Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Senators Rumors

Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire Nick Paul

at CDT | by 11 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t done after acquiring Brandon Hagel on Friday. Instead, they are continuing to bolster their forward corps. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report that the Bolts have traded for the Ottawa Senators’ Nick Paul. Going the other way is Tampa forward Mathieu Joseph and a 2024 fourth-round pick, per The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. The Senators are retaining 44.5% of Paul’s $1.35MM cap hit, approximately $601K. Both teams have confirmed the deal.

Even though the Bolts seemed to be out of options after adding Hagel, they manage to flip Joseph for Paul with a negligible impact on their difficult cap situation. With the salary retention, Paul will only cost about $749K, while Joseph was making $737.5K. It leaves under $5K in LTIR space for Tampa, but space all the same. That retention is likely what cost the Lightning their draft pick, which leaves them with just seven picks in the first four rounds over the next three years.

In many ways it may seem like swapping Joseph, a 25-year-old impending RFA with 18 points, for Paul, a 27-year-old impending UFA with 18 points, seems like a downgrade. However, Joseph is arbitration eligible this offseason and was unlikely to return to Tampa Bay anyway. He also has managed just 18 points with the high-flying Lightning, while Paul has done the same with the lowly Senators. Paul also brings a superior defensive game and more experience. His two-way ability garnered attention from around the league, but the Lightning were the lucky ones to land him and Paul will be equally excited to chase a championship and boost his numbers before hitting the open market.

 

Ottawa Senators Acquire Travis Hamonic

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The Vancouver Canucks have made a move with cap savings in mind, trading veteran defenseman Travis Hamonic to the Ottawa Senators. The Canucks will receive a third-round pick in exchange, one that actually originally belonged to them. It’s the same pick that was sent to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nate Schmidt in 2020, and then sent to Ottawa in last summer’s Evgenii Dadonov deal. No salary will be retained.

Hamonic, 31, is signed through next season and carries a $3MM cap hit, a number that certainly hasn’t been very valuable to the Canucks. After dealing with some early-season vaccination and quarantining issues that routinely kept him out of the lineup, Hamonic has played in just 24 games for Vancouver this season. While he has averaged over 18 minutes in those appearances, he has just three goals and seven points.

From the Senators perspective, this was a chance to add a stable, veteran presence to a lineup that is hoping to turn the corner and contend for the playoffs next season. Ottawa has no problem taking on a cap hit like that, especially when there’s still a real chance that Hamonic can live up to it if given the opportunity. A true stay-at-home defenseman, there was a time not too long ago when Hamonic could be relied on to completely erase an opponent’s best players, forcing them to play extremely low-event hockey. That time does seem to have passed, at least somewhat, though perhaps with a new team and new opportunity, he can return to being that true top-four right-handed shutdown defenseman that is so coveted.

Getting a third-round pick out of the deal is a huge bonus for the Canucks, who could have just as easily lost Hamonic before the season began for nothing when he was placed on and cleared waivers. There were some extenuating circumstances at that point, but just ridding the cap hit for next year should be considered a win for a team that will need all the wiggle room they can get.

The new management group led by Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin have been clear about wanting to clear some money off the books, and they’re now $3MM lighter for the 2022-23 season. They’ve also added a nice draft pick, though it was actually once already theirs.

Darren Dreger of TSN was first to report the trade. 

Extension Talks Ongoing With Nick Paul

at CDT | by 4 Comments

  • Friedman also touched on the Ottawa Senators’ Nick Paul and his extension talks with the team. He believes that while both sides want Paul to remain in Ottawa, they have both dug in in their negotiation. As a result, Paul could be dealt by Monday if an extension is not reached. Although the Senators would prefer to keep Paul, the gritty, well-rounded forward should develop a strong market from contending teams.

Ottawa Senators Assign Dillon Heatherington To Belleville

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • After recalling him yesterday, the Ottawa Senators have sent defenseman Dillon Heatherington back to the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Heatherington did not get a chance to suit up for Ottawa in their loss last night to Montreal before being sent down, and has not played an NHL game since December 18th. The 26-year-old has had a productive return to North America this season, putting up 11 points in 27 AHL games this season on the blue line after returning from a season in the KHL.

Senators Recall Dillon Heatherington

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Dillon Heatherington from AHL Belleville. The blueliner isn’t expected to play tonight against Montreal barring a late scratch due to an injury or a trade.  Heatherington has played in nine games for Ottawa so far this season.

Latest On Nick Paul

at CDT | by 6 Comments

March 18: On a live chat with followers today, Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets explained that his understanding is the Senators’ most recent offer to Paul was a four-year, $10MM contract. Paul is reportedly looking for something with an average annual value closer to $3MM.

Additionally, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that the Senators have made Paul a healthy scratch in advance of their matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers. He also reports that Paul is “expected to be moved” by the Senators shortly, in advance of Monday’s trade deadline.

March 17: The Ottawa Senators aren’t expected to be very active ahead of Monday’s deadline, but one player who could draw plenty of interest if made available is Nick Paul. The versatile forward is a pending free agent that carries a cap hit of just $1.35MM this season and could add some punch to a team’s bottom-six while also being an extension candidate wherever he lands.

Why isn’t he an extension candidate in Ottawa? That’s not entirely clear, as though Paul had been open about wanting to stay with the Senators it does not appear as though much progress has been made on a contract. In fact, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote today that there has been “not much movement” and David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period tweets there is “no progress” between the two sides. Pagnotta now expects Paul to be moved before the deadline.

The 26-year-old forward (27 on Sunday) has 11 goals and 18 points in 59 games this season but has been moved all over the lineup to fill whatever role is necessary. Deployed in heavy defensive minutes on the regular, he’s spent more time at center this season than any year in the past and is averaging more than 17 minutes a night.

This certainly isn’t a player that a contender would want to plug into the top-six, but Paul’s grinding style does suggest that he would do well in a playoff atmosphere. That’s not something he’s experienced to this point in his career even in the minor leagues, meaning a chance at joining a contender might even be something he welcomes at this point.

With Thomas Chabot now out with a broken hand and Jake Sanderson’s debut with the Senators likely delayed, the stretch run in Ottawa is getting grimmer by the day. Already the team has won just five of their last 18 games and could be looking at an even worse period without their top defenseman. If an extension isn’t going to get done, getting a draft pick for Paul seems to be the obvious move for general manager Pierre Dorion.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ottawa Senators Sign Philippe Daoust

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

6:43 pm: Daoust’s three-year entry-level contract carries a $821,667 cap hit, per CapFriendly. Each year, he’ll see a $55,000 signing bonus, with a $750,000 base salary in 2022-23 and a $775,000 base salary in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

1:08 pm: The Ottawa Senators have signed prospect Philippe Daoust to a three-year entry-level contract that will start in 2022-23. The QMJHL forward currently plays with the Saint John Sea Dogs, where he will remain for the rest of this season. Senators general manager Pierre Dorion released a statement:

We’ve been very pleased with Philippe’s progress. He’s a highly skilled forward who displays good offensive instincts and creativity. With Saint John serving as Memorial Cup host this spring, we expect him to play an important role throughout the Sea Dogs’ post-season.

Daoust, 20, actually started this year with the Belleville Senators, playing 15 games at the AHL level before a trade brought his junior rights from the Moncton Wildcats to the Memorial Cup host Sea Dogs. In the 17 games he’s played since returning, Daoust has 11 goals and 22 points.

It’s an extremely uncommon path for a sixth-round pick, especially one that went completely undrafted in his first year of eligibility. But Daoust is an uncommon prospect, with even his junior career taking winding a very unusual road. From Barrie, Ontario, the young forward was completely passed over in the OHL draft and ended up playing in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League for 2018-19. That earned some interest, which took him away from the OHL and into the QMJHL, where he signed with Moncton.

As fate would have it, that decision would end up being a very good one for Daoust, who instead of missing an entire development season like the other OHL prospects in 2020-21, was able to play in 21 games with Moncton and show his game had reached an entirely different level. Overlooked for years, Daoust now has an NHL contract in hand and a future in the Senators organization.

Thomas Chabot To Miss Rest Of Season

at CDT | by 3 Comments

  • Bad news for the Ottawa Senators, as Thomas Chabot is expected to be out long-term with a hand injury. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia notes that the team will have more information in the coming days, but Darren Dreger of TSN was told it is a broken hand. This comes after Jake Sanderson, the team’s top defense prospect, was also ruled out for at least a few weeks, which could put his late-season rendezvous with the Senators in jeopardy. After a midseason hot streak, the Senators are back to their losing ways of late, dropping their last three and eight of ten. Without Chabot, things certainly will be more difficult down the stretch. (UPDATE: Senators head coach D.J. Smith confirmed today that Chabot has suffered a broken hand and will miss the rest of the season.)

Jake Sanderson Suffers Injury, Out Week-To-Week

at CDT | by 4 Comments

  • Jake Sanderson was expected to join the Ottawa Senators after his college career ended, but the young defenseman has suffered another injury that could potentially jeopardize that. Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that Sanderson will miss the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and is out week-to-week with this new issue. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia adds that the Senators’ medical staff has reached out to the University of North Dakota staff to get a full report and there is some concern that he could be out “a while.” Sanderson was limited to just 23 games for UND this season, while missing time at both the World Juniors (which was eventually canceled) and the Olympics (in which he played just one game because of COVID and injury issues).

Snapshots: Paul, Hughes, PWHPA

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Nick Paul has a decision to make and is running out of time to do so. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that progress on a new contract for the impending UFA is still lacking and that Paul appears to be the one dragging his feet. Both Paul and the Ottawa Senators have publicly stated interest in an extension, but with just eight days until the NHL Trade Deadline there has been nothing new on that front. A hard-working, two-way forward, Paul has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches as well as the fans in Ottawa. As the Senators look to take a step forward as a club, they do not want to allow homegrown talent to walk away. However, if Paul cannot give them any assurance by the deadline, GM Pierre Dorion and company will have little choice but to make a trade. Paul is drawing considerable interest and the rebuilding Senators would gain valuable capital in a move. They would prefer to keep him, but that decision remains out of their hands so long as Paul cannot make a commitment to a new contract.

  • Another impressive Hughes is heading to Michigan; however, this one has no relation to Quinn or Luke. The Wolverines have received a commitment from record-breaking AJHL scorer T.J. Hughes, as announced by his current team, the Brooks Bandits. At 20 years old, Hughes is an older prospect and college commit, but has earned his spot with an elite program like Michigan this season. Hughes just completed a 66-goal, 127-points season in just 60 games – an incredible 2.12 points per game. It was the most goals in a single season in Brooks history, as well as a top-ten historical mark in the AJHL and the first 60+ goal season in the league since before the turn of the century. As the star-studded Wolverines continue to chase an NCAA title this season, their incoming classes also continue to grow more and more impressive. Meanwhile, the Bandits are a juggernaut in the AJHL as the playoffs begin. The team holds the top seed in the postseason and each of the top four scorers in the league. They will look to make the most of Hughes’ efforts before he departs for Ann Arbor.
  • The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association is closing in on the formation of a fully-funded league. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that the PWHPA is nearing an announcement of a women’s league that would be the first of its kind in terms of financial backing and sponsor support. The PWHPA represents players that broke off from the PHF (and its previous iterations) and has only been operating as showcases to this point, but a change seems to be on the horizon. Of note, Marek does not believe that this newly-constructed league has any association with the PHF and the two will likely exist separately as competing leagues. Additionally, there is no evidence as of yet to suggest that the NHL is tied in to this new league either.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top