Minor Transactions: 02/07/20
Just four games grace the NHL schedule this evening, but there are sure to be some whoppers. The Buffalo Sabres head into Madison Square Garden to try and find some tiny bit of success in what has been a trying time for everyone involved with the team. The Sabres lost yesterday to the historically-bad Detroit Red Wings and are now 23-23-8 on the year. Meanwhile, the reeling Toronto Maple Leafs will throw Jack Campbell into the net right away against the Anaheim Ducks to try and save their season. As they and the rest of the league get ready, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Andreas Englund from the minor leagues, as Mark Borowiecki prepares for the birth of his first child. Borowiecki won’t be with the team as they travel to Winnipeg for tomorrow’s afternoon tilt against the Jets.
- Jeremy Lauzon and Karson Kuhlman have been recalled by the Boston Bruins, who welcome in Phil Kessel and the Arizona Coyotes tomorrow night. Brandon Carlo will not be playing for the team as he is dealing with a personal matter, but is expected to re-join them in time for Sunday’s game.
- Antti Suomela has been returned to the AHL after sitting out the last few games for the San Jose Sharks. The 25-year old center has played 12 games this season, recording three assists.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Kiefer Sherwood from the minor leagues, sending Daniel Sprong down in his place. Sprong, 22, has played most of the season in the AHL for the San Diego Gulls, scoring 24 points in 31 games.
- After losing Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta recently, the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Cameron Gaunce from the minor leagues. The team will need to find a way to keep their blue line in order after the recent losses.
- Morgan Frost is on his way back to the NHL, recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers after a month in the minors. In total, the young forward has played 30 games in the AHL this season, scoring 20 points. Andy Andreoff has been sent back down.
- Guillaume Brisebois has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks, coming up for just the second time this season. The 22-year old defenseman hasn’t played a game at the NHL level this year, but does have 14 points in 43 games for the Utica Comets.
Andreas Englund Clears Waivers
Tuesday: Englund has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the Belleville Senators of the AHL.
Monday: The Ottawa Senators have placed defenseman Andreas Englund on waivers according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. This comes as the Senators are set to welcome Nikita Zaitsev and Mark Borowiecki back from injury.
Englund, 23, hasn’t quite established himself as the lockdown defender the Senators hoped for when they made him the 40th overall pick in 2014. Through four professional seasons in North America he has spent far more time in the minor leagues than the NHL, suiting up just 21 times with Ottawa and recording just two points. The 6’4″ Englund has 12 of those games this season, but will have to wait for his next opportunity.
That is of course unless he’s picked up off waivers tomorrow. Signed to a one-year, two-way $700K contract there may be some teams willing to take a chance on the big defenseman. He will be a restricted free agent again this summer.
Ottawa Senators Seeking A Defenseman
Heading into this season, few would have expected the Ottawa Senators to be active buyers on the trade market. Few would have expected them to be a .500 team on November 23 as well, though. The Senators are playing well and their first substantial acquisition of the season, former New York Rangers forward Vladislav Namestnikov, has worked out nicely (although he’s currently injured). The team has been open about their desire to add more veteran pieces and, while previous reports indicated their preference was to acquire another forward, The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team is now hoping to trade for a defenseman.
The Senators were not overly strong or deep on the blue line when the season began. Behind Thomas Chabot, it was mostly a unit composed of role players and unproven prospects. However, the situation has become even more dire due to injuries. Young Erik Brannstrom remains sidelined with a hand injury, depth defender Cody Goloubef left Friday night’s game with an undisclosed injury, Andreas Englund suffered an injury in the minors, and Christian Wolanin has yet to play this season as he returns from a shoulder injury. Nikita Zaitsev is also currently in his native Russia tending to personal matters. Garrioch writes that this left Ottawa no choice but to recall both Maxime Lajoie and Christian Jaros from the minors on Friday, leaving AHL Belleville with just two NHL prospects – first-year AHLers Lassi Thomson and Olle Alsing – and a defense corps otherwise composed of tryout players and ECHL call-ups. Clearly, Ottawa could use a blue line addition purely from a numbers perspective.
However, performance is also an issue on the blue line, particularly when it comes to scoring. Zaitsev, who is expected to return soon, has not contributed much offensively despite considerable ice time. Fellow former Maple Leaf Ron Hainsey and 2018-19 standout Dylan DeMelo have also been non-factors in the scoring department. This has left Chabot carrying the load and Mark Borowiecki contributing on offense, which has not typically been his strong suit. If the Senators are going to trade for a defenseman, they may as well target a player who can take on a regular role and assist the team offensively.
With that said, don’t expect Ottawa to target any of the big names on the rumor mill. While it would be comical for the Senators to add yet another former Toronto player, Tyson Barrie is likely not a target. Nor is New Jersey’s Sami Vatanen, Pittsburgh’s Justin Schultz, or Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin. The Senators will likely target upside at a low cost. Unsigned RFA Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars seems like an intriguing option, so long as they can swing a deal before the December 1st signing deadline. An impending UFA, like Namestnikov, would also make sense for the Senators, who could flip that player at the trade deadline if need be. Chicago’s Erik Gustafsson, L.A.’s Ben Hutton, and San Jose’s Radim Simek are all interesting options. Detroit’s Mike Green, who has name value but disappointing numbers so far this season, could also be a potential buy low/sell high candidate if he could turn his game around. There are plenty of options available for the Senators to make a move, but the question remains when and who.
Ottawa Senators Re-Sign Andreas Englund
Tuesday: The Senators have officially announced the contract.
Monday: After re-signing winger Anthony Duclair earlier today, the Senators aren’t done for the day just yet. CapFriendly reports that Ottawa has inked defenseman Andreas Englund to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay him the league minimum $700K in the NHL and $80K at the minor league level.
The 23-year-old has spent the majority of his professional career at the minor league level but has seen NHL action in each of the last three seasons. In 2018-19, he played in 68 games with AHL Belleville, recording 14 points. He also got into three games with Ottawa and was held off the scoresheet.
Intriguingly, Englund actually accepted an amount below his qualifying offer of $735K. While doing so allowed him to get a small increase in his AHL pay, it also might help his chances of sticking around in the NHL. He’s eligible for waivers in 2018-19 so if he can’t crack Ottawa’s roster on a full-time basis, the low price tag could help his odds of getting claimed off the waiver wire.