Ridly Greig Suspended One Preseason, One Regular Season Game
Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig has been suspended one preseason game and one regular season game for his cross-check on Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois last night. As the accompanying video explains:
It is important to note that this is not a case of inadvertant contact that can occur when a player reflexively pulls his stick up in a defensive motion, when bracing for unexpected contact. Greig sees Dubois coming, and decides to both elevate his stick and extend it outward, making direct and forceful contact with Dubois’ head. Greig’s forceful actions with his stick make him the aggressor on this play, and merit supplemental discipline.
Greig, 19, is not guaranteed to make the Senators this season, meaning the regular season game could have to wait a while. If loaned back to junior before the season begins, that game will be waiting for whenever he does make his NHL debut. The Senators could, however, keep him on the roster through the first game of this season and then send him back, though it would cost them one of their 23 spots on opening day and potentially cause a roster crunch elsewhere.
This is not the first time Greig has faced a suspension in his hockey career, though this is the first one that is on his NHL record. That’s not a great way to start, as this incident will now be used to determine any future supplementary discipline.
Key Dates Announced For 2021-22 Season
The NHL has set in stone various key dates for the upcoming season, as several reporters including Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star tweeted the list nearly simultaneously. It includes this year’s trade deadline, which will be significantly pushed back because of the Olympic break in February. The deadline will be March 21 this season. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff includes the full list:
- March 21: Trade deadline
- April 29: Last day of regular season
- May 2: First day of Stanley Cup Playoffs
- June 30: Last possible day of Stanley Cup Playoffs
- July 1: First buyout period opens
- July 2: Deadline for first club-elected salary arbitration notification
- July 7-8: 2022 NHL Draft
- July 11: Deadline for qualifying offers
- July 12: First buyout period ends; club’s ability to sign own pending UFA to eight-year contract expires
- July 13: Free agency opens
- July 17: Deadline for player-elected salary arbitration notification; commencement of second club-elected salary arbitration notification period
- July 18: Deadline for club-elected salary arbitration notification
- July 22: Qualifying offers expire
- July 27: First day of salary arbitration hearings
- August 11: Last day of salary arbitration hearings
As PuckPedia points out on Twitter, the deadline is 40 days from the end of the regular season, meaning that players acquired will carry 20% of their cap, a number slightly smaller than the normal 22%. While the result of that small change won’t be seen for several months, it could potentially allow playoff teams to load up even further at the deadline by accruing cap space throughout the first part of the year.
These dates confirm what was reported earlier this month, that the NHL Draft in Montreal will start on a Thursday in July, several weeks after it would take place in a normal year. Free agency is now nearly two weeks after its normal date, meaning the offseason will be condensed once again.
Seravalli also notes that though taxi squads are not in place right now, the league and NHLPA have discussed the potential of bringing them back should they be deemed necessary at some point during the season.
Snapshots: Lundqvist, Caufield, Popugaev
Immediately after Henrik Lundqvist announced his retirement last month, the New York Rangers confirmed that they would be retiring his number. They’ve now announced that on January 28, 2022, his No. 30 will be raised to the rafters and never worn again. Lundqvist is the franchise leader among goaltenders in games played, wins, saves, and save percentage (among those with at least 60 appearances).
He will become the 11th player to have his number retired by the team, joining Ed Giacomin (1), Brian Leetch (2), Harry Howell (3), Rod Gilbert (7), Andy Bathgate (9), Adam Graves (9), Mark Messier (11), Vic Hadfield (11), Jean Ratelle (19) and Mike Richter (35).
- The Montreal Canadiens have confirmed that young star Cole Caufield will be out for a week with an upper-body injury suffered over the weekend. The 20-year-old played against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and then was pulled from the warmup for an intrasquad game on Sunday. With how important he is going to be for the team this year, keeping him healthy to start the season is extremely important for the Canadiens.
- It appears as though former New Jersey Devils prospect Nikita Popugaev has ended his hockey career, listing himself as an “ex hockey player” on Instagram. Popugaev was a fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2017, but never signed with the team and spent last season in the KHL. Though his rights are technically retained indefinitely by the Devils, it appears as though the 22-year-old will no longer be pursuing his career on the ice.
Sami Vatanen Signs In Switzerland
Just a few years ago, Sami Vatanen was one of the NHL’s most consistent two-way defensemen, logging up to 22 minutes a night and recording strong offensive numbers. Now, the 30-year-old veteran failed to sign a contract in the offseason and instead is taking his talents overseas. Vatanen has signed with Geneve-Servette in Switzerland for 2021-22.
Only a few months into his thirties, this is a shocking development for the former Anaheim Ducks defenseman. In his first four seasons, Vatanen produced 120 points in 257 games and averaged nearly 21 minutes a night for the Ducks, forming part of a formidable young group alongside the likes of Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler. Those young defensemen were so good that Anaheim considered then-prospect Shea Theodore expendable, sending him to the Vegas Golden Knights in order for them to assume Clayton Stoner‘s contract in the expansion draft.
A few years later and not only is Vatanen no longer in Anaheim, but he’s also not even in the NHL. In 2020-21 he played 39 games, split between the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars, switching teams in April after being claimed off waivers. He had just six points in those 39 games and averaged 17 minutes. night, easily his lowest total since an eight-game stint in 2012-13.
It seems unlikely that there was no interest at all in the veteran defenseman, but perhaps Vatanen just couldn’t find a landing spot that was offering a substantial role in the NHL. He’ll be able to try to get his game back on track overseas and should be considered a potential free agent signing again next year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Zach Aston-Reese Tests Positive For COVID
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Zach Aston-Reese for a while after he tested positive for COVID-19. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Josh Yohe of The Athletic that Aston-Reese will enter the league’s protocol.
With the Penguins already missing their two best forwards, losing Aston-Reese for any length of time is certainly not ideal. The team re-signed the 27-year-old forward to a one-year, $1.75MM contract this summer as a valuable, versatile option that has experience playing all over the lineup. While he should be out of the protocols before the season begins, this obviously complicates his status.
This, like the recent absences of Kevin Lankinen and Mike Hardman in Chicago, is another reminder that this season will not be completely back to normal. Teams and players, even those who have achieved full vaccination status, could still face sudden absences based on testing results and will have to prepare accordingly. Having depth options at the ready will be extremely important, especially for a team like Pittsburgh that can’t afford to throw away any games in the competitive Metropolitan Division.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/27/21
Training camp is still just a few days old, but teams continue to pare down their rosters. The waiver process doesn’t open until later this week, but junior and minor league players are already being sent away from the main group. As always, we’ll keep track of all of the cuts right here.
Buffalo Sabres (via press release)
F Josh Bloom (to Saginaw, OHL)
F Viljami Marjala (to Quebec, QMJHL)
F Olivier Nadeau (to Shawinigan, QMJHL)
Colorado Avalanche (via press release)
F Matej Kaslik (released from ATO to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
F Jack O’Brien (released from ATO to Portland, WHL)
D Miles Gendron (released from PTO to AHL training camp)
D Rob Hamilton (released from PTO to AHL training camp)
F Benjamin Tardif (released from PTO to AHL training camp)
Nashville Predators (via press release)
F Zachary L’Heureux (to Halifax, QMJHL)
D Jack Matier (to Ottawa, OHL)
D Luke Prokop (to Calgary, WHL)
New York Rangers (via team Twitter)
F Matt Rempe (to Seattle, WHL)
F Karl Henriksson (to Frolunda, SHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team Twitter)
G Leevi Merilainen (to Kingston, OHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team Twitter)
F Connor McClennon (to Winnipeg, WHL)
F Jon-Randall Avon (to Peterborough, OHL)
D Ethan Samson (to Prince George, WHL)
San Jose Sharks (via press release)
F Ethan Cardwell (to Barrie, OHL)
F Brandon Coe (to North Bay, OHL)
F Liam Gilmartin (to London, OHL)
F Danil Gushchin (to Niagara, OHL)
F Max McCue (to London, OHL)
D Gannon Laroque (to Victoria, OHL)
G Benjamin Gaudreau (to Sarnia, OHL)
F Zach Gallant (to AHL training camp)
F Dillon Hamaliuk (to AHL training camp)
F Timur Ibragimov (to AHL training camp)
F Jacob McGrew (to AHL training camp)
F Kyle Topping (to AHL training camp)
F Evan Weinger (to AHL training camp)
D Nick Cicek (to AHL training camp)
D Cole Moberg (to AHL training camp)
G Zachary Emond (to AHL training camp)
F Macauley Carson (released from ATO, to University of New Brunswick, USports)
D Jeremie Biakabutuka (released from ATO, to Rimouski, QMJHL)
Vancouver Canucks (via Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic)
D Viktor Persson (to Kamloops, WHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (via press release)
F Marcus Kallionkieli (to Brandon, WHL)
F Jakub Brabenec (to Charlottetown, QMJHL)
F Jakub Demek (to Edmonton, WHL)
D Daniil Chayka (to Guelph, OHL)
D Artur Cholach (to Barrie, OHL)
D Lukas Cormier (to Charlottetown, QMJHL)
G Jesper Vikman (to Vancouver, WHL)
F Kaleb Pearson (released from ATO to University of PEI, USports)
This page will be updated throughout the day
Ridly Greig, Dylan McIlrath To Have Hearings With Department Of Player Safety
The surest sign that NHL hockey is back is that the Department of Player Safety is hard at work. After the league saw preseason open this weekend, two players are already expected to receive suspensions. Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig and Washington Capitals defenseman Dylan McIlrath will both receive hearings today for their plays over the weekend.
Greig’s incident happened partway through the second period of Ottawa’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, when he got his stick up in the face of Pierre-Luc Dubois. The result was a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct, ending the prospect’s night a little early. Dubois had been skating toward him to attempt a hit, when Greig extended the shaft of his stick forcefully up and into the Jets’ forward’s head. With the new focus on cross-checking, the league is obviously not going to look the other way this season.
The 19-year-old Greig has received several stick-related suspensions in the WHL. In fact, twice previously he has been suspended in the first game of the junior season. A first-round pick in 2020 he also scored in Ottawa’s game, showing just how effective he can be if he manages to play on the right side of the line.
McIlrath meanwhile was ejected from the Capitals’ game against the Boston Bruins at the start of the third period for a head shot on Steven Fogarty. The match penalty results in an automatic review from the DoPS and will certainly result in a suspension. Given he hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2019-20 season there’s no guarantee he ever truly “misses time” in the NHL, but this isn’t totally unexpected from McIlrath. The 6’5″ defenseman was a high draft pick because of his physical style, but has struggled to fill anything other than a sort of pseudo-enforcer role at the NHL level. In his 66-game career, he has five points and 121 penalty minutes.
Five Key Stories: 9/20/21 – 9/26/21
The start of training camp often brings about a small flurry of transactions and this time was no exception as several notable moves highlight the top stories of the week.
Goalie Extensions: With Columbus set to have both Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo entering the final year of their contracts before being eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, it felt like only a matter of time before one of them was extended. That’s what happened as Merzlikins inked a five-year, $27MM extension, his $5.4MM AAV representing a small raise on his current $4MM deal. Merzlikins has played in just 61 career regular season games but he has played well for the Blue Jackets over his two NHL campaigns. With his deal now done, Korpisalo is likely to be involved in plenty of trade speculation over the next few months unless he’s able to agree to a new deal of his own as well.
Meanwhile, the Kings also signed netminder Cal Petersen to a three-year, $15MM extension, ensuring he’ll be sticking around beyond the upcoming year. The 26-year-old has just 54 career appearances in the NHL, the bulk of which came last season. It’s a high price tag for someone that isn’t all that proven but with Jonathan Quick now 35 and not a true starter anymore, this move allows Los Angeles to keep their goalie tandem intact a little longer while being short enough to not cripple their cap situation if they have to go in a different direction later on.
Calling It A Career: Veteran center Travis Zajac has decided to retire but wanted to do so as a member of the Devils. He did just that, signing a one-day contract before officially hanging up his skates. Zajac played in over 1,000 games with New Jersey over his 15-year career with his only time away from them coming near the 2021 trade deadline when he was moved to the Islanders to help in their playoff run. Overall, he sits third in Devils history in games played and points while making more than $60MM in career earnings.
Kaprizov Signs: It took a lot longer than the Wild had hoped for but they eventually were able to sign top winger Kirill Kaprizov to a five-year, $45MM contract. It’s a significant sum for someone with just one NHL season under his belt – a pandemic-shortened one at that. However, Minnesota is clearly banking on the hope that the 24-year-old, who led the team in scoring last season, still has some room to improve and that he’ll be the focal point of their attack for the next five seasons. Kaprizov received a full no-move clause in the final two seasons of the deal; those were the only ones he was eligible to receive trade protection for as those were the UFA-eligible years.
Two Months For Malkin: When Penguins center Evgeni Malkin underwent knee surgery this summer, there was no firm timeline for his return, only an indication that an update would be coming at training camp. That update has arrived and the news isn’t great for Pittsburgh as it was revealed that Malkin will miss the first two months of the season as he continues his recovery. This comes on the heels of Sidney Crosby having wrist surgery that will see him missing some time to start the season as well. The Penguins will turn to veteran Jeff Carter in the top center role for the time being.
Bridge For Dahlin: While the Sabres weren’t able to sign Rasmus Dahlin to a long-term contract, they did manage to get a bridge deal in place, signing the 2018 top pick to a three-year, $18MM pact. Dahlin struggled considerably last season which certainly didn’t help his bargaining power in negotiations but over his first three NHL campaigns, he has shown flashes of a strong offensive game. The term of the deal means that the 21-year-old will be a restricted free agent at its expiration, giving the two sides another shot at working out a long-term agreement. His qualifying offer at that time will be $7.2MM.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Injury Notes: Varlamov, Allison, Scott, Jarvis
The start of training camps usually results in a fairly long list of injuries as teams are extra cautious with their players early on. Not surprisingly, this is the case once again this season. Here’s a rundown of some of the recent injury news around the league:
- Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov hasn’t skated yet in training camp due to an undisclosed injury, relays Arthur Staple of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran is expected to split starts with Ilya Sorokin this season but there is no timetable for when he’ll be able to hit the ice.
- Earlier this week, the Flyers announced several injuries including one for winger Wade Allison and he was ruled out for the start of the season. It appears as if he’ll be out considerably longer than that as Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the high-ankle sprain is believed to be quite serious and that it could be months before he was able to return. The 23-year-old had four goals and three assists in 14 games with Philadelphia last season – his first NHL action – and looked to be a candidate to push for a regular spot in training camp. Now it appears that it’ll be a while before he gets that next opportunity.
- Maple Leafs goalie prospect Ian Scott suffered a groin injury early in the third period in Saturday’s victory over Montreal, notes TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). He had hip surgery two years ago and while he’s in the third and final year of his entry-level contract, Scott has played in just seven career professional contests. Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that the netminder is expected to miss some time.
- Hurricanes winger prospect Seth Jarvis is day-to-day with a tweak, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal. The 19-year-old had 11 points in nine games with AHL Chicago and 27 more in 24 contests with WHL Portland last season and has a legitimate chance to break camp with the big club. If that doesn’t happen, he will have to return to the junior level.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Ottawa Senators
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2021-22 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Ottawa Senators
Current Cap Hit: $59,048,333 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit and minimum cap threshold)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Erik Brannstrom (one year, $863K)
F Alex Formenton (one year, $748K)
F Joshua Norris (one year, $925K)
F Shane Pinto (two years, $925K)
F Tim Stutzle (two years, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Brannstrom: $450K
Formenton: $107.5K
Norris: $850K
Pinto: $600K
Stutzle: $2.5MM
Total: $4.508MM
Norris is going to be the next big contract on the horizon for the Senators. He was one of the top rookies in the league last season and should spend all of the upcoming season in a top-six role at the very least. Impact centers get paid quickly and if they move to sign him to a long-term deal, he could jump into the $7MM range assuming he has a strong sophomore season. Stutzle, another long-term building block, had some ups and downs in his rookie campaign but the high-end potential is certainly there. If he progresses as expected, he could also be looking at a similar price tag on his next deal. Pinto certainly didn’t look out of place late in the season and should see extended NHL action this year. How he fares in that should determine if he’s heading for a long-term deal of his own or something shorter. As for Formenton, the speedster split last season between Ottawa and AHL Belleville. He should be able to lock down more of a regular spot in 2021-22 but is likely heading for a short-term second contract.
Brannstrom was the centerpiece of the Mark Stone trade back in 2019 although he hasn’t yet been able to lock down a full-time NHL role let alone show signs of the offensive upside he has displayed in the minors. He should push for a regular spot this season but he’s also waiver-exempt which could make him the odd one out in training camp. In either scenario, a bridge deal makes more sense for him. Considering the bigger contracts they have on the horizon for Norris and Stutzle, they’ll need some shorter-term deals to balance those out anyway.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Josh Brown ($1.2MM, UFA)
G Anton Forsberg ($900K, UFA)
D Nick Holden ($1.7MM, UFA)
D Victor Mete ($1.2MM, RFA)
F Nick Paul ($1.35MM, UFA)
F Zach Sanford ($2MM, UFA)
F Chris Tierney ($3.5MM, UFA)
Tierney has been in trade speculation dating back to last season and that won’t change anytime soon as he’s unlikely to be in Ottawa’s long-term plans. He’s a serviceable middle-six center who is probably better off on the third line but players like that have landed similar contracts to the one he has recently. A big raise is unlikely but neither is a big dip this summer. Sanford, acquired in the Logan Brown trade, has been a capable bottom-six winger but unless he has an uptick in production with his new team, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to get much more than his current price tag on the open market. Paul hasn’t been able to make the most of his increased playing time the last couple of years but as a physical player that can play both the wing and down the middle, he’s someone that’s probably going to garner a fair bit of interest which could push his next AAV past the $2MM range.
Holden was acquired as a salary offset in the Evgenii Dadonov trade this summer and is likely to have a similarly limited role with the Senators as he did with the Golden Knights. Barring a surprisingly strong season, he’s someone that is more of a candidate to land a PTO than a raise. Brown also is expected to play a depth role which doesn’t bode well for his first chance in unrestricted free agency. That said, he’ll only be 28 next summer so he should be able to land a guaranteed deal but at this point, it probably won’t be more than this one. Mete impressed after coming over from Montreal on waivers and will be looking to earn a top-four role for the first time since his rookie season. That will determine if he can potentially double his AAV in that situation or whether he’ll be a non-tender candidate with him having arbitration eligibility again.
Forsberg was claimed off waivers three times last season but held his own when called upon down the stretch with Ottawa, earning this new deal. If he can establish himself as a quality backup, he could double his price tag or more but having been more of a third-stringer in his career, the likelier scenario is that he winds up in a similar spot next season which would come with a bit of a dip in pay.
Two Years Remaining
F Connor Brown ($3.6MM, UFA)
D Michael Del Zotto ($2MM, UFA)
F Austin Watson ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Artem Zub ($2.5MM, UFA)
Brown’s offensive output has increased with Ottawa as he has been used in a bigger role than he was with Toronto but it hasn’t come at the expense of his defensive play. All of a sudden, he has become a strong two-way player. His ice time may dip as younger players move up the depth chart but for the time being, his deal is a nice bargain and the longer he plays at that level, the more expensive he’s going to be two summers from now. Watson makes perhaps a bit much for someone that’s primarily on the fourth line but it certainly isn’t a big overpayment and with the cap space they have, it’s one that they can certainly afford. It’s hard to see him getting more on his next deal, however.
Zub had to wait a bit to get into the lineup but when he did, he quickly became an important part of their back end which earned him this two-year extension. Given that he only has 47 career NHL games under his belt, pegging his value on his next contract will be tough; it’ll go up if he can stay in the top four but if he winds up settling in as more of a third-pairing option, he might be in tough to land a raise. Del Zotto’s contract came as a surprise to many for someone that has had to settle for discount deals the last two seasons but the Sens believe he can be a capable veteran to hold down a spot while their prospects develop. He’ll be 33 when his next deal gets signed and it’s hard to imagine he’ll get more than this.
Three Years Remaining
G Matt Murray ($6.25MM, UFA)
When Ottawa acquired Murray early on the second day of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, they were hoping that they found not only their goalie of the present but also potentially their goalie of the future. But things didn’t go swimmingly for him as he followed up the lowest save percentage of his career with an even lower one in his first year with Ottawa. Yes, the Senators weren’t a great team but his struggles certainly contributed to that. In terms of AAV, only five goalies have a higher one than Murray but so far, he hasn’t provided an adequate level of goaltending let alone a high-end showing for someone making more than most starters do.