Cody Ceci

Atlantic Division Notes: Sens, Franson, Panthers

By Glen Miller | at February 25, 2017 12:15 pm

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.

Expansion Draft Issues At The Trade Deadline: Forwards

By Zach Leach | at February 11, 2017 5:32 pm

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.

New Jersey Devils

As previewed in their Trade Deadline Primer, the Devils have a similar conundrum to the Stars. Outside of their core forwards, the young New Jersey team is mostly made up of impending restricted free agents. There’s no reason that New Jersey should have to break up their strong group of Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Adam Henrique, Travis Zajac, and Mike Cammalleri with no other priority protectorates, but as of now one of that group would have to join Devante Smith-Pelly as potential future Knights. No one else on the roster currently meets the 40/70 mark and also has term remaining on their current deal. Upcoming unrestricted free agent P.A. Parenteau could be exposed if re-signed, but he represents one of New Jersey’s best trade chips at the deadline as they look to continue their rebuild. Beau Bennett and Jacob Josefson would also qualify if re-signed, but Josefson has struggled all season and is either a trade candidate or a player the Devils could move on from and it’s doubtful that New Jersey would expose Bennett after just trading for him at the NHL Draft last June. The easiest move for GM Ray Shero is probably to just bring in another body to expose via trade prior to March 1^st.

New York Rangers

The Rangers are going to lose a talented forward in the expansion draft, there’s no question about that. However, they would currently have to expose two top forwards instead of just one. New York has seven forwards who meet exposure criteria – Rick Nash, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, and Michael Grabner – and another player in obvious need of protection in RFA center Mika Zibanejad. The draft rules allow them to protect seven forwards, and given Nash’s no-movement clause, the odd man out is likely the 2016-17 rebound star Grabner. However, until another player becomes exposure-eligible or an eligible player is acquired, another Rangers’ impact forward would have to join Grabner and would be even more likely to be selected. Now, the fact that New York has seven forwards already lined up for protection actually helps them. They don’t have to consider whether or not they want to expose other impending restricted free agents, because they don’t have that option. They probably have already come to grips with the fact that they will likely lose Grabner. Thus, the extension and subsequent exposure of Jesper Fast, Brandon Pirri, Oscar Lindberg, or possibly even Matt Puempel would satisfy the two-forward criteria. However, the other route that remains is to acquire an a qualifying forward and save RFA negotiations for the summer.

Ottawa Senators

The streaking Senators are in the midst of a surprising playoff-caliber season, but may need to turn some attention to Expansion Draft preparation before it’s too late, because they have a few different issues to consider. Recent reports have indicated that Ottawa may ask Dion Phaneuf to waive his no-movement clause so that they can protect Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci, and Marc Methot along with seven forwards. Another newsworthy rumor has been that the Senators may leave struggling star Bobby Ryan and his $7MM yearly cap hit exposed in the draft. If Ottawa cannot get Phaneuf to waive his clause and choose instead to protect all four defensemen, then their expansion problem with forwards is beyond help; they will lose a talented scorer whether they expose Ryan or not. That seems highly unlikely though, so assume for now that Phaneuf agrees or the Sens expose Methot. Unfortunately, they are still not out of the weeds, with or without Ryan. The Senators have six forwards who qualify for exposure by having years remain on their contracts and playing 40 games this year or 70 over the past two: Ryan, Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, Derick Brassard, Kyle Turris, and Zack Smith. Stone, Hoffman, and Turris lead the team in goal-scoring, while Brassard is recently-acquired and Smith is fresh off a contract extension. Ottawa has no interest in losing any of those five, and the Ryan rumor would mostly serve to open up another spot to add both RFA’s Ryan Dzingel and Curtis Lazar to the protected list. However, just exposing Ryan wouldn’t be enough; the Senators need another qualifying forward to meet the two-player quota. Should they trade Lazar, which has been talked about, and decide to keep Ryan, then Ottawa will need two qualifying forwards. The Senators are quietly facing quite the conundrum. Luckily, their recent move to bring in Tommy Wingels from the San Jose Sharks could help them solve their problems. Ottawa will likely want to steer away from extensions for ineffective veterans Chris Neil and Chris Kelly, but if they can re-sign Wingels and Jean-Gabriel Pageau prior to the Expansion Draft, then they will cover their bases. Two new extensions during trade deadline season, the stretch run, and the postseason is somewhat of a daunting task for the Sens though, who may choose to bring in one or two qualifying forwards via trade instead.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Despite the immense number of Leafs forwards in their first or second pro seasons, the team’s expansion problems are not all that bad. In fact, their controversy comes down to one player: Leo Komarov. Toronto can comfortably protect centerpieces Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk from exposure, and probably don’t have to worry about the massive Matt Martin contract being scooped up by Vegas either. However, the only other Toronto player who meets the 40/70 rule and has remaining term is Komarov. If the Leafs had to make a tough call, Komarov just turned 30 and is having a down year, so the loss wouldn’t be huge. They shouldn’t have to make that call though. There is more than enough room for Kadri, Bozak, van Riemsdyk, Komarov, Connor Brown, and even two more on the protected list. Nearly a 20-goal scorer last year and reportedly a great mentor for some of the Leafs’ young stars, Komarov has earned his spot in Toronto and the team likely wants to keep him around. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy extension fix. Brooks Laich and, if he plays seven more games, Ben Smith present the only players who could meet qualification if they were to re-sign and Laich has been buried in the minors all season while Smith has just three points in 29 games. Of every team in trouble with balancing their forwards for the Expansion Draft, Toronto seems the most likely to go out and get a forward to expose via trade if they want to protect Komarov.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals are in nearly an identical situation to the Dallas Stars. Qualifiers Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Marcus Johansson, and Tom Wilson are safe, as are impending restricted free agents Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. However, there is one spot left on the protected list, but the number of unrestricted free agents on the team make it that Lars Eller and Jay Beagle are the only other forwards who can cover the two 40/70 exposure slots. The team faces a chance of losing one, but they shouldn’t have to offer up both. Eller is in his first year in Washington and it cost two second-round picks to get him, while Beagle is a career Cap and a face-off dynamo. The Capitals likely know which one they would prefer to keep, but will need to make a move to protect him. Expensive extensions for T.J. Oshie or Justin Williams just to then let Vegas take them doesn’t make any sense, but that strategy may work for veteran Daniel Winnik. Also, the team would probably like to bring back 24-year-old sniper Brett Connolly, but he likely doesn’t make the extension short list. They might look to re-sign him to meet the quota in hopes that the Knights take goaltender Philipp Grubauer instead as has been rumored.

1 comment Chicago Blackhawks Dallas Stars Expansion Jim Nill New Jersey Devils New York Rangers Ottawa Senators RFA Ray Shero Stan Bowman Toronto Maple Leafs Transactions Vegas Golden Knights Washington Capitals Adam Cracknell Ales Hemsky Alex Ovechkin Andre Burakovsky Andrew Desjardins Artem Anisimov Beau Bennett Ben Smith Bobby Ryan Brandon Pirri Brett Connolly Brooks Laich Chris Kreider Chris Neil Cody Ceci Cody Eakin Curtis Lazar Daniel Winnik Derick Brassard Dion Phaneuf Erik Karlsson Evgeny Kuznetsov J.T. Miller Jacob Josefson James van Riemsdyk Jamie Benn Jason Spezza Jiri Hudler Jonathan Toews Jordin Tootoo Kevin Hayes Kyle Palmieri Lars Eller Lauri Korpikoski Marc Methot Marcus Johansson Marcus Kruger Marian Hossa Mark Stone Matt Puempel Michael Grabner Mika Zibanejad Mike Cammalleri Mike Hoffman Nazem Kadri Nicklas Backstrom Oscar Lindberg Patrick Kane Patrick Sharp Ryan Hartman Trade Deadline Previews

How Will The Expansion Draft Impact Canadian Teams?

By natebrown | at November 24, 2016 8:00 pm

Continuing our look at different expansion draft angles, CBC’s Amy Cleveland examines how the draft will affect the seven teams in Canada. Laying out the rules for the draft, Cleveland looks further and prognosticates who she sees as “potentially protected” versus those players who would be “intriguing” in being exposed. She further writes that all seven Canadian teams will be able to protect the bulk of their important players. The Flames sit prettiest without any non-movement clauses in contracts while the Leafs and Senators have only one player with an NMC (Nathan Horton, and Dion Phaneuf respectively).

Below are Cleveland’s picks for each team. Going to CBC’s page with the story includes in depth reasoning behind each of Cleveland’s choices.

Calgary Flames
NMC protected players: None.

Potentially protected:

Forwards Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Troy Brouwer, Michael Frolik, Mikael Backlund, Sam Bennett, Micheal Ferland
Defencemen Dougie Hamilton, T.J. Brodie, Mark Giordano
Goalie Chad Johnson

Intriguing exposed:

Matt Stajan (F), Lance Bouma (F), Brett Kulak (D)

Edmonton Oilers
NMC protected players: Milan Lucic (F), Andrej Sekera (D), Cam Talbot (G)

Potentially protected:

Forwards: Lucic, Leon Draisaitl, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Patrick Maroon, Tyler Pitlick, Zack Kassian
Defencemen: Sekera, Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson
Goalie: Talbot

Intriguing exposed:

Benoit Pouliot (F), Mark Letestu (F)

Montreal Canadiens
NMC protected players: Carey Price (G), Jeff Petry (D)

Potentially protected:

Forwards Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher, Alexander Radulov, Max Pacioretty, Paul Byron, Andrew Shaw, Phillip Danault
Defencemen Petry, Shea Weber, Nathan Beaulieu
Goalie: Price

Intriguing exposed:

Tomas Plekanec (F), Jacob De la Rose (F- RFA), Alexei Emelin (D), Greg Pateryn (D)

Ottawa Senators
NMC protected players: Dion Phaneuf (D)

Potentially protected:

Forwards: Kyle Turris, Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Derick Brassard, Ryan Dzingel, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Curtis Lazar
Defencemen: Phaneuf, Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci
Goalie: Craig Anderson

Intriguing exposed:

Bobby Ryan (F), Marc Methot (D)

Toronto Maple Leafs
NMC protected players: Nathan Horton (F)

Potentially protected:

Forwards Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Leo Komarov, Matt Martin, Connor Brown
Defencemen Morgan Rielly, Jake Gardiner, Connor Carrick
Goalie Frederik Andersen

Vancouver Canucks
NMC protected players: Loui Eriksson (F), Daniel Sedin (F), Henrik Sedin (F)

Potentially protected:

Forwards: Eriksson, Sedin twins, Brandon Sutter, Bo Horvat, Markus Granlund, Jannik Hansen
Defencemen Alexander Edler, Christopher Tanev, Erik Gudbranson
Goalie Jacob Markstrom

Intriguing exposed:

Sven Baertschi (F), Derek Dorsett (F), Luca Sbisa (D)

Winnipeg Jets
NMC protected players: Dustin Byfuglien (D), Toby Enstrom (D)

Potentially protected:

Forwards: Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little, Adam Lowry
Defencemen: Byfuglien, Enstrom, Tyler Myers, Jacob Trouba
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck

Intriguing exposed:

Mathieu Perreault (F), Marko Dano (F), Mark Stuart (D)

8 comments Calgary Flames Edmonton Oilers Expansion Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Players RFA Toronto Maple Leafs Uncategorized Vancouver Canucks Winnipeg Jets Adam Larsson Alexander Radulov Andrew Shaw Benoit Pouliot Blake Wheeler Bo Horvat Bobby Ryan Bryan Little Cam Talbot Carey Price Chad Johnson Cody Ceci Connor Hellebuyck Craig Anderson Curtis Lazar Daniel Sedin Derek Dorsett Derick Brassard Dion Phaneuf Dougie Hamilton Dustin Byfuglien Erik Karlsson Frederik Andersen Henrik Sedin Jacob Trouba James van Riemsdyk Jannik Hansen Johnny Gaudreau Jordan Eberle Lance Bouma Loui Eriksson Mark Giordano Mark Stone Mathieu Perreault Max Pacioretty Mike Hoffman Milan Lucic Nathan Beaulieu Nathan Horton Nazem Kadri Oscar Klefbom Patrick Maroon Paul Byron

Week In Review: 8/22/16 – 8/28/16

By Glen Miller | at August 28, 2016 3:30 pm

With the World Cup of Hockey and NHL training camps both set to start next month, teams are actively trying to wrap up the last of their offseason business and finalizing their rosters. This week saw a couple of late unrestricted free agent signings that look to be bargains at first glance and a major trade completed by two of the league’s more analytically inclined organizations. We’ve got that and more in this installment of Week In Review.

Notable UFA Signings

Jiri Hudler (Dallas) – Hudler’s presence on the open market this late into the summer has been a bit of a mystery. He’s averaged at least 0.64 points-per-game in each of his last three seasons; a rate good enough to prorate into a 50-point campaign in a full schedule. With plenty of clubs looking to add scoring depth this summer it is somewhat surprising that it was the league’s most prolific offensive team that added Hudler on a one-year, $2MM deal. If Hudler remains healthy and in the lineup and reaches the 40-point mark, the deal will go down as a steal for Dallas.

Brandon Pirri (New York Rangers) – Pirri, like Hudler, has been a strong offensive player who surprisingly drew little interest this summer. Based on the last three seasons, Pirri places tied for 30th in goals-per-game averaging 0.33. But concerns about his defensive play may have limited his market. Ultimately the Rangers took a calculated risk and signed Pirri to a one-year pact worth $1.1MM.

Jhonas Enroth (Toronto Maple Leafs) – Toronto finalized their one-year agreement with the veteran backstop weeks after it was initially reported to be close. Enroth should provide a reliable backup to the newly-acquired Frederik Andersen at a great rate relative to other quality #2 goalies in the league.

Notable RFA Signings

Cody Ceci (Ottawa) – The Senators finally locked up RFA defenseman Cody Ceci, signing the three-year veteran to a two-year bridge deal with an AAV of $2.8MM. He will earn $2.25MM in 2016-17 and $3.35MM in year two of the agreement. Ceci tallied a career-high 10 goals and 26 points this past season and believes he has more to offer, particularly on the power play.

Notable ELC Signings

Max Jones (Anaheim) – The Ducks agreed to terms with Jones on an ELC that will pay the 24th overall selection in June $925K at the NHL level and $70K while suiting up in the AHL. As noted, the agreement does not contain any performance bonuses; a relative rarity for first-round picks.

Trades

The Arizona Coyotes continued to convert available cap space into young talent by agreeing to take on the remaining three years and $16.5MM of Dave Bolland‘s contract while also adding Florida’s first-round pick in the 2015 draft, Lawson Crouse, in the transaction. In return, the Panthers acquired a conditional second in 2018 and a 2017 third-round choice.

Bolland is unlikely to suit up for Arizona this year and his injuries could actually spell the end of the road for the veteran forward. Consequently, the Coyotes will inevitably place Bolland on LTIR, subtracting his cap hit from their books. Meanwhile, since the contract is insured, the Coyotes will only have to pay Bolland $1.1MM in actual cash this season.

Opinions are mixed on Crouse’s potential with some thinking he profiles only as a bottom-six player who acquiring is not worth also absorbing Bolland’s deal. Others think he has top-six, power forward potential. Count Coyotes GM John Chayka among the latter as he feels players who share Crouse’s skill set are “rare to find, difficult to obtain.”

Florida, meanwhile, gains salary relief which can be reinvested in the 2016-17 product and two draft picks to help add to the team’s diminishing prospect pool.

PTOs

Rene Bourque – Bourque has been invited to attend camp with Colorado.

Brandon Prust – After a down year in Vancouver, Prust looks to latch on with the Leafs as a 4th liner who adds toughness.

Jeff Glass – With Toronto’s expected starter and backup, Frederik Andersen and Jhonas Enroth respectively, participating in the World Cup, Toronto decided to add a body to the training camp roster. Theoretically, Glass could earn a job somewhere in the Maple Leafs organization with a solid training cap performance.

Paul Bissonette – Bissonette will attempt to earn a job with the Kings but seems most likely destined for their AHL affiliate in Ontario, California.

0 comments AHL Anaheim Ducks Florida Panthers John Chayka Los Angeles Kings New York Rangers Ottawa Senators Players RFA Toronto Maple Leafs Utah Mammoth Brandon Pirri Cody Ceci Dave Bolland Jhonas Enroth Jiri Hudler Lawson Crouse Week In Review World Cup

Potential 2016-17 Impact Rookies: McCarron, Chabot, Matthews, Nylander

By Glen Miller | at August 26, 2016 4:02 pm

Continuing on with Pro Hockey Rumors 2016-17 rookie profiles, we remain in the Atlantic Division. Included among today’s batch of first-year players is the most recent #1 overall draft choice, Auston Matthews. You can find the previous editions here, here and here.

Michael McCarron (Montreal) – A quick look at Montreal’s depth chart shows the Canadiens could surely use some size up front and McCarron is someone who boasts that trait in spades. At 6-foot-6 and 231 pounds. McCarron would easily be the largest forward on the ice for Montreal by a wide margin. But size isn’t the only quality he brings to the table; McCarron can also add some offense.

In his first taste of professional hockey, McCarron recorded 17 goals and 38 points for the St. John’s IceCaps in the AHL. That’s solid production for a first-year pro who played most of the season at 20-years-old.

McCarron would also get his first taste of the NHL playing 20 games with the Canadiens and scoring his first career big league goal. He also had a -10 plus-minus rating and although plus-minus ratings aren’t necessarily a good indicator of two-way prowess, it does suggest McCarron could use more polishing in the AHL. However, if he does get his chance in Montreal thi year, McCarron should at least add physicality and skill to the team’s bottom-six.

Thomas Chabot (Ottawa) – The Ottawa Senators used their first-round pick in 2015 on skilled, two-way defenseman Thomas Chabot and there is a decent chance he debuts this season in Canada’s capital. Scouting reports credit Chabot for being quick-thinking and an excellent skater; both traits that will fit well into today’s style of play in the NHL. But if Chabot wants to make an impact in the NHL he’ll have to ramp up the intensity.

Ottawa assistant GM Randy Lee felt Chabot’s performance at the team’s summer development camp was not up to par and evidently communicated that to the top prospect, as written about by Ken Warren of the Ottawa Sun.

“I thought Thomas should have been a bit more intense, I thought Thomas should have dominated. I think Thomas should look at the landscape and see we’ve got six signed defencemen (to NHL contracts) … Thomas and I have talked about it.”

Clearly the Ottawa organization has high expectations for Chabot and will give him every chance to make the team this season. The Senators do have six NHL-caliber blue liners under contract, all of whom with significant professional experience. Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci, Marc Mathot and Dion Phaneuf should hold down spots in the club’s top-four with Mark Borowiecki and Chris Wideman forming the third pair. Of the group, Wideman has the least amount of NHL experience with just 64 games played. However he does have nearly three seasons of AHL experience under his belt as well. Chabot will have his work cut out for him if he wants to suit up for the Senators this season.

Auston Matthews (Toronto) – Matthews, the first overall choice in the June’s entry draft, will be an early favorite for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. He is considered a future face-of-the-franchise player and while maybe not quite on the same level with Connor McDavid, last year’s top pick, in terms of being a “generational” talent, Matthews is still an exciting prospect.

Matthews already demonstrates excellent two-way ability and at 6-foot-2, 216 pounds has the requisite size to handle the rigors of a long NHL season. Additionally, his experience playing professionally against full-grown men in Switzerland should help facilitate his transition to the NHL. The Leafs have lacked a truly elite center since Mats Sundin left the club following the 2007-2008 campaign but all signs point to Matthews quickly filling that void.

William Nylander (Toronto) – The Maple Leafs have done an excellent job of adding high-end young talent to the organization in recent years and Nylander is part of the wave of top prospects preparing to lead Toronto to the top of the standings. Nylander reached the NHL last season and held his own in 22 games scoring six goals and 13 points while averaging 16:20 of ice time per contest.

Nylander also excelled playing for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, tallying 18 goals and 45 points in 45 regular season games. In the postseason he added seven goals in 14 contests for the Marlies. It’s expected he’ll have a spot to lose in the Leafs’ top-four to open the season and has the skill to be one of the club’s top offensive producers.

Hockey apparently runs in the Nylander family blood as William’s father Michael carved out a solid NHL career playing for seven NHL clubs over a 15-year career. Alexander Nylander, William’s brother, was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 2016 entry draft.

0 comments AHL Buffalo Sabres Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Players Toronto Maple Leafs Uncategorized Alexander Nylander Auston Matthews Cody Ceci Connor McDavid Dion Phaneuf Erik Karlsson

Atlantic Notes: Luongo, Panthers, Ceci

By Brian La Rose | at August 25, 2016 8:30 pm

Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from offseason hip surgery and hopes to be ready for opening night, he told George Richards of the Miami Herald. Luongo underwent the operation back in May and was expected to miss the first month of the season, which played a role in their June trade for Reto Berra (and to a lesser degree, the signing of James Reimer). The 37 year old had the following to say about his rehab:

“I’m not 100 percent; it’s a five month rehab. But I’m feeling better than I thought I would. I thought it would be a slower progression, especially on the ice. It has gone fairly quickly and I’m happy about that. If the season were to start tomorrow, I probably wouldn’t be able to go. But I feel good where I’m at and I’m excited about it.”

Luongo noted that he was dealing with periodic groin pain throughout the season but didn’t think much of it as it would go away before too long. He tore his labrum in early March but was able to finish out the year and play in Florida’s playoff first round loss to the Islanders.

In the article, Richards also reports that Reimer is expected to play more than former backup Al Montoya (who signed with Montreal last month). Montoya saw action in 25 games last year, a mark that Reimer has surpassed in each of his six NHL seasons.

Ottawa Senators Sign Cody Ceci To Two-Year Deal

By Gavin Lee | at August 23, 2016 1:34 pm

After negotiating for most of the summer, the Ottawa Senators have reached an agreement with restricted free agent defenseman Cody Ceci on a new two-year contract. The deal is worth $5.6MM in total, giving Ceci a $2.8MM cap-hit.

Ceci, 22, hit RFA status for the first time in his career after putting up back to back impressive seasons. His 26 points in 2015-16 ranked him second among Senators’ defensemen (only trailing superstar Erik Karlsson) while skating with Patrick Wiercioch or Dion Phaneuf for most of the season. With Phaneuf signed long-term, expect Ceci to form a duo with the former Maple Leaf for years to come.

The deal is just for two years, as was reported months ago by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, and represents a bridge deal for the young defenseman. Still an RFA at the contract’s end, Ceci will try to prove that he deserves a big-money deal to buy out a number of his free agent years. The problem is, that he’ll almost assuredly never climb higher than the second pairing because he plays the same side as Karlsson. This may cause problems for the internal budget of the Senators down the road, with Phaneuf signed through 2020-21 at $7MM and Karlsson needing a new, even bigger deal after the 2018-19 season.

According to Garrioch, Ceci’s camp was looking for a six-year deal this time around, to lock up their client long-term with the club and buyout a few of his free agent years – the hesitation by the Senators is probably not due to a lack of trust in the player, but an uncertainty when it comes to their financial future. Owner Eugene Melnyk spoke at the end of the season about how important playoff revenues were to the team:

I’m looking at all of it, right across the board, nobody is safe when you have a year like we just did. The status quo would just get us there again next year and this team cannot survive not making the playoffs.

You can’t just throw money at these things. We all know other teams that would just throw money at things for decades and they’ve gotten nowhere. We need to do it a different way and I think we are.

However the picture shakes out down the line, for now the Senators have locked up an important part of their blueline for the immediate future. With Marc Methot, the top four is essentially written in pen going into camp, with Ceci sure to see some time on the second powerplay unit as well.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

0 comments Newsstand Ottawa Senators RFA Transactions Cody Ceci Dion Phaneuf Erik Karlsson Patrick Wiercioch

Senators Notes: Ceci, Defense, Brassard

By Brian La Rose | at August 13, 2016 10:00 am

Defenseman Cody Ceci is Ottawa’s final remaining restricted free agent but new GM Pierre Dorion expects to get a deal done within the next few weeks. Dorion and Ceci’s agent J.P. Barry have been in contact regularly, as most recently as Thursday when both sides exchanged e-mails, according to TSN’s Ian Mendes.

Part of the delay in getting a deal done is the large variety of terms that are being discussed. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that Ceci is seeking a six year deal that would carry a cap hit in the $4MM range while the Sens prefer a two year bridge contract between $2.8MM and $3MM per season. The salary cap won’t be a factor in getting a new deal done as Ottawa has just shy of $8.8MM in cap space according to Cap Friendly.

In a discussion with local media on Friday, Dorion had the following to say regarding the term of a potential new deal:

“We’ve talked multiple years and situations, whether it’s one up to six (years). Those are all things we are still looking at. But we’re keying on a certain number of years and we’ll see what happens from there.”

Ceci is coming off of the best season of his young career; he recorded 26 points in 75 games while averaging a career high 19:18 per game in ice time. It’s expected that he’ll start next season alongside veteran Dion Phaneuf on Ottawa’s second pairing.

[Related: Senators’ Depth Chart]

More news and notes regarding the Senators:

Dorion stated that the team is currently attempting to add another veteran defenseman to bolster their NHL depth. He has reportedly been in contact with several free agents as well as some teams who may have some excess at that position. Another potential alternative would be to wait until training camp and see who hits the waiver wire as there are often NHL-caliber depth blueliners exposed by other teams.
In a separate piece from Garrioch, Dorion also spoke on Friday about Derick Brassard, who was acquired by Ottawa last month in a package involving Mika Zibanejad. He noted that he got the ball rolling on that trade in one of his first days as GM and that the deal was close at the draft but the asking price was still a bit higher for Ottawa’s liking at that time. Many believe that the Senators could lose the deal long-term but Dorion felt that getting Brassard makes them a much better team now which was important as he believes the team can win in the short-term. The GM also said that another key element to the deal was the fact that Brassard is a left-shooting center, something the team had been seeking for a while. Brassard is expected to begin next season alongside Bobby Ryan on Ottawa’s second line.

0 comments Ottawa Senators Cody Ceci Derick Brassard

Atlantic Notes: Kulikov, Kampfer, Ceci, Zetterberg

By Brian La Rose | at August 12, 2016 10:00 am

Former Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov said he was ‘surprised’ that he was dealt to Buffalo at the draft, writes George Richards of the Miami Herald. Kulikov knew there was a chance he could be moved but hadn’t heard that the Sabres were one of the teams that was interested in him. Kulikov told Richards that he was excited for the move and also noted that there were times in the past he wanted to be traded:

“I’m excited to change the scenery a little bit, go on to a new team. It felt right for some reason. After being here so many years … There were times I wanted Florida to trade me, then we drafted some good players and the team started to turn around and it was fun, so, at that point, I wanted to stay. But when the trade came, it felt like a good opportunity for me to step up my game.”

Kulikov is entering the final year of a three year, $13MM contract he signed back in the 2014 offseason and will undoubtedly be pushing to improve upon a one goal, 16 assist effort from last year. He’s likely to start next season in a top four role with the Sabres.

Other tidbits from the Atlantic Division:

Also from Richards’ column, Panthers blueliner Steven Kampfer is fully recovered from offseason knee surgery. Kampfer noted he had been playing through pain since December and is now pain free. Kampfer will likely be in a heated battle for a roster spot at training camp as Florida has nine defensemen that could conceivably make a push for a space on the opening night roster.
Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that talks continue between the Senators and RFA defender Cody Ceci and that they are looking at two and six year deals (Twitter links). Ceci had a career high 10 goals and 26 points in 75 games with Ottawa while averaging 19:18 per game.
NHL.com reports that Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg has been named captain of Sweden’s entry into next month’s World Cup of Hockey. It will be Zetterberg’s 13th appearance internationally for his home country. As their depth chart currently stands, he will likely be in a battle for a middle six spot in Sweden’s lineup.

0 comments Cody Ceci Dmitry Kulikov Henrik Zetterberg Steven Kampfer

Atlantic Notes: Kane, Ceci, Leafs

By Gavin Lee | at July 27, 2016 2:44 pm

After turning himself in for arrest on July 22nd, Evander Kane was charged with four counts of non-criminal harassment and one count of criminal trespass which, according to Kane’s attorney Paul Cambria, he plans to plead not guilty to. Now, police documents acquired by WKBW Buffalo show (via Deadspin) sworn statements from multiple women and the bouncer at the club which the incident occurred.

“He grabbed my hair. He pulled it so hard he pulled my whole head. It hurt a lot.” claims one of the women, who also says Kane tried to force her to kiss his hand. Another woman claims that this is “how he always treats women. Aggressive and disrespectful.”

Immediately after news of the incident broke, trade speculation surrounding the former fourth-overall pick heated up, with many believing that his hometown of Vancouver would be a natural destination as they look to rebuild their club. Canucks’ beat writer Jason Botchford (The Province) fanned the flames today when he told TSN 1040 “there is no doubt about it. The Vancouver Canucks are going to be in on Evander Kane. Ownership loves Kane. Jim Benning really likes Kane. Trevor (Linden) is maybe a little ambivalent, but he can be won over.” Kane has two seasons remaining at $5.25MM, and scored just 35 points last season.

The Ottawa Senators addressed one problem today when they re-signed RFA Mike Hoffman to a four-year deal, and will now turn their attention to defenseman Cody Ceci. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports what many have thought, that Ceci is amiably working towards a deal with the Sens and will work something out before camp starts. Garrioch goes on to report that the sides are working on a two-year deal at the moment, though obviously anything can change before ink goes to paper. Ceci scored a career-high 10 goals last season and is a big part of the Senators’ top four.
Martin Marincin represents the Toronto Maple Leafs’ last remaining arbitration case after re-signing Peter Holland and Frankie Corrado on Monday. While Marincin offers some intrigue to Leaf fans because of his improved play last year as Morgan Rielly‘s partner, there is more to his signing than meets the eye. Three days after Marincin signs (or has the arbitration dispute resolved at his August 2nd hearing), the Leafs will be awarded a second buyout window which they could use to free up some more cap space. With Jared Cowen having filed a grievance over the attempted buyout from the first window (he maintains that he’s still rehabbing an injury sustained during the season, which would make him exempt from any buyout), the team may be waiting until it’s resolved in order to use the second buyout to terminate his contract. Joffrey Lupul, Milan Michalek, Colin Greening and Brooks Laich all remain as other possible options for the second buyout window, should the Maple Leafs choose to use it.

0 comments Arbitration Calgary Flames Injury Ottawa Senators RFA Toronto Maple Leafs Vancouver Canucks Cody Ceci Evander Kane Frankie Corrado Jared Cowen Mike Hoffman Peter Holland

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