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Injury Notes: Zacha, Senators, Prince

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After the New Jersey Devils sold off a couple of expiring assets, the rest of season will likely come down to developing some young players and building chemistry for next year. Though they’re not out of the playoff race completely, it’ll be a tough climb out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

One of those youngsters, Pavel Zacha, has been out of the lineup since February 21st with a concussion but was back on the ice this morning according to Andrew Gross of The Record. It was his first time on the ice with his teammates since suffering the head injury, a good sign for the 19-year old.

Vancouver Canucks Trade Alex Burrows To Ottawa Senators

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Following the Maple Leafs’ acquisition of Brian Boyle, the Ottawa Senators have made their own deal up front. The Vancouver Canucks have sent Alex Burrows east in exchange for Jonathan Dahlen, a prospect selected in the second round this summer. The deal includes a two-year extension for Burrows which will pay him $2.5MM per season.Alex Burrows

Ottawa has needed help on the wing since Bobby Ryan broke a finger and was ruled out for more than a month if not before. When Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman were both injured the next day, it proved just how fragile their depth at the position was. Burrows adds to that depth in a big way, despite not being the 30-goal scorer of his youth. His production has dropped to that of a third liner in recent years, though he does give you some special teams flexibility with experience on both the powerplay and penalty kill.

Burrows is currently earning a full season salary of just $3MM, though his cap-hit comes in at $4.5MM. For a team like Ottawa who does not spend right up to the cap, having a lower actual salary is a big plus.

Despite having his offensive production slip in recent seasons, Burrows still provides an ample amount of sandpaper to any game, getting under the skin of star players and often forcing teams into bad penalties. His style of play and general demeanor will be welcome on an Ottawa team that has missed that kind of play from Chris Neil due to being scratched or only playing a handful of minutes. Burrows would immediately become a hated target in the Atlantic Division, and a valuable playoff asset.

Burrows had a full no-trade clause in his contract, and may have only been willing to waive it after agreeing to an extension with the Senators. There was no guarantee he would get a two-year deal on the open market this summer, especially at the age of 35. With the Atlantic crown is clearly up for grabs, the Maple Leafs and Senators have pushed some of their chips forward as they reach for the top. We’ll see if the Montreal Canadiens now answer with a move of their own (turns out they will).

In Dahlen, the Senators have paid a very high price for the addition of grit and depth. The Swedish prospect was selected at #42 in this summer’s draft and is tearing up the Swedish second league with 41 points in 43 games. The 19-year old forward is an exceptionally skilled offensive player that dropped in the draft due to his small stature. The Canucks, dealing with a nightmarish season have pried a very good return out of a rental with a no-trade clause. While they didn’t receive any draft picks, Dahlen should be considered no worse than a late-first/early-second round pick in this year’s draft.

It’s a hefty price to pay for Burrows, even if he does fit the Senators lineup well. We’ll see if Ottawa has any more additions in the next few days, as teams load up for a dogfight in the last two months.

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun was the first to announce that the two were finalizing a deal, though Joshua Kloke of The Athletic heard rumors of the deal earlier today. Kloke would include that it came with an extension, one that Dan Murphy of Sportsnet gave us the financials on.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Atlantic Division Notes: Sens, Franson, Panthers

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The Ottawa Senators have been in the market for a top-six forward for much of the season and that need has only grown with the recent news that Bobby Ryan would be on the shelf for three to six weeks due. Ryan, with just 24 points in 50 games, hasn’t been as effective this season as in years past but still brings the track record of a proven scoring forward. However, despite the team’s need, Senators GM Pierre Dorion is not willing to give up too much in any deal, as Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes.

As the scribe notes, the Senators are one of several clubs that have been linked to Colorado center Matt Duchene at various times this season but the asking price, a young NHL defenseman, a prospect and a first-round pick, is too rich for Dorion’s blood. Cody Ceci, Thomas Chabot and Colin White, players Colorado would certainly demand as part of a package in any trade talks, are considered off limits according to Garrioch. That leaves Ottawa shopping in the second tier rental market in all likelihood, with Garrioch suggesting the team has or may have interest in pending free agents Jiri Hudler, Thomas Vanek and/or Drew Stafford. While those names may not be particularly awe-inspiring to Sens fans, as long as Dorion chooses to hoard the team’s best young assets then that’s more than likely the best they can do ahead of the trade deadline.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • There has been no shortage of teams with reported interest in St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, the top offensive defenseman believed to be on the trade market. Every year contenders burn up the phone lines looking for quality blue line depth ahead of the deadline to bolster their chances of making a deep postseason run. Of course only one team will end up with Shattenkirk, which will leave plenty of disappointed teams looking for alternatives. One option for some of those clubs may well be Cody Franson, according to Bill Hoppe in a piece on Buffalo Hockey Beat. Earlier in his career, the right-shot blue liner was a solid point producer capable of playing in all situations. Since signing with the Sabres ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, the 29-year-old’s offensive game has regressed with Franson posting just 16 points in 53 games this season. However, given the high demand for defensemen capable of playing the right side, it’s likely the Sabres could flip Franson for a solid return to one of the teams either unwilling or unable to meet the high price tag the Blues have set for Shattenkirk.
  • Since Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau returned from injury nine games ago, the Florida Panthers more closely resemble a viable playoff contender even if they’ve actually drawn no closer to a postseason spot. The recent surge has possibly shifted GM Dale Tallon’s deadline position from potential seller to potential buyer. In the event they go the latter route, the Panthers could be in the market for a depth winger, as Tallon tells TSN’s Frank Seravalli in a recent interview. The longtime NHL executive tells Seravalli that he feels the team is “strong up the middle,” and that “either wing some place would work.” He also says that while the team has a couple of talented young wingers in the system, he doesn’t feel that “they’re ready to take the next step yet.” Tallon was extremely aggressive at last year’s trade deadline, adding forwards Teddy Purcell and Jiri Hudler to improve the club’s scoring depth. With plenty of veteran wingers reportedly available, there’s little reason to believe he won’t be just as aggressive this year, assuming he can find a deal or two to his liking.

Ottawa Senators Receiving Calls On Curtis Lazar

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Trade season is alive and well with just a week left before the deadline, and in Ottawa they have been struck with a rash of injuries up front. Bobby Ryan, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone are all dealing with different ailments, and the team might need to make a move to solidify their top-six as they try to capture the Atlantic Division crown. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that GM Pierre Dorion has received calls on the underperforming Curtis Lazar, but would prefer to keep him if possible. Lazar amazingly has just one point this season despite seeing more ice time since the injuries.

It has been previously reported that the Senators would like to extend Lazar, banking on his pedigree and potential over production. The former 17th-overall pick now just has 36 points in 175 NHL contests and has seen his entire game weaken this season. Still just 22-years old he’s by no means a lost cause but has to start to turn around his career soon or be labelled as another late first-round bust.

Garrioch adds that Dorion has received permission from owner Eugene Melnyk to make a move at the deadline if it means making it back to the playoffs. The Senators haven’t won a playoff round since 2012-13, and need the revenue generated by home dates to help with their internal budget. They are by no means a cap-ceiling team, and have a lot of room to make an addition if ownership signs off on the salary increase. Dorion admits the only thing he would do is go after a forward to help up front, as his defense corps is pretty well set going into the stretch run.

In goal, Mike Condon appears to be ready to sign a long-term deal with the Senators at some point after showing his capabilities this season. Garrioch reports though that the two sides have tabled talks until after the busy deadline. After playing in 55 games for the Montreal Canadiens last season when Carey Price was injured, Condon was forced into a similar role when Craig Anderson needed to leave the team to be with his ailing wife. In 33 games with the Senators this season, Condon has a .913 save percentage which is right in line with goaltenders like Martin Jones and Frederik Andersen. Condon is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, but the Senators do still have Anderson under contract for another season. For a team like the Sens, holding two goaltenders with substantial cap hits isn’t really an option. We’ll see how they deal with it as they head into the summer and expansion draft.

Senators Injury Notes: Ryan, Stone, Hoffman

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After recently losing four forwards in a couple of days, the Ottawa Senators took the ice this morning ahead of their game against the New Jersey Devils and gave some clarification on the group. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports on the injuries, including an unexpected absence from the skate.

  • Bobby Ryan has a broken finger and will be out at least a month. The original timeline was somewhere between three to six weeks when it was believed to be a broken hand. In something that has become a trend for Ryan, he’ll sit out with a broken digit instead; the winger has broken a finger four times in the past three and a half years, and twice already this season. The struggling winger hasn’t been able to repeat even his 22 goal season from a year ago (which in itself was a down season) and has forced the Senators to look for an upgrade up front as the deadline approaches.
  • Mark Stone, the victim of Jacob Trouba’s suspension-causing illegal check the other night is out with a neck injury and has no timeline for his return. Head coach Guy Boucher made it very clear that it isn’t a head injury as it first appeared. Remember that Stone suffered a concussion in training camp this season. As their best offensive forward, Stone’s absence will leave another big hole on the wing if he’s out for any length of time.
  • Mike Hoffman, who exited the same game in the second period is out with a groin injury and will not play tonight. It doesn’t seem as serious as the other two, but groin injuries do tend to linger and get re-aggravated if pushed too hard too soon. Another winger, the Sens will have some interesting line combinations tonight as they start a four-game road trip.
  • Dion Phaneuf was also missing from practice, but apparently just took the morning off for maintenance. Senators fans can breathe deeply knowing that he and Tommy Wingels will both suit up tonight for the game.

If the Senators want to capture the Atlantic Division crown, they may have to go out and add a player (or two) up front to fill in for these injuries. With Stone, Hoffman and Ryan out, they’ve lost three of their top five goal scoring threats and a ton of depth on the wing. Even a rental at this point may be worth it if the injuries linger, as they still have plenty of teams nipping at their heels for those last few playoff spots.

Ottawa Senators Recall Casey Bailey, Max McCormick From AHL

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After losing several forwards to injury last night against the Winnipeg Jets, the Ottawa Senators have recalled two players from Binghamton to help fill the gaps. Casey Bailey and Max McCormick will both come up and likely see playing time right away, as the Senators will face New Jersey tomorrow night. Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone and Tommy Wingels all left the game last night after suffering injuries, and though there hasn’t been an official update on their status, the call-ups likely mean that at least two of them will miss some time. This comes on the heels of the news that Bobby Ryan will miss several weeks with a fractured wrist.

Bailey came over from the Toronto Maple Leafs last season in the Dion Phaneuf trade, and has played just five games with the big club this season. For the baby-Sens though, he’s been an effective scoring threat if not the dominant power forward some had hoped he could become when the Leafs signed him out of college in 2015. He has 14 goals in 44 games in the AHL this season, though he hasn’t scored for Ottawa.

McCormick is much of the same, scoring at a solid pace in the AHL but held pointless in a five game stint for Ottawa. Another NCAA import, McCormick is smaller than Bailey but a much more physical presence on the ice. Willing to drop his gloves if the need arises, his hard forecheck is the signature of his game.

Neither of these players are capable replacements for Stone or Hoffman, who lead the team in goals with 22 and 19 respectively. If the Senators are without either or both for a considerable amount of time, perhaps they’ll look even harder at players available on the trade market as we get close to the deadline. With the Montreal Canadiens within striking distance, the Senators could easily take over first place in the Atlantic Division by the end of the season and guarantee themselves home ice advantage throughout the first few rounds. On the other hand, the Bruins, Maple Leafs and now Panthers are all nipping at their heels for the second spot, and time without their top offensive threats would put them at risk of even securing a playoff spot. Welcome to the Eastern Conference, where everyone is still in it.

Atlantic Notes: Panthers, Ryan, Lehner, Green

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With the Panthers now healthy up front and making their way up the Atlantic Division, the team now plans to be a buyer at the trade deadline, team president of hockey operations Dale Tallon told NHL.com’s Arpon Basu.  In particular, the team is hoping to add to what has become a more potent attack recently with the returns of Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov to the lineup.

While many teams appear to be hesitant to part with quality prospects, Florida finds themselves in a nice situation with a younger core, many of which are already signed long-term.  Accordingly, they may have the ability to move some of their picks or prospects if the right fit happens to present itself trade-wise in the next week and a half.

Another thing that the Panthers have that a lot of buying teams don’t is plenty of cap space.  They’re currently pegged to have the ability to take on nearly $43MM in salary on deadline day per CapFriendly which is clearly more than enough to fit in any acquisitions they have in mind.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Senators winger Bobby Ryan suffered a hand injury last night against the Maple Leafs and is out indefinitely, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter link). He notes that if Ryan’s hand is broken, he could be out of the lineup for the next three to six weeks.  Although he has underachieved this year (he has just 24 points in 50 games, not the type of production they’re expecting for someone with a $7.25MM cap hit), his absence will create a void in Ottawa’s middle six moving forward.  If he winds up being out for an extended period of time, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Pierre Dorion look to add another winger via the trade market.
  • Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner has quietly become one of the top goalies in the league and is doing so at the perfect time, writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. He quietly sits tied for third overall in save percentage by a starting goalie this year (.926) and teammates have noted he has taken on more of a leadership role in the dressing room as well.  The timing for this is great for Lehner and the Sabres – not only are they making a late push for a playoff spot, the 25 year old is set to become a restricted free agent this summer and is positioning himself for a sizable raise from the $2.25MM cap hit he currently carries.  (He will be owed a qualifying offer of $3.15MM in June, his actual salary for this season.)
  • Red Wings defenseman Mike Green has now missed the last two games due to an illness and remains day-to-day, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan. The 31 year old has been Detroit’s top offensive threat from the back end by far, recording 26 points (10-16-26) in 49 games.  By comparison, their next highest point getter from the back end is Xavier Ouellet who checks in with ten points.  In the meantime, rookie Ryan Sproul will continue to play while Green is out of the lineup.

Expansion Draft Issues At The Trade Deadline: Forwards

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This trade season is one like never before. The addition of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18 and the Expansion Draft that goes along with it add a whole other layer to trade-making this year. With each and every transaction, the expansion draft protection formula can change. Even in 2000, when the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets were welcomed into the league, the expansion rules were not a strict and general managers did not have to be as paranoid about their moves. This time around, everything is different. What does it all mean? For fans, there is a real possibility that this could be the quietest Trade Deadline in recent memory. Buyers interested in impending free agent rentals may not have to worry about the draft implications, but the sellers potentially taking back roster players with term certainly do. Trading is hard enough, especially in a season with very few teams significantly out of the playoff race, and expansion will only increase those barriers. Luckily, there are several teams that need to make moves prior to the deadline or they could risk being in very sticky situations when the Knights get ready to make their selections. With teams like the Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Anaheim Ducks, who have so much talented, veteran depth at multiple positions, there is really not much that they can do; they’re going to lose a good player. For others, a sensible contract extension can solve all of their problems. However, for these teams, making a trade before it’s too late may be exactly what they need. We’ve looked at the defense conundrums of the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and the goaltending scenario of the Philadelphia Flyers, but there a quite a few more teams with problems up front that need solving:

Chicago Blackhawks

Luckily for the Blackhawks, it’s hard to remember a deadline where GM Stan Bowman didn’t add a veteran forward. This year they may really need one though, regardless of their Cup run condition, to protect young scorer Ryan Hartman. The 22-year-old winger has 13 goals and 10 assists in his first full season with Chicago, and if nothing changes it would likely be his last season in Chicago. In setting their protected list for the Expansion Draft, the Blackhawks must protect Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Artem Anisimov due to their no-movement clauses. They would, of course, have protected those four anyway, but other than that group, the team has only two other players that meet the draft criteria of having two unprotected forwards that have played in 40 games this season or 70 games over the past two seasons and have term remaining on their contract: Marcus Kruger and Hartman. Kruger is not a great loss, but retaining Hartman is a major priority as the deadline approaches. The ‘Hawks could simply re-sign 30-year-old Andrew Desjardins or 34-year-old Jordin Tootoo, who both hit the 40/70 benchmark, but are impending free agents. However, the pair have combined for one point in 63 man-games this season and may not strike Bowman as players worth keeping, since they are nearly guaranteed to not be selected by Vegas. Richard Panik and Dennis Rasmussen are both restricted free agents who would also qualify if given an extension, but the team might think twice about exposing either player when they don’t have to. If push comes to shove, Chicago would surely rather lose Rasmussen or have to re-sign Desjardins if it means that Hartman is safe, but acquiring an affordable, serviceable forward with years remaining on his contract prior to the deadline may be the easier move for Bowman and company.

Dallas Stars

Despite their performance this season, the Stars are very much built like a team trying to make one last run at a Stanley Cup. Only five players on Dallas and on the AHL’s Texas Stars have both two years of professional play under their belt and term remaining on those contracts. The rest of the team is composed of impending unrestricted free agents and the AHL squad is mostly restricted free agents.  Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza have no-movement clauses and are obviously safe, as is All-Star Tyler Seguin. However, without any further moves, Dallas would have to leave 25-year-old center Cody Eakin and team enforcer Antoine Roussel exposed in the draft. With the likes of Radek Faksa, Brett Ritchie and (probably) Valeri Nichushkin needing to be protected as well, the Star’s may have to leave one or the other on the table, but certainly not both. Roussel is having a career year, on pace to beat his career-high 29 points while also skating a career-best 15 minutes per game. Eakin, who missed time earlier this year and has been held to just six points in 33 games, is regardless coming off of three straight seasons of 35+ points and is just entering his prime. If they want to protect one or both, moves need to be made. Dallas is not short on extension options, with UFA’s Patrick Sharp, Patrick Eaves, Jiri Hudler, Lauri Korpikoski, Adam Cracknell and even the injured Ales Hemsky meeting the 40/70 criterion. However, if the Stars want to make up for their disappointing season, trading several of those players for picks and prospects at the deadline seems likely may eliminate some choices. In the process of moving out that trade capital, it may simply be easier for GM Jim Nill to add one or two qualifying forwards along the way.

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Could Bobby Ryan Be Exposed In The NHL Expansion Draft?

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TSN’s Darren Dreger hosted a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) earlier today where he answered questions about hockey and sports reporting. One juicy tidbit he relayed was that Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan could be a big name left exposed in the expansion draft, and that his exposure may not be a surprise in the hockey community.

Ryan is having a disappointing season. He has 11G and 10A in 46 games, and on pace for the lowest numbers of his career. The stinger is that he is in year two of a seven-year deal worth $7.25MM a year. The only thing more surprising than his exposure is that the Vegas Golden Knights may decline to pick him. At this point in his career, Ryan is not living up to his contract, and the Golden Knights would be saddled with Ryan for five more years. Given that the new expansion team is expected to select a high-cost goaltender, Ryan may be too rich for Vegas.

The former number two selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft never reached the potential scouts initially held for him. Almost a PPG player with the Anaheim Ducks, his production decreased significantly after being traded to Ottawa in the 2013 offseason. Ryan last scored over 30 goals in 2011-12, and is on pace for less than 20 this season.

Exposing Ryan allows the Senators to avoid asking veteran defenseman Dion Phaneuf to waive his No-Movement Clause, something that the Senators were reportedly contemplating. It will also allow the team to protect a Mark Stone or Kyle Turris.

 

Ducks Reassign Noesen, Theodore To San Diego

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The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned defenseman Shea Theodore and forward Stefan Noesen to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, the team has announced. Both players have already made this commute several times already this season as the Ducks take advantage of breaks in their schedule to reduce their daily salary cap commitments and bank space ahead of this year’s trade deadline.

Noesen, originally acquired by the Ducks in the Bobby Ryan trade, has appeared in just nine games this season and has tallied a single goal, the first of his brief NHL career. He was selected by Ottawa with the 21st pick in the 2011 entry draft and was shipped by the Senators along with fellow forward Jakob Silfverberg and a 2014 first-round draft choice – a pick which turned into Nick Ritchie – in the July 5, 2013 trade sending Ryan to Ottawa.

Theodore has dressed for 23 games this season for the Ducks and has registered seven points. He was drafted by Anaheim in the first round of the 2013 entry draft with the 26th overall selection. For his career, the native of Langley, British Columbia has seen action in 42 contests, recording four goals and 11 assists while averaging better than 18 minutes of ice time per game.

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