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Colin White

Senators Sign Colin White To Entry-Level Deal

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After offering an amateur tryout to Colin White, the Ottawa Senators have now inked the forward to a three-year, entry-level deal according to a tweet from the team.

White, who played for Boston College, was drafted by the Sens in 2015 with their 21st overall pick. The Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch writes that White will join the team and play against Detroit on Monday.

With Binghamton, White had a goal and two assists.

 

Morning Notes: Poolman, McAvoy, Hextall

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The other day, we reported that Winnipeg Jets prospect Tucker Poolman had suffered an injury that would keep him from signing his entry-level deal this season and getting into the Winnipeg lineup. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, that shoulder injury requires surgery and will keep him out four to six months, and he agrees that it may impact his decision to hit free agency this summer.

Poolman would become a free agent in August and able to sign with any NHL team, though McKenzie wonders if he’d choose to go back to school for another year and come out in 2018 with no restrictions on what kind of contract he could sign. Like Matt Read of the Philadelphia Flyers, who avoided an entry-level deal when he signed in 2011, Poolman could get a one-way deal worth much more than a standard ELC.

  • Charlie McAvoy is close to signing an amateur tryout with the Providence Bruins, but that doesn’t stop him from signing an entry-level deal this year if the Bruins feel they are desperate enough. As we discussed in the comments of the article yesterday, and confirmed by McKenzie in the video above, McAvoy would burn a year of his ELC if he should sign for this season despite being only 19. Because he turns 20 between September 16th and December 31st of this year, his contract wouldn’t slide even if he played fewer than 10 games. Like Colin White in Ottawa, this is still a possibility if the team feels as though they could help them win in the playoffs this season.
  • Ron Hextall will likely be the GM of Team Canada at the upcoming World Championships, provided Philadelphia doesn’t make the playoffs. The team is currently six points behind Boston for the final spot, but have several teams in between them. Expect former NHL goaltender Sean Burke to also be part of the management team after his involvement in Hockey Canada over the past several years.

Prospect Notes: White, Stevens, Keller

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Even though Colin White signed an amateur tryout yesterday with the Ottawa Senators, it doesn’t necessarily preclude him from signing his entry-level deal this year and playing for the team down the stretch. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that the front office will watch him play for Binghamton this week and continue negotiations.

For what it’s worth, Garrioch guesses that White will sign an ELC once the Senators have a playoff spot locked up. With the team currently eight points up on the ninth place team, it won’t take long. Should White sign his ELC for this year, he will burn a year regardless of how many games he plays.

  • The New York Islanders have signed John Stevens from Northeastern, inking the captain to a two-year entry-level deal. The son of the Los Angeles Kings’ associate head coach, Stevens scored 28 points in 25 games in his final year. A big defensive centerman, Stevens is a possible option for a bottom-six in the NHL down the road. While he doesn’t have the high-end offensive ceiling that some of his teammates have, his game will likely translate nicely to the professional ranks.
  • CapFriendly notes that newly signed Clayton Keller will earn a $25K bonus should he play five of the last seven games for the Arizona Coyotes. Despite not actually paying a ton of salary this season, the Coyotes are actually over the salary cap and are using long-term injured reserve space. This means Keller’s bonus would appear as a penalty for next season.

Senators Sign Colin White To Amateur Tryout Agreement

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The Ottawa Senators have inked center Colin White to an amateur contract agreement (ATO) for the remainder of the season, reports Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (Twitter link).  He will immediately report to their AHL affiliate in Binghamton.

White was the first round pick (21st overall) of the Sens back in 2015 and just finished his second season at the collegiate level with Boston College.  In 35 games this season, he had 16 goals and 17 assists to sit third in team scoring.  He also played a key role for the USA at the World Juniors, scoring seven goals in as many games to help lead them to the gold medal.

The Senators had been hoping White would turn pro for a while now but part of the holdup stemmed from discussion over whether or not he would burn the first year of his entry level contract this season or have the deal start in 2017-18.  Although there’s an agreement in place to join Binghamton now, it doesn’t preclude White signing and starting this season as this is only an AHL contract.  As a result, those talks will likely continue but at the very least, this will allow White to begin his professional career as early as Wednesday when they host Syracuse, the AHL affiliate of Tampa Bay.

College Notes: White, Vecchione, Foo, DeSimone

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The Senators are making progress in contract discussions with college center Colin White, his agent, Kent Hughes, told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link).  The 20 year old was Ottawa’s first round pick (21st overall) back in 2015 and recently finished his second season at Boston College.  It has been reported for a while that they would like White to turn pro although the disagreement stems from when the contract should start.

If White signs starting next season, he would only be eligible to play at the minor league level on an amateur tryout deal but the Sens would get the three full years on his entry level contract.  However, if they were to sign him to a deal that started right away, he’d be eligible to play down the stretch and in the postseason.  However, White would reach restricted free agency (and a bigger pay day) one year sooner, something the team didn’t seem to be too interested in as of a few days ago.

Other notes from the NCAA:

  • With Union College being eliminated from the NCAA tournament, center Mike Vecchione is expected to draw plenty of interest. Among the teams that are high on signing him are the Flyers who are among the contenders to land him, reports Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The 24 year old senior tied for the lead in NCAA scoring, recording 63 points (29-34-63) in just 38 games.  Vecchione has taken part in four different development camps over his career including ones with the Flyers and his hometown Bruins.  Carchidi notes that the forward is close to signing and that his goal is to play in the NHL this season, meaning that whoever signs him would have to burn the first year of his entry level deal right away.
  • Vecchione isn’t the only Union free agent that’s expected to generate interest. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that right winger Spencer Foo and defenseman Nick DeSimone will receive interest, including from several Canadian teams.  Foo finished just one point behind Vecchione while DeSimone set new career bests in goals (nine) and points (19).  Both players still have one year of college eligibility remaining so it’s not a guarantee that either will opt to turn pro.

Atlantic Notes: Soshnikov, Melnyk, White

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Maple Leafs fans will see Eric Fehr in action for the first time tonight when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets according to Kristen Shilton of TSN. The veteran forward will draw into the lineup for his first game since being acquired at the deadline from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Frank Corrado. He will be taking the place of Nikita Soshnikov, the young winger who was involved in multiple incidents in Monday’s game against the Boston Bruins.

Soshnikov first got under the skin of Bruins’ players and fans alike when he sent Patrice Bergeron into the boards head first with a crosscheck across the back, earning him just a two minute penalty (which Bergeron would match when he got up and went after the Leafs’ winger). Later in the game he took a hard hit from Zdeno Chara that seemed to rattle him, as he was seen rubbing his neck and skating unsteadily for the rest of the game. It was that unsteady nature that caused him to fall when Dominic Moore would collide with him in the dying minutes, giving the Maple Leafs a powerplay that ended up winning the game. There is no word on what the extent of the injury is for Soshnikov, but a concussion would not be out of the question.

Evening Notes: Tavares, Fowler, Elliott, Prospects

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TSN’s “Insider Trading” segment is always good for some tidbits of news, and the trio of Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun, and Bob McKenzie delivered earlier today. We’ve compiled some of their more notable remarks below:

  • If the two sides can’t come to an agreement prior to the beginning of July, Dreger wouldn’t be shocked if the Islanders consider trading star John Tavares. While fans may not like to hear it, the insider believes the organization would be smart to get something for the All-Star. Of course, he notes that an extension isn’t necessarily less likely than a trade.
  • Cam Fowler has one year left on his deal, and LeBrun says the Ducks have had talks with the 25-year-old camp’s regarding an extension. With so many talented defensemen in the organization and the impending expansion draft, LeBrun says Anaheim needs to make a decision on Fowler sooner than later.
  • If prospect Colin White signs an entry-level contract and plays even one game for the Senators this season, he’ll essentially “burn” the first year of the contract. Bob McKenzie says that organization is “absolutely adamant” that they won’t compromise this flexibility, which could end up being a sticking point between the two sides. The reporter notes that the Senators would prefer to sign White to an amateur tryout agreement and have him finish the season with Binghamton in the AHL.
  • On the flip side, the Canucks are willing to “burn” the first season of Brock Boeser’s entry-level contract. Curiously, Vancouver is out of the playoff picture, so there isn’t a clear incentive to wasting the flexibility.
  • Brian Elliott would like to stick with the Flames, but LeBrun notes that the organization doesn’t want any distractions right now. The team is interested in retaining the goaltender, but they’d prefer to delay negotiations until after the season.

Draft Pick Notes: White, Johansson, Radke, Mattsson

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Jeff Cox is reporting that the Ottawa Senators and prospect Colin White will be signing a contract within the next 24 hours, though still there is no indication whether it will be for this year or next. Recently we wrote about the choice the Senators and White have, between adding him for a playoff run and burning a year of his entry-level contract, or signing him to an amateur tryout and letting him get his feet wet in Binghamton before likely making the roster next season.

White has had another solid season at Boston College, and is widely expected to turn pro. The 21st-overall pick in 2015 has shown an ability to play in both ends of the rink, and could legitimately help a team that has had injury troubles over the past month. Since White is already 20 years old, he would not fall under any entry-level slide regardless of how many games he plays. If the contract is signed for this year to allow him to play in the NHL, he would burn a year.

  • Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports that Emil Johansson could join the Providence Bruins this weekend. Boston’s seventh-round pick in 2014 had a very good season for Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League, scoring 17 points in 49 games and generally playing more than 20 minutes a night on the team’s top pairing. If he does come over to North America he’ll be an interesting name for the Bruins to follow, to see if he can develop into a NHL-capable puck moving defenseman.
  • The Stockton Heat—Calgary’s AHL affiliate—have signed Adam Ollas-Mattsson to an ATO, bringing him over from Sweden where he had been playing with Johansson for Djurgardens. Not playing nearly as much, though still suiting up for 52 games, Ollas-Mattsson registered just four points this season. The sixth-round pick of the Flames in 2014, he possesses size and strength capable of playing against grown men and has shown it since he was 17 in the highest Swedish league.
  • Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that Roy Radke has signed an ATO with the Rockford IceHogs after his OHL season finished. The sixth-round pick of the Blackhawks had 36 points in 45 games this season for the Barrie Colts, and will try to prove he deserves an entry-level contract this summer. The 20-year old hasn’t developed into the power forward Chicago had hoped for, though obviously there is still quite a while before you can write him off.

Morning Notes: Giroux, White, Tkachuk

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If Philadelphia Flyers fans are wondering where this Claude Giroux has been all season—the captain has points in eight of his last eleven games—they might not be shocked to find out that he’s been playing injured. Marc Narducci of The Inquirer reports that despite telling media members that he was fully healthy prior to the start of the season, he has been anything but 100% this year. The hip that required surgery last spring has bothered him all year, restricting his ability to “try to make plays you used to make.”

Giroux only now is starting to feel like himself, and it’s showing on the score sheet. It might be coming just a little too late though, as the Flyers remain five points back of the Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot, despite having played one more game. There are just eleven contests left for Philadelphia, who sit 33-30-8 on the year.

  • Decision day is looming for the Ottawa Senators and prospect Colin White, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. The first-round pick from 2015 has just finished his sophomore season with Boston College, and is looking to go pro. As Garrioch writes, Ottawa doesn’t want to sign him to an entry-level deal for this season and burn a year over the last few weeks. They’d rather go the more common route of an amateur tryout for the rest of the year, and start his ELC in 2017-18. They’ll likely come to some sort of an agreement soon, as it doesn’t seem like either side is expecting him to head back to BC next season. The 20-year old center had 33 points in 35 games this season, actually a slight step back from his production as a freshman. He is as blue-chip a prospect as the Senators have (right alongside Thomas Chabot), and they will carefully consider their options before agreeing to anything.
  • The hockey world was in a buzz this morning over the elbow of Matthew Tkachuk, after the Flames’ rookie sent it hard into the face of Drew Doughty in last night’s game. Doughty would drop to the ice immediately, while no penalty was assessed on the play. Tkachuk will receive a hearing with the league and though he has no official history of supplementary discipline, players around the league have come to expect things like this from him. As Doughty told Jon Rosen of FOX Sports after the game, “he’s a pretty dirty player, that kid. To be a rookie and play like that is a little surprising.” 

Atlantic Division Notes: Sens, Franson, Panthers

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

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

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

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

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