Snapshots: Vilardi, Jarry, Neil, Bennett
The Kings welcomed an important forward tonight against Anaheim as Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider relays that forward Gabriel Vilardi was cleared to return to the lineup. The 23-year-old missed a little more than a month due to an upper-body injury but before that, he was in the midst of a breakout season as he has 17 goals and 14 assists in 45 games heading into tonight’s action. Those numbers already represent career-highs. While he was drafted as a center, Vilardi has been a regular on the wing for the last couple of seasons and with Los Angeles having plenty of young depth down the middle, there’s a good chance he won’t be going back to his natural position.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters today (video link) prior to tonight’s game that goaltender Tristan Jarry skated today and that they haven’t ruled out the possibility of him returning on Saturday against New Jersey. Jarry has missed the last three weeks due to an upper-body injury and had been playing quite well up to that point, posting a career-high .921 SV% in his first 27 starts of the season. Pittsburgh is in a very tight battle for a Wild Card spot and welcoming their starting goalie back would go a long way toward helping their chances for the stretch run.
- Long-time Senators winger Chris Neil had his #25 retired by the team on Friday night but Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays that the 15-year player nearly signed with rival Toronto back in 2009. The Maple Leafs made the high-money offer to Neil who, at the time, was coming off a down season but he opted to take a little less to stay with Ottawa. In the end, he suited up for more than 1,000 games with the Sens, recording more than 2,500 penalty minutes.
- While Panthers forward Sam Bennett is doing “much better” according to head coach Paul Maurice, team reporter Jameson Olive relays (Twitter link) that he still might not be ready to return for their next game on Saturday against Nashville. The 26-year-old left Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury and didn’t play in Thursday’s victory over Washington. Bennett has 14 goals and 21 assists in 56 games so far, good for sixth on Florida in scoring.
Ottawa Senators To Retire Chris Neil’s Number
According to a team release during their game Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks, the Ottawa Senators are retiring forward Chris Neil‘s number 25 on February 17, 2023, in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Neil shattered expectations as a sixth-round pick, dressing in over 1,000 games – all with the Senators. His career totals of 112 goals, 138 assists, and 250 points aren’t really retired number material, but that was never the focal point of Neil’s game. His 2,522 career penalty minutes mark his enforcing playstyle, and only he and former New Jersey Devil Ken Daneyko have over 1,000 games played and 2,500 penalty minutes while spending their entire career with a single franchise.
Number 25 will join three other numbers in the Canadian Tire Centre rafters: original Senator Frank Finnigan‘s number 8, Daniel Alfredsson‘s number 11, and Chris Phillips‘ number 4.
Admittedly, it’s a rare occurrence to see an enforcer gifted with the honor of a retired number. Careers with Neil’s resume are usually destined for accolades such as an organizational Hall of Fame or ring of honor. But Neil’s bruising game was a hallmark of the team’s most successful stretch in franchise history throughout the 2000s, providing energy on and off the ice every night. He remains a notable off-ice presence in the Ottawa community since retiring in 2017.
General manager Pierre Dorion released a statement on Neil’s number retirement:
Chris was a team-first player, a physical presence who never backed down from a challenge. He earned his place every single day through hard work and dedication; he was the ultimate character player and wore the Senators sweater with as much or more pride than any other player in this team’s history.
Morning Notes: Neil, Chara, Jokiharju
Chris Neil has officially announced his retirement from professional hockey, ending his career after more than 1,000 games with the Ottawa Senators. The team made the decision not to bring him back early in the offseason, and though he was offered a professional tryout with the Montreal Canadiens (which he declined), never could find a full-time contract offer.
Neil, 38, was beloved by teammates for his work ethic and willingness to protect them on the ice, but will be remembered by the Senators’ organization for more than just his fists. Neil scored 250 points in his career, including a 16-goal season in 2005-06. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Neil around the alumni game on Friday, when two teams of Senators’ legends will take to the ice on Parliament Hill.
- Zdeno Chara is still enjoying life in the NHL, and told Joe McDonald of Boston Sports Journal recently that though extension talks haven’t come up yet he believes one will be signed with the Bruins eventually. Even at 40, Chara is still logging more than 23 minutes a night for the Bruins and seems ready to continue his career. Earning just $4MM this season in the final season of his seven-year deal, he’s been a relative bargain for the Bruins. If he’s willing to take something similar—or even cheaper—there could still be some value to be added for the next couple of seasons.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic caught up with Chicago Blackhawks prospect Henri Jokiharju ahead of the World Junior tournament at the end of the month, and discussed a wide variety of topics. Jokiharju is starring for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, but will try to make the NHL squad out of camp next season. At just 18-years old, the Finnish defender has 36 points in 31 games, trailing only Kale Clague and Colby Sissons among WHL defensemen. For any Blackhawks fans wondering about the next wave of prospects, he’ll be a must-watch at the junior tournament, when he is part of an excellent defensive corps for Team Finland.
Senators Notes: Boucher, Trade Talk, Karlsson, Neil
Despite their considerable struggles as of late, the Senators will not be making a coaching change, GM Pierre Dorion told reporters at a press conference in advance of tonight’s game against the Rangers. He did, however, acknowledge that he has been actively speaking to other teams in recent days, estimating that he has talked with 27 or 28 teams over the past 72 hours, via Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Naturally, the discussion also included defenseman Erik Karlsson. Speculation around him has grown in recent days, especially when it was made public that the team had asked for him to provide the teams for his no-trade clause (something they asked all of their other players with some form of no-trade protection). Dorion stated (quotes via TSN’s Ian Mendes, both Twitter links) that their preference is to keep the blueliner around for another ten years but that with the streak they’re in, they have to look at everything. While his comments should quash the coaching talk for the time being, the trade speculation is sure to continue for the foreseeable future.
Also from Ottawa:
- Former Senators winger Chris Neil will be suiting up in Ottawa’s upcoming alumni game in advance of the outdoor game on Saturday but has already ruled out joining a team later on this season, he told Postmedia’s Ken Warren. Neil acknowledged that the Canadiens had offered him a tryout back in training camp as well as at least one other offer. That other offer wasn’t from Ottawa and Neil has said that he believes that head coach Guy Boucher – who used him in a lesser role than he was accustomed to – played a big role in him being let go. While he hasn’t officially retired, it will be hard to imagine Neil catching on with another team for 2018-19 after sitting out an entire season.
Early Notes: Butcher, Neil, CHL
Will Butcher won’t be signing with the Colorado Avalanche before the August 15th deadline, and his impending free agency has the rest of the league looking back through their notes on the former Denver Pioneer. The two-way defender has some solid upside despite being a fifth-round selection, and should cause a bidding war not unlike the one Jimmy Vesey sparked last summer. Several teams will be interested in bringing the Hobey Baker award winner in, and he should have his pick of destination.
Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette caught up with Butcher’s agent Brian Bartlett, who told him that if the Penguins called “I’m sure we’d answer the phone.” Bartlett was clear in what he was looking for in Butcher’s first team, noting the Penguins solid track record developing college players and the fact that they’ve had (a bit of) recent success in the NHL. Butcher isn’t looking for a chance to compete in the NHL right away, but a spot to grow his young career.
- Chris Neil won’t be back in Ottawa next season, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be in the NHL. The 38-year old tough guy told Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun that he’s already received one-way offers from a few teams, but is waiting on the right fit for him and his family. Growing up and playing in Ontario for almost his entire life, any departure would be a new adventure for Neil and his young family.
- Craig Button of TSN is at Canada’s Under-17 development camp, and breaks down the three top bantam picks of the CHL. Peyton Krebs (WHL first-overall in 2016) Ryan Suzuki (OHL first-overall in 2017) and Alexis Lafreniere (QMJHL first-overall in 2017) all have incredible talent, and have a good shot to go high in their respective NHL drafts in a few years. Suzuki is on to particularly watch over the next few years, as the younger brother of Vegas first-round pick Nick Suzuki will be playing for the Barrie Colts alongside possible 2018 first-overall pick Andrei Svechnikov. Barrie was the worst team in the OHL this season, but with Suzuki and Svechnikov coming in they could be much improved right away.
- Speaking of prospects the NHL is set to hold a press conference with the Dallas Stars on Saturday, and Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is expecting it to announce the location of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The draft, which was held in Chicago this season, is a huge event that brings people from all corners of the hockey world together for more than a week. The top names like Svechnikov, Joe Veleno and Rasmus Dahlin are all extremely enticing prospects in what should be a very deep draft.
Ottawa Senators Will Not Re-Sign Chris Neil
After nearly two decades with the Ottawa Senators organization, Chris Neil has been told he will not be returning to the team next year according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. He does want to play another season, meaning he’ll have to find work on the open market when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. It was clear that there is no frustration between the two sides, mutually agreeing to part ways. 
Neil, 37, was drafted by the Senators 161st-overall in 1998 as a tough kid with some scoring chops out of the OHL, and quickly made a name for himself in the IHL after turning pro. With more than 300 penalty minutes in both of his minor league seasons, Neil also showed he could chip in on the score sheet and proved it in the NHL with 10 goals as a rookie in 2001-02. Over his career he turned into the prototypical enforcer for the new NHL, able to skate and play well enough to contribute more than just a 30-second bout and five minute major each night. In 1,026 career regular season games, Neil registered 250 points and 2,522 penalty minutes.
When he becomes an unrestricted free agent, it will be interesting to see how many teams would be willing to bring him aboard. He suited up for 53 games for the Senators this season, registering four points and seeing the fewest minutes of ice time in his whole career. He can still get under the skin of an opponent with the best of them, but didn’t fit into Guy Boucher’s stifling defensive trap well enough to deserve any real role on the team. Somewhere else, he may find a spot adding some veteran leadership and experience while “protecting” a young lineup. Steve Ott‘s one-year deal with the Red Wings could be a good place to start as a comparison, which earned the aging pest $800K last season.
If he can’t find a role, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Neil move into some sort of coaching role eventually as many “tough guys” do. Garrioch writes that there has even been talk between Neil and the Senators about a role in the past, though it’s unclear if there would still be interest. Neil and his family have made a big impact on the Ottawa community, including taking over as co-chairs of Roger’s House, a children’s palliative care center, after Mike Fisher was traded to Nashville. Whether or not he’s ever connected to the Senators organization again, his impact on the people there will last much longer than his playing career.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Rookie Colin White Draws In For Senators In Game Six
In a decisive Game 6 match-up of the Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Ottawa Senators have decided to go outside the box. Following an embarrassing 7-0 loss in Game 5, head coach Guy Boucher has made the call that the team needs a different look tonight, and that means rookie center Colin White will get the call. This is the third NHL game for white and, obviously, the first playoff game of his young career. Will he be a game-changer for the Senators?
White may be making his NHL postseason debut, but he’s actually played postseason hockey already this season. White signed his entry-level contract with Ottawa on April 2nd, after his NCAA season with Boston College came to an end. White, the 21st overall pick in 2015, was nearly a point-per-game player for BC this season, with 16 goals and 17 assists in 35 games, and helped to lead the Eagles to finals of the Hockey East conference tournament. However, White’s squad fell to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and without the automatic bid, did not have the resume to qualify for the NCAA tournament.
Since then, White has played in just five games – two scoreless outings with Ottawa and three games (with three points) for the AHL Binghamton Senators, who missed the playoffs – and he is now being called on to enter the Eastern Conference Final cold and provide a spark on offense. White’s inclusion is not so much the result of injury, although Alexandre Burrows remains sidelined, but instead a decision of pace and positioning. Ottawa dressed seven defenseman for Game 5, which was undoubtedly their worst performance of the 2017 postseason, and Bocher decided not to continue that practice. He also declined to dress slower physical veteran forwards like Chris Kelly or Chris Neil in favor or the young White, hoping that his youthful energy would help to keep pace with the speedy Penguins. White is a well-rounded prospect with high-end possession ability and good visions and hockey intelligence. However, he’s being thrown into the fire in this situation, as the Senators are desperate for all the help they can get to stay alive tonight.
Expansion Draft Issues: Post-Trade Deadline
Last month, we looked at several teams facing some tough situations in regards to the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft and offered potential solutions to how they could address their needs for forwards, defensemen and goalies at the NHL Trade Deadline. With March 1st over and done with, many of those squads have solved their problems with signings or acquisitions.
Calgary Flames
Problem: Defense
Status: Solved
The Flames solved their problem of otherwise having to expose Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, or Dougie Hamilton with the ingenious signing of Matt Bartkowski, the only defenseman on the planet who was both free to acquire and automatically eligible for exposure in the draft. It’s a good thing they signed him too, since they ended up trading away their best fall-back option, young defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka.
Carolina Hurricanes
Problem: Defense
Status: Unsolved
It was a pretty quiet deadline in Raleigh, as the ‘Canes shipped out Ron Hainsey and Viktor Stalberg and then called it a day. What they didn’t do was acquire another body on the blue line to help solve their lack of a defenseman to expose. Carolina is still facing the problem of All-Star Justin Faulk being the only defenseman on the roster currently meeting the criteria for mandated exposure, due to the majority of their defensemen being too young to be eligible altogether. There is no way that Faulk is there for the taking by Vegas, but GM Ron Francis is left with only two choices: extend impending RFA Klas Dahlbeck or extend impending UFA Matt Tennyson and make sure he plays in seven more games this season, as he’s currently short of the 40-game mark.
Vancouver Canucks Trade Alex Burrows To Ottawa Senators
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.
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
Expansion Draft Issues At The Trade Deadline: Forwards
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.