An interesting signing took place this morning, permitted only by a technicality. Ottawa Senators 2018 second-round pick Jonny Tychonick signed a two-year AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies, beginning this season, according to the team.
Senators Rumors
Ottawa Senators Recall Dylan Ferguson
The Ottawa Senators recalled goaltender Dylan Ferguson from the AHL’s Belleville Senators on Sunday morning, according to a team announcement. Goaltender Kevin Mandolese was also re-assigned to Belleville.
Belleville is in action today against the Cleveland Monsters, meaning this could be a paper transaction for Mandolese to suit up in the minors and get some game action. Ottawa doesn’t play again until Monday and could opt to reverse the transaction tomorrow morning.
It could also be a performance-based recall for Ferguson, who’s excelled in Belleville since he was acquired via trade from the Toronto Marlies. On an AHL contract at the time, Ferguson was signed to an NHL deal by the Senators at the beginning of the month. Through six games with Ottawa’s affiliate, the 24-year-old has posted a 5-1-0 record and a .935 save percentage.
If Ferguson does appear in a game, it won’t be his NHL debut. Hardcore fans of the Vegas Golden Knights will remember Ferguson, who stepped into action for them during their inaugural season after being recalled from juniors when injuries ravaged their goaltending depth chart.
Ferguson’s only recently graduated to the AHL full-time, appearing in 13 games for AHL Henderson last season and 11 games split between Toronto and Belleville in 2022-23.
Ottawa Senators Expected To Begin Contract Talks With Tyler Kleven
The Ottawa Senators are gearing up to sign one of their top defensive prospects, reports Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun and TSN. Tyler Kleven’s college season has come to a close, and Garrioch notes that talks between the Senators and his agent, Craig Oster, “will likely begin soon.”
Kleven, 21, is a strong one-on-one defender and has decent zone exit skills, too. However, it’s his offensive game that showed signs of growth throughout three seasons at the University of North Dakota. After notching just two goals and 12 assists in 62 games with the United States National U18 Team during his draft year, Kleven’s offensive totals steadily grew in college. That growth culminated in an eight-goal, 18-point campaign in 35 games in 2022-23.
The 44th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft could join the Senators this year, although it’s unclear whether he would head to NHL Ottawa or AHL Belleville. Garrioch remarks he has “little doubt” that Kleven will want his entry-level contract to start immediately rather than deferring until 2023-24 and joining the Belleville Senators on a tryout for the remainder of 2022-23.
Kleven’s season came to an end last night with a 3-2 overtime loss to St. Cloud State in the NCHC semifinals. He didn’t record a point but registered a +1 rating.
Ownership Group Led By Graeme Roustan, First Nations Eyeing Senators Purchase
- On last night’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Chris Johnston noted that an ownership group led by The Hockey News owner Graeme Roustan, in conjunction with Canadian First Nations groups, has advanced past the first round of bidding to purchase the Ottawa Senators. Johnston reports that the group notably has an interest in developing the land around LeBreton Flats, realizing a long-time hope for a more centrally located arena in Ottawa.
Senators Recall Ridly Greig
Late last month, the Senators sent Ridly Greig back to Belleville to get some more playing time. Now, they’ve decided the time is right to bring him back up to the big club as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled the center from AHL Belleville.
The 20-year-old played in 11 games with Ottawa during his first stint with the big club, picking up a goal and three assists while averaging 13:29 per contest, decent numbers for his first NHL opportunity. However, Greig has been considerably more productive in the minors, collecting 13 goals and 14 helpers in 35 contests although he only picked up a point in two of the seven games he played since being sent down.
In Ottawa’s announcement, it wasn’t clear if this is an emergency recall or a regular one which would count against their post-deadline limit of four. They have 14 forwards on their active roster but wingers Parker Kelly and Mathieu Joseph are both battling injuries, bringing them down to the minimum of 12. If there is another injury, then Greig’s recall could be classified as an emergency one.
Poll: Who Will Be The Wild Card Teams In The Eastern Conference?
Now that the NHL and AHL trade deadlines have passed, the league is full speed ahead toward the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With between 15-18 games left in the regular season, there are only nine points separating the seventh-place and 13th-place teams in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
If the season ended today, the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins would cross the finish line as the wild-card winners in the East. In their last ten games, respectively, the Islanders are 7-2-1, while the Penguins are 5-4-1. Whether or not they have the rosters to get it done, both teams made moves at the deadline in hopes of making the playoffs this year.
Following behind them, the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators are making the strongest case to move past the Islanders and Penguins. In their last ten, the Panthers are 6-4-0, while the Senators are 7-3-0. The Panthers are not the same dominant team that they were last year, but they still have an extremely talented roster led by Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk.
The Senators are following a much different course. After a few seasons of rebuilding, the Senators are finally a fun hockey team to watch again. After signing Claude Giroux and making a trade for Alex DeBrincat, the Senators had hope for meaningful games in April at the beginning of the season. Starting slow out of the gate, it seems this team has put it all together as the season has progressed. By acquiring top trade candidate Jakob Chychrun at the deadline, the Senators have the team to bring the Eastern wild-card race down to the wire.
Rounding out the last of the group that could theoretically reach the playoffs, the Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, and Detroit Red Wings are still within striking distance. The Capitals and Red Wings both chose to sell at the deadline, while the Sabres’ biggest move was acquiring Jordan Greenway from the Minnesota Wild. The Sabres have a similar aura around them as the Senators, after they too have an exciting team after years of rebuilding. However, all three of these teams have a losing record in their last ten games, with the Sabres’ last game being a 10-4 blowout loss to the Dallas Stars.
So who will it be PHR readers? Cast your vote and let us know which two teams will win the wild-card race in the East.
Who Will Be The First Wild Card Team In The Eastern Conference
Pittsburgh Penguins
37.60%
(441 votes)
New York Islanders
35.46%
(416 votes)
Ottawa Senators
9.72%
(114 votes)
Florida Panthers
7.08%
(83 votes)
Buffalo Sabres
4.09%
(48 votes)
Detroit Red Wings
3.41%
(40 votes)
Washington Capitals
2.64%
(31 votes)
Total Votes: 1,173
Who Will Be The Second Wild Card Team In The Eastern Conference
Ottawa Senators
25.72%
(276 votes)
Pittsburgh Penguins
23.95%
(257 votes)
New York Islanders
20.22%
(217 votes)
Florida Panthers
14.73%
(158 votes)
Buffalo Sabres
6.90%
(74 votes)
Detroit Red Wings
4.75%
(51 votes)
Washington Capitals
3.73%
(40 votes)
Total Votes: 1,073
Calgary Flames Acquire Kristians Rubins
The Calgary Flames have acquired defenseman Kristians Rubins from the Ottawa Senators, according to a team announcement.
The move clears a second contract spot for the Senators following their trade of Jayce Hawryluk to the New Jersey Devils, perhaps indicating that the team is looking at signing some college players to fill out their organization down the stretch this season.
Rubins is a 25-year-old Latvian defenseman who is on a one-year, $750k contract that will make him eligible for restricted free agency in the summer. He has three NHL games on his resume, all coming last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Rubins has played in 42 games this season for Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, and scored six points. He was a healthy scratch for Belleville’s most recent game, and when he did factor into the lineup it was in more of a down-the-lineup capacity.
He’s a big, physical six-foot-five defenseman who should add some depth to the Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers’ blueline. The Wranglers will be looking to secure first place in the AHL’s Pacific Division, so adding Rubins to support their defense will definitely help them get there, even if Rubins remains in more of a depth role rather than becoming an everyday contributor in Calgary.
New Jersey Devils Acquire Jayce Hawryluk
The New Jersey Devils have acquired forward Jayce Hawryluk from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for future considerations, per a team announcement. In addition, the Devils have acquired defenseman Zack Hayes from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Jack Dugan, per another announcement.
As a reminder, players involved in trades completed after the NHL’s March 3rd trade deadline lose NHL eligibility, meaning these trades have AHL implications only.
In Hawryluk, the Devils’ AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, have acquired a former highly-drafted prospect who has settled in as a solid minor-league contributor. Although he’s only played in 19 games for Belleville and scored just eight points, Hawryluk has nearly 100 games of NHL experience under his belt and played very well for the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2018-19, scoring 32 points in 31 games.
He’ll add to the Comets’ forward depth as they ready for the Calder Cup Playoffs, and will replace Dugan in their lineup as he’s headed to the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
Dugan, a 2017 fifth-rounder of the Vegas Golden Knights, scored 11 goals and 27 points in 51 games for Utica this season. He was a high-scoring winger in the NCAA at Providence College, and will head to Chicago, the team that was formerly the Golden Knights’ affiliate. (Dugan has not played for the Wolves before, as in his time with the Golden Knights organization he played for the Henderson Silver Knights.)
In exchange for Dugan, Utica is adding Hayes, a 23-year-old blueliner who has already been traded once this season. He played in 14 games for the Henderson Silver Knights, but did not manage to factor into their lineup consistently before being traded.
He played in three NHL games last year as the Golden Knights dealt with significant injury issues on their blueline, and should be able to help bolster a Utica defense that lost Nikita Okhotyuk at the trade deadline, thanks to the Timo Meier deal.
Multiple Bidders Submit Offers To Purchase Ottawa Senators
Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that New York-based banker Galatioto Sports Partners received more than four bids this past week to purchase the Ottawa Senators. While Postmedia was able to confirm the names of four separate bidders, they were also advised that there are more than four groups bidding. A separate report by Los Angeles-based Sportico is stating that as many as nine groups have entered bids to buy the team. Postmedia has been unable to confirm this number with league sources. The Sportico report has also stated that some groups are willing to pay north of $900MM (in USD).
The four confirmed groups are The Remington Group, Michael Andlauer, Jeffrey and Michael Kimel and Neko Sparks. All four groups bring their own unique dynamics, but the most interesting must be The Remington Group, as they have an interesting backer in Hollywood superstar and Canadian-born actor Ryan Reynolds. The NHL wants Reynolds to be involved with the new ownership group, as he would bring worldwide attention to the NHL that Gary Bettman and company have long coveted.
These bids are just this first step in what is sure to be a long process. The opening bids were non-binding, which essentially means that not much risk was involved in submitting an opening offer. The next step will narrow the bids down to a shortlist, and the workload involved will get heavier with each additional round.
Ultimately the new ownership group will have an exciting opportunity with the Senators, albeit one with much work to be done. The Senators have one of the youngest and most exciting core groups of players in the league. However, they play in an aging arena in the suburbs of Ottawa, nearly a 30-minute drive from the downtown core. The new ownership group will have the chance to put their stamp on the Senators almost immediately, with what many hope will be a new downtown building at LeBreton Flats.
The Senators organization has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Capital Commission for the LeBreton Flats property. But it would be up to the new ownership group to sign a lease, build the arena and ultimately develop a prime piece of property in downtown Ottawa.
Previous owner Eugene Melnyk was never able to get all the pieces to fit for a downtown building, but with the team turning a corner on the ice, and an appetite in the city of Ottawa for a downtown entertainment hub, the puzzle should come together for the group that is ultimately able to purchase the Ottawa Senators.
Tyler Boucher To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
It has been a disappointing year for Tyler Boucher, a top prospect of the Ottawa Senators.
In January 2022, he decided to leave Boston University after just 17 underwhelming games and sign an entry-level contract with the Senators. He scored just three points in college hockey while racking up 34 penalty minutes, so he decided to go a different path for his development.
He was dealing with an injury at the time, but after eventually joining the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL, he scored just eight goals and 16 points in 28 games, including a four-game sweep at the hands of the North Bay Battalion.
This season was supposed to be his big breakout, with an offseason of preparation with the 67’s and a likely place on the U.S. World Junior team. He landed that spot, but would be replaced before the bronze medal game due to injury.
Following the tournament, the shoulder injury would keep him out until late February. After just four games back, Boucher has aggravated the injury and is now scheduled for surgery to repair a torn album. His season is over, meaning it will end with just ten goals and 18 points in 21 games for the 67’s.
Selected tenth overall in 2021, it’s been a brutal start to his time in the Senators organization. Boucher still has plenty of upside and only turned 20 in January, but now faces a three to four-month recovery. Hopefully, this lost development time won’t keep him from reaching his ceiling at the professional level.