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Colin White

The Oldest NHL Rosters, Looking Forward

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The average age of a team is a stat which gets thrown around rarely, but it can be quite telling when it comes to salary cap planning and drafting. The youngest teams tend to have exceptionally talented stars under the age of 25 (Oilers, Blue Jackets), or find themselves out of contention entirely, banking on the rebuilding process (Arizona, Colorado). At the opposite end of the spectrum are the most aged teams, some past their windows of contention and almost all struggling with an identity crisis. However, there are outliers in the group – for instance, Florida is the 5th oldest team at present, while most of the top talent is still in their primes. Still, the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, and Los Angeles Kings all have Father Time looming ominously above their franchises. All of these teams could re-structure themselves and find themselves back on the right track, if their drafting improves and their general managers cut loose harmful contracts while able.

Ottawa Senators

The most recently successful of the three, Ottawa fans likely aren’t expecting another Conference Finals finish. The team lost Marc Methot in expansion, and their largest move in the off-season was the signing of 35-year-old Johnny Oduya. With an average age of 29.73, they should be see the effects of age start to impact their performance. Although 36 year-old Craig Anderson was pivotal in their 2016-17 success, he has one year remaining on his contract and Marcus Hogberg will be looking for an opening in the mid-term future. If Anderson’s workload drastically increases, he could find difficulty in maintaining his above average numbers, and that could spell trouble. By re-signing the steady Mike Condon, however, they at least alleviated that concern.

The team had a chance to unload 30 year-old Bobby Ryan to Vegas, but opted against it. They’ll now have his contract on the books until he’s 35. 36 year-old Alex Burrows has two years remaining on his deal, while 32 year-old Clarke MacArthur has three. 32 year-old defenseman Dion Phaneuf has hard mileage on him with his physical style of play, and has four years remaining on his deal. Outside of Colin White, Cody Ceci, and Fredrik Claesson, everyone on the roster is over the age of 25. If Logan Brown pans out, he should go a long way in rejuvenating the forward corps. Filip Chlapik of Charlottestown is certainly no slouch either. On the defensive side, Thomas Chabot has the talent to make a significant impact, but there’s a logjam of older veterans in his way. While Ottawa obviously doesn’t need to entertain a full rebuild, they need to allow their prospects a chance to make the NHL squad and embrace a youth infusion. Signing the Oduyas of the world only prolongs that necessity.

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings have paid out far too much money to mediocre talent, and it has been death by a thousand papercuts for Ken Holland. The team now finds itself $3.9 MM over the salary ceiling, desperately trying to find a way to shed salary and slip under before year’s start while still signing RFA Andreas Athanasiou. This is another franchise who opted to go with an established veteran on the backend this summer, Trevor Daley (33), when the team was in desperate need of younger legs. The team finds itself second oldest league-wide, with an average age of 29.27. Part of the reason Detroit consistently finds itself among the oldest franchises in the league is that the organization places extreme value on fully maturing its prospects, usually in the AHL, before regularly dressing for the big club. This is a fine ideal, but it usually results in more expensive contracts for RFAs, as the totals posted by well-groomed players are usually superior to those of untested rookies. In the Salary Cap era, having productive players on ELCs is a huge contributor to success.

Henrik Zetterberg, 36, has four more years on his deal, and logs exceptionally taxing minutes. Johan Franzen, 37,  is already burning cap space, as his LTIR will be on the books for another 3 seasons. Once the year begins, its not a great issue, but it complicates matters in the off-season. Frans Nielsen, 33, is no spring chicken himself and also takes on greater responsibility in Detroit than he ever did in Long Island. With 5 years remaining on his deal, it begs the question of whether he will be performing at a Selke-caliber when he’s turning 38. Only Xavier Ouellet and Danny DeKeyser are under the age of 30 on defense, with Daley, Mike Green, Niklas Kronwall, and Jonathan Ericsson all having no-trade clauses. The Wings have some enticing prospects on the horizon, but with so many immovable and long-term contracts, it will be difficult for them to find places on the team in the short-term. Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha are both ready for larger roles, but true talents like Michael Rasmussen should get the opportunity to shine in a top-six role. Detroit is in no position to seriously compete, and perhaps it’s time to embrace the necessary partial rebuild. Trading some of the dead-weight contracts would be a solid start.

Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles is only a few years removed from a Stanley Cup win, but it seems like ages past. They have the third-oldest roster on paper at the moment, with an average age of 29.14. The Kings don’t actually have any players over the age of 35, so in that sense, they’ve avoided serious headaches. Marian Gaborik (35) and Mike Cammalleri (35) are the team’s greybeards, and while both had down seasons, they could each realistically rebound under new leadership. The problem for Los Angeles is that they don’t have any bonafide prospects pushing the issue. Adrian Kempe is the surest best to make the roster this year, as he could slot into a bottom-six role quite easily. Defenseman Paul LaDue should see his fair share of work this year as well. Beyond that, they’ll have no players playing on entry-level contracts. It’s simply unsustainable to draft in such a poor manner for so long, and Los Angeles is seeing the hurt now. If Jonny Brodzinski, a former 5th-rounder, could make the leap permanent, it would be a great help.

The Kings are over $6.8 MM under the cap ceiling, so unlike the Wings and Senators the franchise isn’t overly concerned about money. Dustin Brown’s contract is particularly egregious, but there’s not much to be done about it. Los Angeles can still turn things around, but they’ll need more recent draft picks to find a way to contribute going forward. Gabriel Viladri will head back to Windsor for the season, but he could inject a serious shot of youthful speed and creativity into the roster in 2018-19. There’s just not a ton of excitement when it comes to Kings prospects, and considering that Vilardi was the first first-round pick since 2014 (Kempe), it’s easy to see why. Still, Tanner Pearson (25) and Tyler Toffoli (25) should have more prominent offensive roles this year, while some older defensemen were abandoned, so management seems to be righting the ship.

Rookie Colin White Draws In For Senators In Game Six

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In a decisive Game 6 match-up of the Eastern Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Ottawa Senators have decided to go outside the box. Following an embarrassing 7-0 loss in Game 5, head coach Guy Boucher has made the call that the team needs a different look tonight, and that means rookie center Colin White will get the call. This is the third NHL game for white and, obviously, the first playoff game of his young career. Will he be a game-changer for the Senators?

White may be making his NHL postseason debut, but he’s actually played postseason hockey already this season. White signed his entry-level contract with Ottawa on April 2nd, after his NCAA season with Boston College came to an end. White, the 21st overall pick in 2015, was nearly a point-per-game player for BC this season, with 16 goals and 17 assists in 35 games, and helped to lead the Eagles to finals of the Hockey East conference tournament. However, White’s squad fell to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and without the automatic bid, did not have the resume to qualify for the NCAA tournament.

Since then, White has played in just five games – two scoreless outings with Ottawa and three games (with three points) for the AHL Binghamton Senators, who missed the playoffs – and he is now being called on to enter the Eastern Conference Final cold and provide a spark on offense. White’s inclusion is not so much the result of injury, although Alexandre Burrows remains sidelined, but instead a decision of pace and positioning. Ottawa dressed seven defenseman for Game 5, which was undoubtedly their worst performance of the 2017 postseason, and Bocher decided not to continue that practice. He also declined to dress slower physical veteran forwards like Chris Kelly or Chris Neil in favor or the young White, hoping that his youthful energy would help to keep pace with the speedy Penguins. White is a well-rounded prospect with high-end possession ability and good visions and hockey intelligence. However, he’s being thrown into the fire in this situation, as the Senators are desperate for all the help they can get to stay alive tonight.

Snapshots: Franson, Bean, Senators

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Cody Franson hasn’t had a very successful Buffalo Sabres career. In two seasons marred by injury, the right-handed defender has failed to reach the 30 point mark that he had broken the past two seasons and will miss the playoffs once again. Today, when he was back in Toronto to face the Maple Leafs he was asked about a possible return to his former team in the offseason. Franson is a pending unrestricted free agent, and will have to make a decision on where he wants to try and rebuild his value.

To several reporters including Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, Franson made it very clear that he would be open to a return. “Oh yeah, for sure” he told Johnston, before explaining that playing in Toronto was a “dream come true” for him and his family. Despite having poor point totals and injury concerns, Franson actually still has solid possession numbers and is a candidate for a nice value contract on the open market. He’s clearly not a lock-down defender and never will be, but since he moves the puck so efficiently he doesn’t spend as much time in his own zone. For Toronto fans screaming for the heads of Roman Polak and Matt Hunwick, Franson would likely be welcomed back with open arms.

  • Jake Bean is headed to the Charlotte Checkers to get a taste of professional hockey now that his Calgary Hitmen have been eliminated from the WHL playoffs. The first-round pick (13th overall) of the Carolina Hurricanes last summer, Bean is about as good of a defensive prospect as you’ll find around the league. His 45 points in 43 games this season in junior showed once again that his offensive game is ready for the next level, and he is starting to fill out physically. The 18-year old will have to make the NHL team out of camp next season or return to the Hitmen for a fourth year and anchor a Team Canada blueline at the World Juniors.
  • The Ottawa Senators are in a fight with the Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division, and they keep getting hit with injuries. According to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, Cody Ceci, Marc Methot and Zack Smith will all not return before the end of the regular season, while Erik Karlsson again missed practice today and is out for tonight’s game. The team will have one reinforcement though, as Colin White will make his NHL debut on the fourth line alongside Tommy Wingels and Chris Kelly. Ryan Dzingel will be scratched in favor of the top prospect, who signed his entry-level contract just yesterday.

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.

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