Timo Meier, D Santeri Hatakka, 2024 fifth-round pick (COL)

Traded: F Andreas Johnsson, D Shakir Mukhamadullin, D Nikita Okhotyuk, F Fabian Zetterlund, 2023 first-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, 2024 fourth-round pick, 2024 seventh-round pick

New York Islanders

Acquired: F Pierre Engvall

Traded: 2024 third-round pick

New York Rangers

Acquired: F Anton Blidh, D Wyatt Kalynuk, F Patrick Kane, F William Lockwood, D Cooper Zech, 2026 seventh-round pick (VAN)

Traded: F Vitali Kravtsov, F Austin Rueschhoff, F Gustav Rydahl, D Andy Welinski, 2023 second-round pick, 2025 third-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick

Ottawa Senators

Acquired: F Patrick Brown, D Jakob Chychrun

Traded: D Nikita Zaitsev, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, 2023 sixth-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick

Philadelphia Flyers

Acquired: F Brendan Lemieux, 2023 sixth-round pick (OTT), 2024 fourth-round pick (LA)

Traded: F Patrick Brown, F Zack MacEwen, F Isaac Ratcliffe

Pittsburgh Penguins

Acquired: F Nick Bonino, F Peter DiLiberatore, F Mikael Granlund, D Dmitry Kulikov, 2024 third-round pick (VGK)

Traded: F Teddy Blueger, F Brock McGinn, 2023 second-round pick, 2023 seventh-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2024 fifth-round pick

Tampa Bay Lightning

Acquired: F Michael Eyssimont, F Tanner Jeannot

Traded: D Cal Foote, F Vladislav Namestnikov, 2023 third-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, 2023 fifth-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, 2025 first-round pick

Toronto Maple Leafs

Acquired: D Erik Gustafsson, F Sam Lafferty, D Jake McCabe, D Luke Schenn, F Radim Zohorna, 2023 first-round pick (BOS), 2024 third-round pick (NYI), 2024 fifth-round pick (CHI), 2025 fifth-round pick (CHI)

Traded: F Joey Anderson, F Pierre Engvall, F Pavel Gogolev, F Dryden Hunt, D Rasmus Sandin, 2023 third-round pick, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick

Washington Capitals

Acquired: D Rasmus Sandin, F Craig Smith, 2024 third-round pick (BOS), 2024 third-round pick (MIN), 2025 second-round pick (BOS), 2025 second-round pick (COL)

Traded: F Lars Eller, D Erik Gustafsson, F Garnet Hathaway, F Marcus Johansson, D Dmitry Orlov

Ottawa Senators Acquire Patrick Brown

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Right at the buzzer, the Ottawa Senators have added another player for a late-season playoff run. Patrick Brown has been acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick.

Brown, 30, is a straight-line forechecking machine, who will add a ton of energy to the Senators fourth line but not much else. The undrafted forward has scored just eight goals in 120 career regular season games, including just two this season with the Flyers. What he does have, though, is some legitimate playoff experience as a role player with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021 and Carolina Hurricanes in 2019, both teams that advanced to the third round.

If the Senators make the playoffs—which appears a real possibility after some strong play in recent weeks—players like Brown will be useful for head coach D.J. Smith and the rest of the staff. His speed, physical play, and penalty-killing ability make him a valuable option at the bottom of a lineup card, as long as he’s not being asked to do too much. His ability to play center is also a nice fit for a Senators team that has struggled to stay healthy down the middle of the ice.

A sixth-round pick is not a lot, but the Flyers will take anything they can get to piece a roster back together. It’s hard to call it a true rebuild, but draft capital will help even if general manager Chuck Fletcher tries to go with the “retool” option to satisfy ownership. Brown, on an expiring contract, was a chip they did well to cash in, given he was claimed off waivers from the Golden Knights in 2021.

No Supplemental Discipline Coming For Austin Watson

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Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson will not face supplemental discipline from the NHL Department of Player Safety for a hit to the head area he made on New York Rangers forward Tyler Motte last night, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post.

The hit, which led to Watson receiving a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct, came in the first period of last night’s game. Watson appeared to hit Motte, who was his teammate just a few weeks ago, in the head area with a rising check, one that seemed to include an elbow making contact with Motte’s upper body.

A replay review by officials showed that Watson’s primary point of contact was with Motte’s chin, which is what led to Watson being ejected from the game. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports that the Department of Player Safety determined that the hit “didn’t rise to Illegal Check to the Head,” that it was more of a “North/south hit through the body with unavoidable head contact.”

Motte did not return to the eventual Senators victory, and worth noting is the fact that Motte was knocked out for some time last season with an upper-body injury. He could miss some time now with the upper-body injury he suffered due to the hit, although no firm timeline has yet been released.

Motte, 27, was recently acquired from the Senators and has played six games for the Rangers this year.

Should he miss extended time, the Rangers will be pressed into an even more precarious situation, having already been forced to play with eleven forwards and five defensemen for cap-related reasons.

For the Senators, Watson escaping punishment from the NHL for this hit could help them as they look to make a push for a playoff spot. Watson was suspended last year for a high hit on Boston Bruins defenseman Jack Ahcan, meaning were he going to face discipline again he would be considered a repeat offender.

Now, though, despite the apparent severity of Watson’s hit on Motte, Watson will be able to remain in the Senators’ lineup for their Saturday game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It appears that the league has decided that the five-minute-major and match penalty is sufficient punishment for Watson, which is not fully out of line with some of their past decisions.

For the Rangers, this decision could come as another point of anger for the team against the NHL Department of Player Safety, especially with their own player, K’Andre Miller, currently serving a suspension.

It was just two years ago that the Rangers’ officially and publicly called for the firing of former NHL enforcer George Parros, the current head of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. In a statement, they called  him “unfit to continue in his current role” and his choice to not suspend Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson “a dereliction of duty” that seemed to permit what they called a “horrifying act of violence.”

While today’s choice to not levy additional punishment on Watson won’t to draw the same level of ire from the Rangers and the New York market, they’re unlikely to be thrilled to see Watson walk away unscathed while one of their players faces a possible extended absence.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ottawa Senators Sign Dylan Ferguson

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The Ottawa Senators have added some goaltending depth for the rest of the year, signing Dylan Ferguson to a one-year, two-way contract through 2022-23. The deal follows the recent AHL acquisition of Ferguson, and sets him up to be a restricted free agent in the summer.

Despite being a seventh-round pick of the Dallas Stars who wasn’t tendered a contract after his entry-level deal expired, the 24-year-old Ferguson has actually appeared in the NHL before. That came way back in 2017-18, when he was an emergency recall directly from the WHL to play for the Vegas Golden Knights as they dealt with several injuries.

He hasn’t returned in the years since, but after posting a .930 save percentage through his first two appearances for the Bellville Senators, you can understand why the organization wanted to keep him around. After the stretch run, Ottawa will get to decide whether tendering him is worth it.

In the meantime, he’s now eligible for recall to the NHL should they need a backup.

Ottawa Senators Acquire Jakob Chychrun

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One of the longest-running trade sagas in recent NHL history has finally reached its conclusion. The Ottawa Senators have acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes, per a team announcement. In exchange for the star defenseman, the Coyotes are receiving a 2023 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 second-round pick (originally acquired from the Washington Capitals) and a 2026 second-rounder.

There are some conditions in this deal to untangle. The 2023 first-rounder is top-five protected, meaning if the pick lands inside the top-five of the draft, it becomes an unprotected 2024 first-rounder. Additionally, if the Senators reach the 2023 Eastern Conference Final, the 2024 second-rounder (via WSH) becomes Ottawa’s 2024 first-rounder, top-10 protected. If that first-rounder ends up being inside the top-10 in that scenario, then the pick becomes a 2025 unprotected first-round pick.

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion had the following to say on the deal:

A defenceman we’ve coveted, Jakob is big and plays imposing. He possesses a quality skill set; he defends hard and is highly skilled. He uses his heavy shot with accuracy and is effective at creating offence as a threat at the offensive blue line.

At first glance, this looks like an extremely palatable price for the Senators to pay to acquire a top-pairing defenseman. Mattias Ekholm was recently traded for a first-rounder and a prospect recently drafted in the first round, while the Coyotes only managed to pry away one first-round pick in exchange for Chychrun. But as more and more contending teams interested in acquiring defensemen opted for other options (such as the Los Angeles Kings, who acquired Vladislav Gavrikov last night, or the Oilers, who got Ekholm) the market may have begun to shift into one more favorable to a buyer.

For the Coyotes, it’s a tough pill to swallow after over a year of anticipation for this trade. Chychrun is the team’s best defenseman and a legitimate top-pairing force on a bargain $4.6MM AAV deal through 2024-25.

Getting just one guaranteed first-rounder and two second-rounders, including one all the way in 2026, is a bit underwhelming, especially when one considers the fact that earlier today Filip Hronek returned a first-rounder and a second-rounder for this year’s draft.

The fact that just recently Nashville Predators grinder Tanner Jeannot cost the Tampa Bay Lightning a package of a player and five draft picks, including a first and second-rounder can’t make things easier for Coyotes fans as well.

The main redeeming element of this trade for the Coyotes is the upside this 2023 first-rounder has. With the Senators currently on the outside of the playoff picture in an Eastern Conference loaded with contending teams, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Senators stumble and send Arizona a pick inside the top ten. If that ends up happening, then this price isn’t totally out of line with what the Senators paid for Alex DeBrincat last summer. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also notes that the Coyotes placed value in the fact that Ottawa didn’t require them to take any money back as part of this deal, which is a relatively rare sight in today’s flat-cap world.

While this return might be a bit disappointing for the Coyotes, it remains a valuable contribution to the war chest of draft picks they have stockpiled in recent years. They currently have the rights to four second-round picks in both the 2024 and 2025 drafts, and will have the chance to make two high picks in what is considered an extremely talented 2023 draft. So although after such a long wait this return will undoubtedly feel underwhelming, it does inch the team a little closer to their goal of loading up their organization with an army of talented young players.

For the Senators, this trade accomplishes the team’s long-held goal of upgrading their defense, and at a relatively affordable price to boot. Dorion surrendered the same amount of first-round draft picks to acquire Chychrun (a better defenseman with extra years of affordable team control) as the Panthers surrendered to acquire Ben Chiarot at last year’s deadline. While Chychrun hasn’t played in quite a while, held out for trade-related reasons, he has a healthy 28 points in 36 games this season.

Chychrun scored 18 goals and 41 points in just 56 games during the 2020-21 season, flashing number-one defenseman ability. While his struggles to stay healthy since that point have cost him the chance to truly establish himself among the league’s elite defenseman, he’s a mid-twenties, team-controlled two-way blueliner who can capably handle 23-plus minutes a night. There’s not a team in the NHL that wouldn’t benefit from adding a defenseman like him.

With Chychrun now in the mix alongside Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub, and Jake Sanderson, the Senators now have a formidable group of top-four defensemen. While it definitely hurts to give up a possible top-ten pick, it’s clear that the Senators’ rebuild is meant to be over, and that finally returning to the playoffs is the goal. While it may not happen this season, this addition of Chychrun gives the Senators quite a boost as they look to make noise in a crowded Atlantic Division for next year.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Cam Talbot Drawing Trade Interest

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The Ottawa Senators likely made a mistake when they traded Filip Gustavsson for Cam Talbot in the offseason. The much younger Gustavsson has outperformed expectations with the Minnesota Wild, essentially supplanting Marc-Andre Fleury as the team’s starter and posting a .928 save percentage over 27 appearances. Talbot, meanwhile, has struggled with injury for Ottawa, and has a .905 through 29 appearances.

The gamble, though, always came with an out clause for the Senators. If the team wasn’t in a position to contend for the Stanley Cup or extension talks went south with the veteran goaltender, they could always flip him at the deadline to a team looking for some experience in the crease. Talbot does not hold any trade protection in his contract, and the front-loaded deal is inexpensive enough to make it work even for cap-strapped contenders.

That appears to be what will happen over the next week, as several reports suggest that Talbot is on his way out of town. Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest tweets that Talbot is “likely on the move” at the deadline and lists the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, and Buffalo Sabres as potential fits. Strickland adds that the goaltender recently turned down an extension; Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia confirms that the Senators spoke with Talbot’s camp last month and couldn’t find any traction on a new deal.

Kevin Weekes of ESPN also has heard that Talbot is drawing interest from around the league, listing the Kings, Golden Knights, and Calgary Flames as potential destinations.

While there are some red flags for Talbot’s future in the league—he’ll turn 36 in July, has dealt with injuries, and is in the midst of one of the worst seasons of his career—there’s also reason to believe he could help a club looking to shore up their goaltending depth for a postseason run. As recently as 2021, Talbot posted a .923 save percentage in seven postseason games for the Wild, as they pushed the Golden Knights to the brink in a first-round matchup. Though his experience is relatively limited (33 games), he does have a career .921 in the playoffs.

If the Senators can recoup an asset, the trade won’t go down as a total bust. Still, watching Gustavsson succeed in Minnesota has to be a bit painful, even with the handful of young goaltenders in the Ottawa system that have shown well in limited opportunities this season.

Multiple Teams Showing Interest In Austin Watson

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The Senators have moved out a couple of veterans already recently in defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and forward Tyler Motte.  While they haven’t completely thrown in the towel yet on trying to make the playoffs, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that at least three teams have shown interest in acquiring veteran winger Austin Watson.  Those three are all Western Conference squads in the Stars, Kings, and Avalanche.

Watson is in his ninth NHL season and is having a quieter year than normal offensively, scoring just four goals and two assists in 53 games while his playing time has dipped to just above ten minutes a night.  However, he’s only one year removed from a ten-goal campaign.  The 31-year-old continues to play a physical game, picking up 120 hits along with 63 penalty minutes and that’s what’s likely to draw attention from elsewhere.  He’s in the final season of a three-year deal that carries a $1.5MM AAV and he’ll become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Playoff-bound teams are often looking to shore up their depth forwards at this time of year and adding some grit for the playoffs is also a trait that is often coveted so it’s no surprise that some teams are calling about Watson.  Those three teams are quite familiar with him from his days in Nashville as well.  He’d be no more than a fourth liner on any of those squads though so if Ottawa does wind up moving him, they’d likely be limited to receiving no more than a mid-round draft pick for his services.

Senators Recall Mark Kastelic, Assign Ridly Greig To AHL

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The Senators have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game tonight against Montreal, announcing (Twitter link) that they have recalled center Mark Kastelic from AHL Belleville while assigning rookie middleman Ridly Greig back to the minors.

Kastelic has spent the majority of the season with Ottawa, getting into 43 games with the big club.  However, he only collected four goals and a single assist in that stretch in a little over nine minutes per night so following the All-Star break, the team elected to have him spend some time with Belleville.  The decision worked as Kastelic picked up a goal and four assist in just seven contests with the Baby Sens.

As for Greig, the 20-year-old held his own in his first taste of NHL action, picking up a goal and three helpers in 11 games while averaging 13:29 per night.  However, for the time being, they’ve decided that Greig should play a bigger role with Belleville for the time being who is trying to get back into the AHL playoff picture.  He has done well at that level this season as a first-year pro, tallying 12 goals and 11 assists in 28 games so far.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see Greig back up with Ottawa at some point in the next few weeks, especially if the Sens wind up seeing some more veterans over the next few days.

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