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Pierre Dorion

Aho’s New Contract Via Offer Sheet Could Benefit Thomas Chabot

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The recent Montreal Canadiens’ offer sheet to Sebastian Aho that the Carolina Hurricanes matched Saturday was the hope of a team to take advantage of its owner. No one was quite sure what to make of billionaire owner Tom Dundon and whether he would be willing to pay up for his franchise. His early reputation made many wonder if he would be willing to pay a significant amount of money up front and Aho’s offer sheet was frontloaded with $21MM being paid out in the first 12 months of the deal. However, Dundon proved that he is willing to pay for his team as he matched the offer sheet, but it could start a precedent.

While an offer sheet to another player this year remains possible as there are a number of restricted free agents out there looking for a big contract, but the chances of a second offer sheet this offseason seems unlikely. However, many teams may look at Montreal’s plan to target an owner who may not want to pay up and that opportunity could present itself next season in Ottawa and owner Eugene Melnyk.

The Senators have seen their young defenseman Thomas Chabot develop into a star in his second season in the NHL last year. The 22-year-old broke out with a 14-goal, 55-point season and made fans quickly forget about the loss of Erik Karlsson. Now in the final year of his entry-level deal, he will become a restricted free agent next offseason. The Athletic’s Chris Stevenson (subscription required) reported last week that Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion didn’t seem worried about signing Chabot to an extension.

“I think we get too much caught up with contract talks in this city,” said Dorion. “We know what we have to do. We’ll get it done. It’s not like he’s a UFA. He’s an RFA. We have a plan in place along with all our RFAs that are up this year, we’ve had a plan and we’re going to meet it sometime over the course of the summer.”

Chabot could have signed an extension on July 1 and the fact that Ottawa hasn’t already done so could present a problem, according to Stevenson. Chabot is likely to be a prime target by other teams in one year to target for an offer sheet as many know of Melnyk’s penny-pinching ways. A front-loaded offer sheet is a very realistic possibility and it’s likely that Chabot and his representation knows this and may be very willing to take advantage of Ottawa, which has made it clear that they intend to lock up their young talent this time around as they are in the middle of their five-year rebuilding plan. It was Melnyk’s lack of willingness to pay up that led Ottawa to lose most of their top talent, including Karlsson, Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman in the past year.

If Ottawa can’t lock up Chabot soon, the Senators could easily lose control of the situation as many teams wouldn’t mind adding a franchise-changing defenseman with a high-priced up-front offer sheet next season.

Ottawa “Seriously Exploring” Trade Market For Cody Ceci

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Despite being the butt of many jokes for the past couple of seasons, the Ottawa Senators head into this offseason with some real opportunity. The team has just a single player—Bobby Ryan—under contract for more than two years and a huge number of draft picks to work with over the next several seasons. Putting the Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone and Matt Duchene situations behind him, GM Pierre Dorion can now go to work on rebuilding the franchise back up. Still, there are a few veteran names on the roster that come with some question marks. One of those is Cody Ceci, who is a restricted free agent once again after seeing his one-year $4.3MM deal expire.

Ceci, 25, is the experienced one on the Ottawa blue line, with six NHL seasons under his belt already. He’s coming off a 26-point performance while being used heavily in the defensive zone. A relatively young, experienced defenseman that is logging more than 22 minutes a night in all situations is usually one a team wants to lock up long term, but Ceci may not be in that situation. There has been criticism launched towards the defenseman for years, partly because his skills make him neither an offensive or defensive talent, but somewhere in the middle. He probably shouldn’t be used as much as he has been in Ottawa, but they haven’t had many other reliable options over the years.

Now, as free agency looms once again and the Senators prepare for an offseason of change, Ceci is in talks on a new contract. Both Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet and Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen note that discussions are ongoing, but Warren also reports that Dorion is “seriously exploring the trade market.” The league has watched several defensemen change teams in recent days, with Olli Maatta, Jacob Trouba, Matt Niskanen, Radko Gudas and Justin Braun all traded. Nikita Zaitsev and Rasmus Ristolainen have also been discussed and could be moved by the end of the summer. Will Ceci be another name to add to that list?

Scanlan writes that other teams have been calling Dorion because of their cap space and draft assets, and the Senators GM admits that they’ve spoken about moving up in the draft. The Senators currently have picks 19, 32 and 44, but with so much other draft capital available could potentially move up significantly. A Ceci deal would obviously not have to be involved in that, but it is still something to monitor over the coming days.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Atlantic Notes: Zaitsev, Johansson, Condon, Luongo

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The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have to, but if the team wants to move on from defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, it might be beneficial to trade him before July 1 when his 10-team no-trade clause kicks in. While Zaitsev has requested a trade as well, making it easier for Toronto to unload the five years remaining on his contract at $4.5MM, there are likely to be several teams interested in acquiring the 27-year-old.

In fact, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) looks into what teams would be the most likely to acquire the blueliner and the Edmonton Oilers find themselves at the top of the list. Zaitsev could be paired with one of Toronto’s forwards, either Connor Brown, Kasperi Kapanen or Andreas Johnsson to acquire either Matt Benning or even Adam Larsson in the right deal.

The Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks round out the top three teams who would make the best bets, but there are quiet a few other candidates as well.

  • Boston Globe’s Nick Kelly writes that Boston Bruins forward Marcus Johansson was non-committal Friday when asked about whether he wanted to return to Boston next season. An unrestricted free agent and a key contributor throughout the playoffs (four goals and 11 points in 22 games), the 28-year-old may have priced his way out of Boston. However, Johansson said he did enjoy his time with the Bruins and will speak to them first before looking at his other options.
  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that even though the Ottawa Sentators locked up backup goaltender Anders Nilsson to a tw0-year, $5.2MM extension which many thought would be the end for Mike Condon. The 29-year-old, who lost the backup job early last season, still has one year remaining on his contract at $2.4MM and seemed like a prime buyout candidate. However, general manager Pierre Dorion said the team will not buy him out and intend to bring him in to camp in the fall before determining what to do with him. Condon made just two appearances, allowing eight goals and had a .800 save percentage. He was sent to Belleville of the AHL for one game before he opted to sit out the rest of the year with hip inflammation. He hopes to be healthy for training camp.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that he spoke recently to Florida Panthers general manager Dale Tallon, who told him that he expects goaltender Roberto Luongo to make a decision about his future soon, in fact, before the draft next Friday. The team needs an idea on whether Luongo intends to come back next year. Florida is expected to sign one of the top goaltenders on the market with Sergei Bobrovsky on the top of their list. However, if Luongo opt to return (he still has three years remaining at $4.53MM AAV), the team will have to find a way to move out James Reimer.

Anders Nilsson Re-Signs With Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators have secured one of their goaltending positions for the next little while, re-signing Anders Nilsson to a two-year contract. Nilsson’s deal will carry an average annual value of $2.6MM. GM Pierre Dorion released a statement on the signing:

We’re very happy to have Anders back for two more seasons. He is a competitive, talented veteran who played very well after being acquired last season. In addition, Anders is a great teammate and hard worker, which makes him an excellent fit with our growing team. This signing provides us with stability at the goaltending position, which is very important to our success as our team continues to develop.

The re-signing of Nilsson is interesting to say the least, given that the Senators are already paying Craig Anderson and Mike Condon a combined $7MM next season (with a slightly bigger combined cap hit). The team had basically parted ways with Condon during the year, burying his contract in the minor leagues, but Anderson appeared set to be the starter again in 2019-20. With Nilsson signed the question now becomes whether the team will look to move Anderson out as a rental piece, given that he is only under contract for one season.

That’s not to say that Nilsson hasn’t deserved a contract like this. After coming over from the Vancouver Canucks in a trade, the 29-year old behemoth registered a .914 save percentage in 24 games, better than any other goaltender to suit up for the Senators last season. Originally a third-round pick of the New York Islanders, Nilsson has bounced around the league over his career, playing in New York, Edmonton, St. Louis and Buffalo in addition to his two teams from last season. He’s shown flashes of brilliance during that journeyman career, but has never really staked a claim to the starting position for very long.

In Ottawa, perhaps he will get that opportunity if they decide to move Anderson this year, or move on from him next. The Senators have a few young goaltenders in Joey Daccord, Filip Gustavsson and Marcus Hogberg that will all be pushing for NHL playing time in the near future, but it’s not clear if the team wants to put them on the ice while the group in front of them are in such a drastic rebuild. Instead, they may use Nilsson as a short-term bridge while continuing to develop their young netminders in the minor leagues.

Ottawa Senators Name D.J. Smith As Head Coach

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So much for those rumors linking Patrick Roy to the Ottawa Senators’ head coaching vacancy. The Senators announced this morning that former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant D.J. Smith has been named the team’s new head coach. Smith has agreed to a three-year contract to lead Ottawa, his first head coaching position in the NHL.

Smith, 42, may be a surprise pick to be the next bench boss of the Senators, but he is certainly as qualified as any first-time NHL head coach. Smith played eight seasons of pro hockey, suiting up for 45 NHL games but more memorably manning the blue line for the former St. John Maple Leafs of the AHL for parts of seven season. Smith retired from playing hockey in 2004 and immediately stepped into a role as an assistant coach for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, his hometown team with whom he had played his own junior hockey. Smith spent eight years in Windsor, two of which ended in Memorial Cup championships, before taking the head coach job for the rival Oshawa Generals in 2012. Smith’s time in Oshawa was short, but definitely effective. He compiled a record of 135-53-3-13 over three seasons with the Generals, won a Memorial Cup, and was named the OHL’s Coach of the Year. In 2015, Smith joined Toronto to begin his NHL coaching career as an assistant to Mike Babcock. Babcock made it known early on that he saw the potential in Smith and was grooming him to be a head coach and would not stand in the way of any move. Smith surely learned a lot from Babcock, but also contributed much to the team himself on the defensive side of the game.

Now, as he takes his talents to Ottawa, the Senators feel he can continue his upward trajectory. Smith’s history of winning, experience with young players, and focus on competent defense will all serve to benefit Ottawa greatly as they continue through a difficult rebuilding process. In the team’s release, GM Pierre Dorion states the following:

D.J. Smith is a winner. We believe he is the best person to drive the development and success of the Ottawa Senators. D.J is a great communicator and an exceptional strategist. His passionate approach, coupled with his ability to teach the game, is exactly what we were looking for throughout the process. We’re thrilled to welcome D.J. and his family to Ottawa.

Circling back to those Roy rumors, don’t close the door on the Hall of Fame goaltender joining the Senators just yet. The team is still in the hunt for a President of Hockey Operations and Roy would fit that description as well. One of the main reasons he left his last NHL post with the Colorado Avalanche was due to a lack of input in player personnel decisions, so he very well may be intrigued by a front office position. There’s also the slim but possible chance that the Senators would like to bring Roy in as an assistant to Smith, to help guide him through his start as a head coach. There is sure to be more movement in Ottawa this off-season, but their biggest move is completed with the hiring of a rival assistant to be their new head coach.

Toronto’s D.J. Smith A Candidate For Ottawa’s Head Coach Vacancy

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The Ottawa Senators’ season has officially been over for more than three weeks and was statistically over long before that. Yet, the team has still not made a decision behind the bench, after head coach Guy Boucher was fired in early March. Interim head coach Marc Crawford closed out the year and remains a candidate to take on the full-time job, but it was expected that the Senators would consider a number of names for the position. However, it has been very quiet on the coaching front, perhaps as the team still has yet to fill another position, President of Hockey Operations.

The other possibility is that the majority of the intriguing coaching candidates for GM Pierre Dorion could be assistants with playoff teams, who either remain focused on the postseason or were only recently eliminated. Hinting at this scenario is the first real leak of hiring news out of Ottawa in weeks: Pierre LeBrun reports that the team intends to interview Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach D.J. Smith for the head coach position. Smith’s Leafs were eliminated from the postseason less than a week ago and only now has he become available for consideration.

Smith, 41, is an Ontario native who has worked with the Leafs since 2015 as an assistant. A long-time assistant with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, Smith got his break when he was named the head coach of the rival Oshawa Generals in 2012 and it didn’t take long for him to then move into his first NHL role. He would again be moving to another in-province rival if he makes the jump from Toronto to Ottawa. His experience working with younger players would certainly benefit him with the rebuilding Senators, as would his knowledge of the Maple Leafs, who pop up quite frequently on the schedule. Smith has the makings of a future NHL head coach and this does seem to be an ideal situation for him to make that jump.

In addition to Smith, The Athletic’s Chris Stevenson lists several other names expected to get interviews, many of which come as little surprise. Crawford, AHL Belleville head coach Troy Mann, and veteran Jacques Martin, also a candidate for the Buffalo Sabres’ opening, are obvious contenders for the Ottawa opening. However, a more intriguing name – like Smith – is also included in Providence College’s Nate Leaman. With a mix of experience, convenience, and upside among their candidates, it is finally looking like the Senators could soon take steps toward hiring their new head coach.

Ottawa Senators Willing To Wait In Search For President

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The Ottawa Senators were vindicated in a way last night when their 2019 first-round pick fell to fourth overall in the draft lottery. As the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks moved up the board, the decision to select Brady Tkachuk last year looked better and better. The Senators’ pick this year infamously belongs to the Colorado Avalanche, who will have to settle—if you can call it that—for the fourth selection in a year that they made the playoffs.

While GM Pierre Dorion and his front office staff can now put the original Matt Duchene trade behind them and prepare for their own draft, the organization is still looking for a new President of Hockey Operations to install alongside him and take over some of the direction of the franchise. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet touched on this search in his latest 31 Thoughts column, explaining that the Senators are “prepared to play the long game” and wait for the right candidate to appear. They basically have no choice, as Friedman also reports that the team has already contacted Ron Francis, Trevor Linden, Dean Lombardi, Joe Nieuwendyk and Steve Yzerman, only to have been turned down by each executive.

It makes sense to not rush into a decision like that, especially for a franchise that has operated without a person in that role for several years. While the Senators have been the butt of many jokes since coming a goal away from the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, they do now have several promising young players to build around and a history of draft success under Dorion’s guidance. The GM recently said “the worst is behind us” in reference to the complete tear down that has occurred in Ottawa over the past year, and he’s probably right—you can’t get much worse than trading away all the stars on your team amidst a pair of sub-30 win seasons and continual off-ice incidents.

There’s no clear timeline for when the Senators will install someone in the new position, but it’s easy to tell what kind of person they are going after for the role. All of the names listed in Friedman’s piece have a long history of success in the NHL either as a player or executive (or both). If they can eventually land a big fish like that to bring some stability to the organization, perhaps that “five-year run of unparalleled success” that owner Eugene Melnyk promised will actually come to fruition.

Senators Notes: Coach, Chabot, Free Agency

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Pierre Dorion took to the podium today in Ottawa to hold his year-end media availability, and answered questions about the direction of the franchise and evaluation of its core group. One of the biggest topics was the coaching vacancy, which is currently held by Marc Crawford on an interim basis. Dorion told reporters including Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia that while Crawford will be interviewed for the job at some point, the team is also looking at a list of five to six other candidates.

The organization made it clear what they were looking for in a new head coach when they announced the firing of Guy Boucher, listing key attributes that would be needed. At the very top of that list was “teacher,” as the team must bring in someone who can develop their young players and get the best out of them quickly.

  • Thomas Chabot will play for Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championship, another step in his development path. The 22-year old defenseman may be the most important player on the Senators roster after putting together an outstanding season, and a chance to experience some more high-level hockey will only help his growth. Chabot recorded 55 points in 70 games this season and will be eligible for an extension on July 1. Dorion told reporters today that there had been preliminary talks and that they will try to sign him to a long-term deal.
  • Garrioch also notes on Twitter that Dorion said he may try to add a veteran as free agency opens, something that wouldn’t be surprising given the salary cap situation the team is in. The Senators project to have just over $45MM committed to next season according to CapFriendly, though that covers just 14 roster players. The team will have to add a fair amount to reach the salary cap floor, though new deals for restricted free agents Cody Ceci, Colin White and Anthony Duclair should get them a good chunk of the way there. The team isn’t expecting to compete next season, but bringing in a veteran presence for the locker room in order to help the young players develop their professional habits is a route often taken by rebuilding clubs.

Senators Seeking President Of Hockey Operations

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Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion has job security for now, but the team is looking to bring in some assistance for him. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the Senators have begun vetting candidates for the position of President of Hockey Operations. Many teams have a veteran hockey mind in this advisory position, previously including Ottawa with the late Bryan Murray, and the Senators will soon re-join that group.

Garrioch writes that the team continues to have full faith in Dorion, but acknowledges that their complete overhaul of a rebuild could use another set of eyes. The Sens have arguably been the worst team in hockey over the past two years and cannot even benefit from a top draft pick this season, having traded their first-round selection away to the Colorado Avalanche. Yet, judging by their statement made to the Sun, the Senators are confident that they can bring in a top name:

It should come as no surprise that – given the scale of our rebuild and the opportunity to be part of a turnaround fueled by an enormous well of young talent, including elite prospects and draft picks (17 in the first three rounds of the next three seasons) – the Ottawa Senators have become an attractive destination for hockey executives.

The only name specifically mentioned by Garrioch as a top candidate is current Philadelphia Flyers executive Dean Lombardi. Lombardi, who led the Los Angeles Kings to two Stanley Cup titles as GM, is considered the ideal choice, but it may be tough to land him. As a current Flyers employee, Ottawa would need prior consent to speak with him. Even given that permission, they may not be able to convince him to leave Philadelphia. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that Lombardi is committed to the Flyers and does not believe a move to the Senators would be of interest. LeBrun adds that the team had interest in bringing in former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis last off-season and could revisit that possibility with an improved offer of President of Hockey Ops. Were it not for his contentious relationship with owner Eugene Melnyk, Senators great Daniel Alfredsson would also be a strong candidate for the job, but it remains a long shot with Melnyk still in the picture.

Atlantic Notes: Senators, Kadri, Howard, Rosen

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With Guy Boucher out as head coach in Ottawa Friday, and 18 games left in the season, the young Ottawa Senators must make a quick decision on their head coaching job this summer. The team gave the interim tag to Marc Crawford, but unless he can turn around the franchise in those 18 games, the Sporting News’ Murray Pam writes that general manager Pierre Dorion may opt to look for a new voice to coach the franchise.

Among the top potential candidates that could take over this summer, Pam suggests that 66-year-old Jacques Martin could be an interesting candidate that can give the team a fresh voice. The veteran coach, who was raised in Saint-Pascal, Ont., not far from Ottawa, has been an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last six years, 31 years of NHL experience and has two Stanley Cup rings.

One obvious candidate could also come from within as the Belleville Senators’ head coach, Troy Mann, who has done an impressive job in his first year as head coach of the AHL franchise and already knows many of the players on the team’s roster. His recent track record is the most interesting as he has led the team to a 16-game unbeaten streak as the team has gone 11-0-5 and is on the cusp of the AHL playoffs. He’s in his fifth year as an AHL head coach. The scribe throws in several other candidates, including Montreal Canadiens’ assistant Luke Richardson and Columbus Blue Jackets’ assistant Brad Shaw.

  • Despite missing his sixth straight game Saturday, Toronto Maple Leafs Nazem Kadri, who has been out with a concussion, seems to be improving. According to The Star’s Kevin McGran, Kadri skated this morning, which is a good sign for his recovery. “Obviously, our medical staff has to do a good job with those guys and keep them out as long as they’re supposed to be out,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “I think it’s obviously good for him to be out there, just morale-wise. It looks like he’s going in the right direction. I didn’t talk to the coaches since he’s been out, just to see what kind of skate they were able to give him and what he was able to handle. (We’ll) still monitor that and see, and then we’ll see how hard we can push him. I don’t know when he’s ready.”
  • Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard has struggled immensely in the month of February, posting a 3.97 GAA and a .866 save percentage in nine games. On top of that, he has been pulled from his last three games, not exactly what you’d expect from a goaltender who represented the Atlantic Division at the All-Star Game. However, don’t expect the veteran to give up. Howard has spent countless hours studying video of his play, trying to figure out what’s gone wrong, according to Dana Gauruder of the Detroit Free Press. “To be honest, going through the video, it’s just being off by a fraction,” he said. “Not having the correct angle. When you don’t have that as a goalie, guys can put the puck in tight areas and that’s what’s happened.”
  • With recent injuries to Toronto Maple Leafs’ defensemen Travis Dermott and Jake Gardiner, many fans have wondered why Toronto hasn’t turned to promising young defenseman Calle Rosen. The 25-year-old has been tearing up the AHL with the Toronto Marlies this year and signed a two-year extension with the team back in December. However, Rosen can’t be recalled yet, according to the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby, because he took a puck off his foot a few days ago and isn’t ready to return to the ice just yet. Regardless, Rosen, who has seven goals and 44 points in 52 games with the Marlies, could be called up soon.

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