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Clarke MacArthur

Senators Notes: Injury Updates, Searching For Depth

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The Ottawa Senators have placed winger Bobby Ryan on Injured Reserve, retroactive to November 29.

Ryan broke his finger two weeks ago, but only missed two games before returning. It appears he’s aggravated the injury in some way. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that it’s not clear whether Ryan will go with the Senators on their upcoming road trip, as he’s not eligible to return until next Thursday in San Jose.

It’s been a tough year for Ryan, who has just 8 points in 21 games. With a price tag of $7.25MM, the Senators will be expecting better production when Ryan returns from injury.

Meanwhile, Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg has double Ryan’s points in just three more games. Silfverberg was the main piece acquired by the Ducks in the 2013 trade that sent Ryan to Ottawa.

  • Marc Methot is nearly ready to return to the Senators lineup. In an interview on TSN 1200, GM Pierre Dorion said Erik Karlsson’s preferred defensive partner could return as soon as Saturday.
  • The Senators have recalled Max McCormick from Binghamton and assigned Andreas Englund and Buddy Robinson.
  • When winger Clarke MacArthur was concussed early in training camp, some analysts wondered if his career was over. MacArthur missed all but four games in 2015-16 with a concussion. However, Dorion said MacArthur has been making progress and “will play this year.”
  • With Ryan and MacArthur out of the lineup, the Senators search for forward depth is picking up. Dorion said he’s “very” active in searching for scoring depth, though Garrioch doesn’t believe he’s close to making any deals.

Atlantic Division Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Babcock, Andersen, MacArthur, Howard

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have won just one of their first three contests but by virtue of two overtime/shootout defeats, the team has accumulated four of a possible six points. As Mark Masters of TSN writes, Leafs bench boss Mike Babcock is “relatively pleased” with where his team sits in the standings.

“We’ve had an opportunity, I believe, to be 3-0. We’ve got four out of six points, which if you told me that before this started I would’ve said, ‘That’s fine,’ but we could’ve had more and I’m a bit greedy and so are the guys.”

Toronto is one of the youngest teams in the league, with six rookies – Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Zach Hyman, Connor Brown, Mitch Marner and Nikita Zaitsev – skating regular shifts for the Leafs. With that much youth it’s likely the team will understandably have plenty of ups and downs during the season. Babcock noted that the team’s top line, for example, which consists of Matthews, Nylander and Hyman, has some room to grow based on Wednesday’s performance against the Jets:

“I thought it was really dangerous offensively and not very good defensively.”

Toronto may or may not be ready to challenge for a playoff berth this season, but the arrow is certainly pointing up for a Leafs team that boasts a ton of young, high-end skill and talent.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Also from the Masters piece, goaltender Frederik Andersen has struggled out of the gate as the Leafs new #1 goalie, posting a 3.61 GAA and a Save % of just 87.6% in three starts, but Andersen is not yet worried. “If you just look at stats it doesn’t look pretty, but I thought I played pretty well. Obviously, some small things I got to clean up and me and Stevey (goalie coach Steve Briere) got to work today in practice so small fixes. I’m not too worried.” The Leafs paid a steep price to land Andersen from the Ducks – a 2016 first-round pick and a 2017 second-round pick – then rewarded the Danish netminder with a five-year, $25MM contract with the belief he would solve the team’s longstanding issues in goal. It’s a small sample size of course, but so far Andersen has not lived up to expectations in Toronto.
  • Veteran forward Clarke MacArthur, concussed during Ottawa’s initial intrasquad practice in training camp, is expected to join the Senators on their three-game, Western Canadian road trip beginning this weekend, writes Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen. MacArthur is still not close to playing and may have only recently started skating but the news is still encouraging. This is the fourth documented concussion within the last 18 months for the 31-year-old winger. The hope for the Senators, according to head coach Guy Boucher, is that just having MacArthur around the team on the trip will be good for him: “Obviously, he’s not going to play. We’re talking about being with the guys, being part of the routine. It would be good for him mentally, but we still haven’t 100% decided that.”
  • For six seasons, Jimmy Howard was the #1 goalie for the Detroit Red Wings before losing the job to Petr Mrazek last season. Howard struggled in the backup role in 2015-16 but coming into the season knowing Mrazek would again be the starter has helped the veteran netminder adapt, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Said Howard: “I think I know how to handle the situation a lot better now. Last year I didn’t quite understand how to be the backup, never had been it before. So I fully understand the role now and how to stay mentally sharp in between starts.” Howard qualifies as an expensive backup with a contract that runs through the 2018-19 season and that calls for a cap hit of nearly $5.3MM per. Detroit was rumored to be looking to trade the 32-year-old goalie this summer and could do so again this offseason, assuming he isn’t claimed in the expansion draft by Las Vegas.

 

Injury Updates: September 29, 2016

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Many players are nursing off-season, World Cup, or training camp injuries as we get closer to Opening Night. Below are today’s updates for injured players in camp:

  • Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton’s recovery timeline remains the same, reports AZ Central’s Sarah McLellan, but he has been skating on his own throughout the recovery period. Connauton suffered a lower body injury during an informal skate early this month before training camp started. The Coyotes do not see the defenseman missing much time despite failing his physical.
  • Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone is still recovering from surgery in April that repaired his left ACL and MCL. Stone has not been cleared to practice yet, and will most likely miss the season opener. According to Sarah McLellan, Stone is at home with his wife as they are expecting twins soon.
  • Ottawa Senators forward Clarke MacArthur continues to rehab following a concussion sustained in a training camp scrimmage on September 25. MacArthur has a history of concussions, suffering four of them over an 18 month period, including one that sidelined him for most of last season. Despite concerns, however, reports indicate that MacArther does not plan on retiring.
  • Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Mark Alt is out indefinitely with an upper body injury suffered in camp. Alt scored 4G and 15A in 72 games for the Flyers’ AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Atlantic Notes: Ristolainen, Kucherov, Mantha, MacArthur, Matthews

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Sabres RFA defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen has reported to the team despite being unsigned, notes John Vogl of the Buffalo News.   Both Ristolainen and his agent Mike Liut asked for the 21 year old to be allowed to skate with the team, which has been approved by GM Tim Murray.

Despite this development, it should not be construed as a sign that the two sides are close on a contract.  TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported on Wednesday that the two sides are at least $1MM apart per season on a new deal.  It does, however, remain noteworthy as it is very rare that an RFA will skate with a team despite being unsigned.  Most players simply stay away until a new deal is done.

Last season, Ristolainen had a career year, scoring nine goals while adding 32 assists while playing all 82 games for the first time.  He also logged an average of 25:17 per game in ice time, ranking first on the team.  He is expected to once again by Buffalo’s top blueliner once a new contract is signed.

More news out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Tampa Bay RFA right winger Nikita Kucherov will not report to camp without a contract like Ristolainen is, reports Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. GM Steve Yzerman remains “very hopeful” that a deal will get done although the two sides appear to still be a ways apart on a new deal.  The Lightning have roughly $5.5MM in cap space according to Cap Friendly but it will likely take more than that to get the 23 year old re-signed.
  • Red Wings prospect winger Anthony Mantha was asked to put on weight this offseason and a result, he often ate seven or eight times per day, writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Mantha, Detroit’s first round pick (20th overall) in 2013, completed his second pro season last year, spending most of it with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.  He did get into ten games with the Red Wings though, scoring twice while adding an assist.  The 22 year old is expected to contend for a roster spot this season but his waiver exemption could potentially work against him if someone else who is waiver eligible stands out.
  • Despite missing most of last season with concussion problems and suffering another concussion over the weekend, Senators left winger Clarke MacArthur has no plans to retire, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. In a statement released today, the 31 year old stated that he intends to return to the lineup at some point this season.   MacArthur has four years remaining on a five year deal signed back in August of 2014 with a cap hit of $4.65MM.  If he is expected to miss considerable time (which seems likely at this point), he would be eligible to be placed on Long-Term Injury Reserve.
  • 2016 first overall pick Auston Matthews is expected to make his Toronto preseason debut on Friday, notes the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby. Matthews recently joined the team after suiting up for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey, where he had three points (2-1-3) in three games.

Clarke MacArthur Suffers Concussion

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The Ottawa Senators have announced that winger Clarke MacArthur has suffered a concussion as the result of a hard, blindside hit in training camp earlier today. In an update with GM Pierre Dorion, he confirmed the diagnosis, and stated that MacArthur was sent home and that his condition will be treated as day-to-day until further notice. MacArthur missed most of the 2015-16 season with a concussion, playing in only four games, and was on-track to be healthy for the start of the season. That is now in doubt after another head injury.

The hit in question took place in the corner of the ice during a scrimmage, when defenseman Patrick Sieloff appeared to hit MacArthur high and against the boards, causing his upper body to slam against the glass. MacArthur went down immediately and had to be helped off the ice. Bobby Ryan immediately went after Sieloff, starting a fight that ended with an angry, profanity-laced rant toward the defenseman. Chris Neil and Derick Brassard both went after Sieloff as well as the game continued, before he was asked to leave the ice. Sieloff, who was acquired by the Senators this summer from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Alex Chiasson, was hoping to earn a roster spot in camp. That seems extremely unlikely now, as the young blue liner has lost the locker room in Ottawa. Many members of the Senators were reportedly shaken by witnessing the injury, good friend Dion Phaneuf in particular, as MacArthur is very well-liked among his team mates. Although it is a rough start in a new place for a player who was likely just trying to show off his toughness, Sieloff’s hit would have been a major penalty in a real game and is simply unacceptable in a team scrimmage.

Hopefully the concussion is only low-grade, as MacArthur is a key piece of the Senator’s offense when healthy. In his first season in Ottawa, back in 2013-14, he scored 55 points, including a career-high 24 goals. However, injury concerns have slowed him down and another major concussion might not mean just another lengthy injury stint; it could derail his hockey career altogether. The Senators, their players, and fans are certainly hoping for the best for MacArthur. More information will likely be available in the coming week.

Snapshots: MacArthur, Scheifele, Staal

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After missing most of last season due to concussion troubles, Ottawa left winger Clarke MacArthur is completely healthy, GM Pierre Dorion told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.

MacArthur was expected to be a keg cog for the Senators last season, fresh off signing a five year, $23.25MM contract (a $4.65MM AAV).  However, recurring symptoms prevented him from playing in all but four games last year, where he was held pointless while averaging just 10:52 per night.  Dorion expects that a healthy MacArthur will bring a lot more balance to Ottawa’s lineup.

“He’s the piece we missed the most last year. We missed his on-ice presence, we missed his off-ice presence. Having a healthy Clarke MacArthur from Day 1 — who could have played last year he had clearance from the doctors —will be a big thing for us. It solidifies our top six and it solidifies our top nine…”

In his previous two seasons with the Senators, MacArthur was a key contributor in their top six, picking up 40 goals and 51 assists in 141 games.  It’s likely that he will reprise his role inside the top six, potentially alongside newcomer Derick Brassard.

[Related: Senators’ Depth Chart]

More tidbits from around the hockey world:

  • Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele will be under a lot more pressure in 2016-17, notes Pro Hockey Talk’s Cam Tucker. Not only has Scheifele made considerable improvements in each season, which has vaulted him into the discussion to be their top center, he’s also beginning the first season of a new eight year, $49MM contract he signed last month.  On top of that, he’s also expected to be in the discussion to replace Andrew Ladd (who signed with the Islanders) as the Jets’ new captain.  Scheifele has largely been under the radar in his NHL career but that’s likely to change next season.
  • Many expected that the Wild would have to trade one of their young defensemen this offseason to bring in a core top six center. Instead, GM Chuck Fletcher opted to go for more of a short-term fix with the addition of Eric Staal, a decision that was largely made to keep their blueline corps intact, writes Dan Myers of NHL.com.   Staal is expected to start next season alongside Zach Parise who played a part in recruiting the 31 year old to Minnesota.

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