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Colin White

Snapshots: Kane, White, Red Wings

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With the Blackhawks clearly embarking on a large-scale rebuild, there has been an expectation that long-time star winger Patrick Kane will be on the move.  However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (audio link) that the veteran isn’t interested in being traded this offseason.  Instead, if a deal is going to happen, it will come closer to the trade deadline.  From a cap standpoint, that would be more palatable for contending teams when three-quarters of his $10.5MM will be paid off.  Kane has full control over where he moves but it appears that move won’t be coming for a while yet.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Panthers center Colin White told Ian Mendes of The Athletic (subscription link) that his preference this summer was to sign a one-year contract over pursuing a multi-year agreement on the open market. Some had speculated he’d follow long-time agent Kent Hughes to Montreal and while White mentioned he gave some consideration to doing so, he decided that it was more important to go to a winning team.  While White is coming off a pair of injury-plagued seasons, the 25-year-old could be an upside signing for Florida on his one-year, $1.2MM deal.
  • While extension talks between the Red Wings and Dylan Larkin clearly haven’t resulted in a new deal yet, MLive’s Ansar Khan believes an agreement, whenever it does get reached, should give the Michigan native maximum term and an AAV in the $8MM range. The 26-year-old isn’t the prototypical number one center from an offensive standpoint as he has never reached the point-per-game mark but he has logged more than 20 minutes a game on average over the past five seasons.  If a deal does get done in that price range, it would represent a roughly $2MM increase on what Larkin is making now.
  • Robert Mastrosimone’s decision to leave Boston University for Arizona State University raised some eyebrows but Khan notes in a separate column that the Red Wings were on board with the idea of him transferring. The 21-year-old was a second-round pick in 2019 (52nd overall) and was coming off a good season with the Terriers that saw him put up 25 points in 34 games but he should have an opportunity for a bigger role with the Sun Devils next season in the hopes that a good showing will give him an entry-level deal.

Florida Panthers To Sign Colin White

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After getting bought out by the Ottawa Senators, free agent forward Colin White is headed to the Florida Panthers on a one-year, $1.2MM deal per TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. White is able to sign this deal with the Panthers thanks to him being recently bought out of his long-term contract by the Ottawa Senators.

This signing is an opportunity for both White and the Panthers. For White, he gets to join the reigning President’s Trophy-winning team, a club that had one of the most lethal attacks in recent NHL history. The Panthers score goals in bunches, and the hope for White is that he can be a part of that. Success in Florida has made other players significant amounts of money, as it has done for Mason Marchment today, so White signs this one-year deal likely with the hope that he can have a productive season and re-enter the market on stronger footing next summer.

For the Panthers, they get someone who was only a few years ago seen as a core piece of the Senators for a cheap price. At $1.2MM, White should help the team’s bottom-six and be able to fill in as a center if there are any injuries, if he’s not occupying the fourth-line center slot already. The Panthers are the team that gives White the best chance of rediscovering the form that saw him post 41 points in 71 games in 2018-19.

At a $1.2MM cost, getting a 25-year-old free agent with the resume that White has is a shrewd addition for Panthers GM Bill Zito, a manager under a ton of pressure to improve after a disappointing playoff exit this spring.

Ottawa Senators To Buy Out Colin White

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July 6: White has cleared waivers, meaning the Senators can now exercise the buyout.

July 5: The Ottawa Senators have placed Colin White on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout, ending his time with the team. Because White is still just 25, the Senators will be on the hook for just one-third of the salary remaining on his contract. It will result in the following cap charges:

  • 2022-23: $875K
  • 2023-24: $875K
  • 2024-25: $-$625K*
  • 2025-26: $875K
  • 2026-27: $875K
  • 2027-28: $875K

*Because of the way the contract is structured, the team will actually receive a cap credit in the 2024-25 season.

White had three years remaining on the six-year, $28.5MM deal he signed in 2019 after his first full season in the NHL. When he scored 41 points that year, it appeared as though he was going to be a long-term option in the top-six, potentially even as a future first-line center for the team. Things were never the same after that, with just 51 points in the 130 games since, and plenty of time on injured reserve.

Once the buyout goes through tomorrow, the 2015 first-round pick will sit with more than 220 games of NHL experience and no team, meaning he could be a nice buy-low candidate for a contender looking to add skill around the margins. White has put up strong possession numbers his entire career, though that usually hasn’t resulted in actual offensive success. He also has almost no playoff experience, playing in just one postseason game during the team’s 2017 run.

For the Senators, who operate on an internal budget, a move like this represents savings of $10.5MM in actual salary. The cap change isn’t really all that meaningful for this year, though the Senators could very well be pushing up close to the cap ceiling in the next few years if players like Alex Formenton, Joshua Norris, and Tim Stutzle all sign long-term deals as restricted free agents.

Clearing White’s money off the books not only allows the team to spend more on their other young forwards but also opens up a roster spot for some of their prospects to battle over. It had become very clear that White had played his way out of the team’s long-term plans, meaning a split now was the obvious choice. Had they waited until next year, when he will be 26, they would have had to pay two-thirds of the remaining salary instead.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Offseason Notes: Chychrun, White, Dallas

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It’s been a while since we’ve heard Jakob Chychrun’s name atop trade rumors, especially when considering how he was viewed as one of the hottest commodities ahead of the Trade Deadline. It’s not often an under-25 defenseman with top-pairing pedigree becomes available, but the Arizona Coyotes decided not to move him just yet. That could change, however, as the Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reports that the Blue Jackets and Coyotes are talking about a deal. While he couldn’t offer Chychrun’s name specifically, he also reminds that Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has said that the team could move their 12th overall pick at the 2022 draft in exchange for a young NHL player with term.

Chychrun certainly fits that bill, signed at just $4.6MM through 2025. It also matches up with the rumblings that Columbus is looking to add aggressively on defense, as multiple reports suggested they were in discussions with the Tampa Bay Lightning about landing Ryan McDonagh. If Arizona acquired the 12th overall selection, it would give them a jaw-dropping four first-round picks in addition to their five second-round picks.

  • There’s significant interest in soon-to-be free agent Colin White after he was placed on waivers for the purpose of a buyout today by the Ottawa Senators. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that up to 14 NHL teams have shown interest in White over the past few months, which could lead to a significant bidding war for his services once free agency opens. TSN’s Darren Dreger specifically names the Montreal Canadiens as a team that could be a fit, as general manager Kent Hughes was his agent prior to getting hired in Montreal.
  • The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta says the Dallas Stars are looking to add a significant punch at forward this offseason, specifically to add a jump to a line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Dallas will reportedly be active on both the trade and free-agent markets, looking to be aggressive and squeeze out whatever this core has left in them to try and win a championship. Neither Benn nor Seguin, who are making above $9MM per season each, cracked the 50-point mark last year.

Offseason Notes: Flyers, Canadiens, Canucks, Coyotes

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When Johnny Gaudreau signed his six-year, $40.5MM contract with the Calgary Flames ahead of the 2016-17 season, talks immediately began swirling that when the contract expired in 2022, he’d return to his roots and sign with his hometown Philadelphia Flyers. Nearly six years later, those rumors are as prevalent as ever. However, in his latest 32 Thoughts article, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wonders if the most prudent path for the Flyers, given the uncertainty surrounding Ryan Ellis’ health, is to pursue several medium-sized pieces as opposed to one big one, believing those conversations have at least happened. Friedman adds that the Flyers are a team who generally tries to go big in their moves, noting that they have tested the market on many of their players and have made a real pitch for Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Alex DeBrincat, more than simply kicking the tires.

The comments and speculation from Friedman provide some new perspective on how the Flyers may choose to pursue this offseason given how their previous few seasons have played out. Philadelphia has made the postseason just once in the previous four seasons and has only made it out of the first round once since 2011-12, which featured a first round win over the Montreal Canadiens and a second-round loss to the New York Islanders in the bubble. Coming off the heels of a 61 point season that included trading franchise icon Claude Giroux, it would seem that the team might look to take a step back and rebuild, but whether the rumor is a big splash or several smaller pieces, it does not appear a rebuild is in the cards. With several quality players signed long-term, including Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, Cam Atkinson, Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen, and promising young goaltender Carter Hart, as well as Ellis, it would make sense why the organization may try to simply push forward.

More from Friedman’s 32 Thoughts:

  • One team who may move on from some of its core veterans is the Montreal Canadiens, who Friedman says have been testing the market on Christian Dvorak, Jeff Petry and perhaps Josh Anderson. He adds that some teams believe they are not looking to trade Jake Allen as they do want to try to be more competitive, so it’s unlikely they will strip away all of their assets. In fact, the team was interested in Ottawa Senators forward Colin White prior to the trade deadline, with Friedman believing those talks may materialize again, adding that Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes was White’s agent prior to Hughes joining Montreal’s front office. Once one of the game’s top prospects, White had a strong breakout campaign in 2018-19, putting up 41 points in 71 games, enough to earn him a six-year, $28.5MM contract. Unfortunately, the contract hasn’t worked out as hoped by either side, with White tallying just 51 points in 130 game since the start of the deal, now with three more years at $4.75MM per season left.
  • Moving out west, Friedman looks at the Vancouver Canucks in light of the Brock Boeser extension, believing the two sides having a deadline played a role in the deal. He adds that there should be a path to a Bo Horvat extension as well, but a J.T. Miller trade is still likely. Though an extension with Miller isn’t impossible, Friedman believes it’s too difficult and Vancouver will try to get more than what the Minnesota Wild received in exchange for Kevin Fiala: the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft and prospect Brock Faber. That package may not be hard to eclipse for a player like Miller, who has taken off since arriving in Vancouver, recording 217 points in 202 games. However, it’s worth noting that Fiala was an impending RFA while Miller has one more year at $5.25MM before becoming a UFA and is a little over three years older than Fiala.
  • Lastly, the Arizona Coyotes, who own picks 3, 27, and 32 in the first-round of this year’s draft are prepared to use “all available options” to try to acquire another high pick in the draft, says Friedman. By selecting third overall, Arizona is guaranteed one of Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky, or Logan Cooley, though it’s unlikely they will get to choose which. It’s unclear exactly how far up the organization would like to find an available pick, but with news that the Montreal Canadiens are seeking an additional top-10 pick, there could be some competition for one of the coveted draft picks. The Coyotes do have in addition to the 27th and 32nd overall selections, four second-round picks and a third, fifth, and seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, on top of plenty of prospect capital.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Ovechkin, Senators

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos leading the way. After racking up 13 points in four games Stamkos is now just three points away from cracking the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Already with a career-high of 60 assists, Stamkos has changed his game dramatically over the last few seasons and reinvigorated a Hall of Fame-level career that had been held back by injuries.

Second and third went to Kevin Fiala and Jonathan Quick, two players that have been questioned at times over the last few years. Fiala, 25, has finally found a level of consistency that matches his talent, and with 11 points in four games last week now has 84 on the season. In fact, Fiala is on a ten-game point streak and is really establishing himself as one of the most dynamic offensive players in the entire league, something that certainly will complicate matters in the offseason when he hits restricted free agency for the final time. Quick meanwhile was left for dead a few years ago when injuries struck and his numbers fell off a cliff, but the 36-year-old has battled admirably for the Kings this season. With a .909 save percentage, he still lags behind some of the league’s elite netminders but just ask some of his previous Western Conference opponents about how dominant he can be in the postseason.

  • Alex Ovechkin has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury after leaving last night’s game for the Washington Capitals but was present on the ice and in full uniform at the team photo today. With the Capitals still trying to chase down the Pittsburgh Penguins for a better playoff position, losing Ovechkin over the last few games of the season will obviously be a big blow. But with their inclusion in the postseason secure, resting him through the next week may be the more prudent option. Ovechkin, who will turn 37 before the start of next season, has 50 goals and 90 points in 77 games this year.
  • The Ottawa Senators had an exciting reinforcement at practice today as Shane Pinto joined the group, but he won’t actually play before the end of the season. Pinto hasn’t played since November, and totaled just five games on the season. It was more bad news when head coach D.J. Smith took the podium after practice, announcing that Colin White and Connor Brown are both not expected to play again this season. Brown is dealing with nagging injuries and his inclusion in the upcoming World Championship will be up to him and how he feels in the coming weeks. Brown finishes the disappointing year with ten goals and 39 points in 64 games.

Ottawa Senators Place Colin White In COVID-19 Protocol

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The Ottawa Senators announced that forward Colin White was placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol ahead of tonight’s game at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Defenseman Victor Mete will take his place in the lineup for tonight. It’s not immediately clear whether White tested positive or if he is in protocol for other related reasons.

The NHL has seen a vastly decreased number of players in COVID protocol in the past couple of months due to several factors, however White’s absence is a reminder that these protocols are still in place and can still creep up on teams when they don’t necessarily expect it. As of right now, White appears to be the only player affected for Ottawa, with no further announcements on other players or staff thus far.

White has been somewhat of a disappointment this year for Ottawa, with just 10 points in 24 games. The forward spent the majority of the season on IR, making his season debut on February 26th. Though his numbers are not too far off from his career averages, White signed a lucrative six-year, $28.5MM contract, carrying an AAV of $4.75MM, prior to the 2019-20 season. Despite the contract, White is still waiting for the true breakout season that Ottawa has seen from the likes of Joshua Norris, Brady Tkachuk, and Drake Batherson.

Snapshots: Bertuzzi, Larsson, Bergeron, White, Chara

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While Red Wings winger Tyler Bertuzzi has been in some trade speculation as of late, he told reporters including MLive’s Ansar Khan that his desire is to stay with Detroit, the team that drafted him back in the second round in 2013.  The 27-year-old has one year left on his deal with a $4.75MM AAV and will become an unrestricted free agent in the 2023 offseason.  He sits second on the team in scoring this season with 49 points in 51 games which means GM Steve Yzerman would be placing a very high price tag if a contender wants to take a run at adding Bertuzzi today.

Other news and notes around the league:

  • The Coyotes have made some progress on a trade involving center Johan Larsson, reports PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan (Twitter link). The 29-year-old has been out for nearly two months with a lower-body injury but is nearing a return. Larsson has 15 points in 29 games this season but has been a checker for most of his career which is the role contending teams would have in mind for him.  With a $1.4MM AAV, he’s someone several teams will be able to afford.
  • Boston is hoping that center Patrice Bergeron will be able to return from his arm injury for Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay, note Elaine Cavalieri and Eric Russo of the Bruins’ team site. The veteran will miss his third straight game tonight against Montreal and has 45 points in 56 games this season.
  • Senators center Colin White is someone that a couple of league executives believes in play, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The 25-year-old recently returned to the lineup after missing the first 50 games of the year with a shoulder injury.  He has six points in a dozen contests but with three years remaining on his deal with a $4.75MM AAV, it would be surprising to see him moved unless Ottawa is willing to take a similar-sized deal in return.
  • The Oilers are among the teams to check in on Islanders defenseman Zdeno Chara, Chris Johnston reports in his latest Toronto Star column. The 45-year-old is still averaging more than 18 minutes a night and with a base cap hit of just the league minimum of $750K, he’s someone that they should be able to afford with their limited cap space.  Chara also has another $750K in undisclosed performance bonuses which an acquiring team may become responsible for absorbing although that can roll over to next year’s cap if necessary.

Injury Updates: White, Sundqvist, Jokiharju, De Haan

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Senators center Colin White will return to the lineup tonight against Montreal, relays Ian Mendes of The Athletic (Twitter link).  The 25-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder at the end of training camp and has yet to play this season as a result.  Now three seasons removed from his 41-point campaign in 2018-19, White will likely spend time at both center and the wing as Ottawa looks to find what his ideal role for next season and beyond will be.

More injury news from around the NHL:

  • Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist suffered a lower-body injury in last night’s game against Buffalo, Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes. The good news for St. Louis is that head coach Craig Berube indicated that the injury isn’t related to the hip or knee that he had recent surgery done on.  Sundqvist has 15 points in 35 games this season – the highest point per game average of his career – and is set to be re-evaluated later today.
  • After missing last night’s game against St. Louis, Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s contest in Colorado, reports Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). The 22-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in Wednesday’s loss in Montreal.  The good news for Buffalo is that Jokiharju – who is logging more than 21 minutes a night – should be able to return early next week.
  • Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan missed last night’s game due to a right groin strain, the team announced (Twitter link). The veteran is in the final year of his contract and is a strong candidate to be moved between now and next month’s trade deadline as someone that can provide some shot blocking and physicality.

East Notes: Senators Centers, Forsberg, Tarasov

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The Senators have had some tough luck when it comes to their center situation this season as several players have been injured.  The latest was Josh Norris who is dealing with a shoulder injury.  GM Pierre Dorion told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that the youngster is currently getting a second opinion but for the time being, the hope is that he’ll be able to return within the next three to four weeks.  Norris leads all Ottawa players in goals with 18 in 36 games so far.

They may get Colin White back by then as well as Dorion indicated that they’re targeting February 26th as a target date for his return.  White has missed the entire season so far due to a dislocated shoulder suffered back in October.  The timeline for him to return was four to six months and it appears that, barring any setbacks, he’ll return in the middle of that window.  As for Shane Pinto, the youngster is expected to be re-assessed in mid-March to determine if he’ll be able to suit up at all down the stretch for the Senators or if his season has come to an end.

More from the East:

  • Also from Garrioch’s interview with Dorion, the GM wouldn’t commit to whether or not he plans to keep pending UFA goaltender Anton Forsberg past the trade deadline. The Senators have received interest in the 29-year-old but Dorion floated out the possibility that Ottawa keeps him past the deadline as a way to ensure that prospect Filip Gustavsson receives as much playing time as possible down the stretch with AHL Belleville to help prepare him to potentially serve as Ottawa’s backup goaltender next season.
  • Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov has resumed skating as he works his way back from a lower-body injury sustained more than a month ago, GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers (Twitter link). The team hopes to know more about his timeline for a return in about a week.  The 22-year-old has impressed in four appearances with Columbus this season with a .937 SV% and is the contender to be the full-time backup in 2022-23 so a chance to get in some more NHL work down the stretch would be ideal.

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