Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Gabriel Dumont

Training Camp Cuts: 01/11/21

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Camp cuts will come fast and furious today, with the waiver wire taking dozens and dozens of names in the final day before taxi squad assignments must be made. Remember, just being placed on waivers does not necessarily mean you’ve been cut from the team. With that in mind, we’ll keep track of the team-announced cuts right here:

Buffalo Sabres (via team release):

F Brandon Biro (to Rochester, AHL)
F Steven Fogarty (to Rochester, AHL)
F Brett Murray (to Rochester, AHL)
F C.J. Smith (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Fitzgerald (to Rochester, AHL)
G Dustin Tokarski (to Rochester, AHL)
D Ryan Jones (to Rochester, AHL)
G Michael Houser (to Rochester, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via team release):

F Andrei Altybarmakian (to Rockford, AHL)
F Evan Barratt (to Rockford, AHL)
F Matej Chalupa (to Rockford, AHL)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (to Rockford, AHL)
F Reese Johnson (to Rockford, AHL)
F Cam Morrison (to Rockford, AHL)
F Tim Soderlund (to Rockford, AHL)
F Michal Teply (to Rockford, AHL)
D Chad Krys (to Rockford, AHL)
D Alec Regula (to Rockford, AHL)
F Michael Krutil (released)
G Cale Morris (released)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release):

G Veini Vehvilainen (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Tyler Angle (released)
F Justin Scott (released)
D Thomas Schemitsch (released)
G Brad Thiessen (released)

Los Angeles Kings (via team release):

F Aidan Dudas (to Ontario, AHL)
F Mikey Eyssimont (to Ontario, AHL)
F Samuel Fagemo (to Ontario, AHL)
F Boko Imama (to Ontario, AHL)
F Rasmus Kupari (to Ontario, AHL)
F Tyler Madden (to Ontario, AHL)
F Akil Thomas (to Ontario, AHL)
D Daniel Brickley (to Ontario, AHL)
D Sean Durzi (to Ontario, AHL)
D Jacob Moverare (to Ontario, AHL)
D Markus Phillips (to Ontario, AHL)
G Jacob Ingham (to Ontario, AHL)
G Matt Villalta (to Ontario, AHL)

Minnesota Wild (via team release):

F Mitchell Chaffee (to Iowa, AHL)
F Joseph Cramarossa (to Iowa, AHL)
F Connor Dewar (to Iowa, AHL)
F Brandon Duhaime (to Iowa, AHL)
F Gabriel Dumont (to Iowa, AHL)
F Mason Shaw (to Iowa, AHL)
D Calen Addison (to Iowa, AHL)
D Ian McCoshen (to Iowa, AHL)
G Dereck Baribeau (to Iowa, AHL)
G Hunter Jones (to Iowa, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (via team release):

F Nate Schnarr (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Brett Seney (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Kevin Bahl (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Nikita Okhotiuk (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Reilly Walsh (to Binghamton, AHL)
G Evan Cormier (to Binghamton, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release):

F Josh Currie (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Radim Zohorna (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Kevin Czuczman (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Cam Lee (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Nathan Legare (to Val d’Or, QMJHL)
F Samuel Poulin (to Sherbrooke, QMJHL)
F Jordan Nolan (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (via team release):

F Lean Bergmann (to San Jose, AHL)
F Alexander True (to San Jose, AHL)
F Joachim Blichfeld (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Jose, AHL)
D Ryan Merkley (to San Jose, AHL)
G Josef Korenar (to San Jose, AHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning (via team release):

F Alex Barre-Boulet (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Ross Colton (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Jack Finley (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Gage Goncalves (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Jimmy Huntington (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Boris Katchouk (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Taylor Raddysh (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Sean Day (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Alex Green (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Dmitry Semykin (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Daniel Walcott (to Syracuse, AHL)*
F/D Luke Witkowski (to Syracuse, AHL)*
G Spencer Martin (to Syracuse, AHL)*

Toronto Maple Leafs (via team release):

F Kenny Agostino (to Toronto, AHL)*
F Joey Anderson (to Toronto, AHL)
F Pierre Engvall (to Toronto, AHL)
F Nic Petan (to Toronto, AHL)
D Mac Hollowell (to Toronto, AHL)
D Teemu Kivihalme (to Toronto, AHL)
D Timothy Liljegren (to Toronto, AHL)
D Martin Marincin (to Toronto, AHL)*
D Calle Rosen (to Toronto, AHL)*
G Michael Hutchinson (to Toronto, AHL)
F Justin Brazeau (to Toronto, AHL)
F Rourke Chartier (to Toronto, AHL)
F Tyler Gaudet (to Toronto, AHL)
F Scott Sabourin (to Toronto, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (via team release):

F Jake Leschyshyn (to Henderson, AHL)
F Lucas Elvenes (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jack Dugan (to Henderson, AHL)
F Ben Jones (to Henderson, AHL)
F Peyton Krebs (to Henderson, AHL)
D Kaedan Korczak (to Henderson, AHL)
D Jimmy Schuldt (to Henderson, AHL)
D Brayden Pachal (to Henderson, AHL)
D Connor Corcoran (to Henderson, AHL)
G Logan Thompson (to Henderson, AHL)
G Dylan Ferguson (to Henderson, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team release):

F Kody Clark (to Hershey, AHL)
F Brett Leason (to Hershey, AHL)
F Garrett Pilon (to Hershey, AHL)
F Joe Snively (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (to Hershey, AHL)
F Hendrix Lapierre (to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)

Winnipeg Jets (via team release):

F Joona Luoto (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Skyler McKenzie (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Declan Chisholm (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Luke Green (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Johnathan Kovacevic (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Mikhail Berdin (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Jimmy Oligny (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Cole Kehler (released)

*Must clear waivers first.

43 Players Placed On Waivers

at CDT | by 5 Comments

As teams begin to make their final camp decisions with the 2020-21 season getting started this week, the ramifications are apparent in today’s waiver wire group. All nine players from Saturday’s waivers cleared, but that is less likely to occur Sunday with a much longer list, including some more notable names. The following players have been placed on waivers today:

Buffalo Sabres
D Brandon Davidson
F Steven Fogarty
F C.J. Smith
G Dustin Tokarski

Calgary Flames
G Louis Domingue
F Byron Froese
F Justin Kirkland
D Alex Petrovic
F Buddy Robinson

Colorado Avalanche
F Kiefer Sherwood

Edmonton Oilers
F Adam Cracknell
F Seth Griffith

Florida Panthers
G Philippe Desrosiers
F Scott Wilson

Los Angeles Kings
D Daniel Brickley
F Boko Imama

Minnesota Wild
D Matt Bartekowski
D Louie Belpedio
F Joseph Cramarossa
F Gabriel Dumont
G Andrew Hammond
F Luke Johnson
F Gerald Mayhew
D Dakota Mermis
D Ian McCoshen
F Kyle Rau

Montreal Canadiens
F Brandon Baddock
F Alex Belzile
F Joseph Blandisi
F Laurent Dauphin
D Noah Juulsen
G Charlie Lindgren
D Gustav Olofsson
D Xavier Ouellet
F Jordan Weal

New York Islanders
F Joshua Ho-Sang
F Mason Jobst

Ottawa Senators
D Maxime Lajoie

Pittsburgh Penguins
D Kevin Czuczman
F Josh Currie
F Frederick Gaudreau
G Maxime Lagace
D Zach Trotman

Among the names likely to receive attention on the wire are a trio of intriguing young players. Defensemen Noah Juulsen and Maxime Lajoie and forward Josh Ho-Sang have all seen NHL action in the past and have shown promise but for different reasons are now available to claim. Juulsen in particular looked like a long-term permanent piece on the Montreal blue line, but vision issues brought on by head injuries knocked him out of the 2018-19 season after 21 games with the Habs and limited him to just 13 AHL games in 2019-20. The Canadiens clearly want to see him get in some game action before returning him to the NHL roster, but another club may have more faith in the young defenseman, who allegedly is back at full strength. After 56 games with the Ottawa Senators in 2018-19, including a hot scoring start, Lajoie was somewhat inexplicably reduced to just six games with the team this past season. A versatile all-around defenseman who has already shown in a small sample size that he can hack it in the NHL, Lajoie could certainly draw interest from a team more willing to give him another chance. Ho-Sang, a first-round pick of the Islanders back in 2014, is on the outs with his club. A future in New York seems non-existent for a player whose effort and attitude have been called into question. His limited action last season also doesn’t help his case.  Yet, Ho-Sang’s skill is apparent and that alone is a cause for pause for teams scouring the waiver wire.

As for a more polished possible pick-up, Jordan Weal leads the pack as a veteran of over 200 NHL games who has posted an 82-game scoring pace of 25 points or more in three straight seasons. Seth Griffith is also no stranger to being passed around via waivers and Frederick Gaudreau is coming off a career-high 55 NHL appearances last season and has strong scoring numbers throughout his AHL career.

This waiver group could also provide goalie depth for a team in need (see: New Jersey Devils). Andrew Hammond, Louis Domingue, Dustin Tokarski, and Charlie Lindgren are all veteran net minders with NHL experience who could provide some stability in net.

Minor Transactions: 10/19/19

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Some of the NHL’s best teams early on were at it last night. The Avalanche maintained their unblemished loss column with a comeback win over the Panthers in overtime; the Penguins added their sixth win by handing the Stars their fourth straight regulation loss; the Oilers moved to 7-1 with a win over the Red Wings, and the six-win Ducks edged out the six-win Hurricanes. It’s a busy slate on Saturday with 22 teams taking the ice, including several more top contests, such as Colorado-Tampa Bay, Vegas-Pittsburgh, and of course Boston-Toronto. With so much action and many teams looking to keep their strong starts going, follow along with what could be a flurry of activity today:

  • After sending him to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs to get his first taste of pro competition, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they have recalled No. 3 overall pick Kirby Dach from his conditioning stint. Dach failed to record a point in three games with Rockford and it will be interesting to see where the Blackhawks go from here. The team can still give Dach nine games of NHL experience before burning the first year of his entry-level contract, so there is plenty of time before the team is forced into a tough decision. However, the early results of Dach’s pro career would seem to indicate that he is likely headed back to the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades this season.
  • The San Jose Sharks have shuffled their depth. After sending rookie forward Danil Yurtaykin back to the AHL Barracuda yesterday, CapFriendly reports that fellow rookie forward Lean Bergmann will follow him to the minors. In a combined ten games, Yurtaykin and Bergmann have recorded one lone point this season and the Sharks can’t afford that inefficient production in the midst of a poor start to the season. Noah Gregor has earned his first NHL recall in their place, having recorded three points in three games with the Barracuda after an 88-point WHL campaign last year. They hope Gregor, a fourth-round pick in 2016, can provide an offensive spark right away.
  • The Washington Capitals have reassigned rookie defenseman Martin Fehervary to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, the team announced. While Fehervary began the season in D.C. he had been demoted until recently, when he was recalled as a precaution while Jonas Siegenthaler dealt with injury concerns. Finally, with a healthy stable of their seven top defensemen, the Capitals have no room for Fehervary right now and would rather he play big minutes in Hershey. Fehervary, the team’s 2018 second-rounder, did not look out of place in the NHL level and will one day be there permanently, but he’s likely in for a full season in the minors this year barring more injuries to the Washington blue line.
  • Carolina Hurricanes prospect netminder Pyotr Kochetkov has been traded in the KHL. Kochetkov, 20, is coming off a dominant 2018-19 season that earned him a second-round selection in June as an overage player. The young Russian keeper was stellar at the World Junior Championship and in Russia’s second-tier VHL last year, as well as in his first two KHL appearances late in the campaign. However, taking on the primary backup role with powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg this season, Kotchetkov has struggled in six KHL games, posting a 2.66 GAA and .887 save percentage. He is still young to be facing this level of competition, especially in the offensively-inclined KHL, but SKA needed a more reliable backup as a top contender. As a result, the team pulled off a blockbuster trade with Vityaz Podolsk, sending Kochetkov as part of the package for the more established Alexander Samonov. Although he was the backup for Vityaz, Samonov has arguably been the best goalie in the KHL this year, nearly untouchable with a 0.88 GAA and .976 save percentage through seven appearances. He’ll provide more stability for SKA, while Podolsk is happy to be patient with one of the top goalie prospects in the league. Although a Hurricanes draft pick, if Kochetkov follows a typical Russian goalkeeper development path, he could remain with Vityaz for another three or four years.
  • With Joel Eriksson Ek injured, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Gabriel Dumont will get the call for the Minnesota Wild. While Dumont may be a new name for Wild fans, the ten-year pro had been around for a while before signing in Minnesota this summer. With five points in five games for AHL Iowa, Dumont hopes to bring some offense with his experience as he joins the parent club. Russo notes that this is already the 28th player to grace the roster this season for the struggling Wild.
  • After Daniel Carr cleared waivers on Wednesday, the Nashville Predators opted to keep him on the NHL roster while they dealt with an injury to Filip Forsberg. The team announced this morning that Carr has now been sent down to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. In his place, the Predators have recalled both long-time depth forward Miikka Salomaki and the untested Yakov Trenin. Trenin, a 2015 second-round pick, is in his third pro season but has played exclusively with Milwaukee – until now. With a team-leading five points in three games for the Admirals, Trenin has finally earned his call-up and will be an intriguing name to watch if he sees action in Nashville.
  • With Jordan Oesterle dealing with a head injury after taking a shot to the back of the head on Thursday, the Coyotes will recall blueliner Aaron Ness from AHL Tucson, reports Craig Morgan of The Athletic.  The 29-year-old is in his first season with Arizona after having a strong season with Hershey a year ago, one that saw him put up 55 points.  That should help get him into some game action at some point during his recall.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled center Sam Gagner from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, while assigning forward Gaetan Haas to Bakersfield. The 30-year-old Gagner was acquired at the trade deadline last year from Vancouver, and played 25 games last season with the Oilers, but didn’t make the team out of training camp this year and has been playing with the Condors this season. He has two goals and two assists in four games there so far. Haas signed with Edmonton in July this summer out of the NLA, but the 27-year-old has just one assist in five games. The Edmonton Journals’ Jim Matheson reports that Haas isn’t thrilled about spending weeks in the AHL and the scribe believes that Haas has an out-clause to return to the Europe if he stays there. The team was hoping for some more offense from their bottom-six players. The hope Gagner might be able to provide some of that offense. Through eight games so far this season, the team has gotten no goals from Riley Sheahan, Jujhar Khaira, Patrick Russell, Josh Archibald, Markus Granlund, Tomas Jurco and Haas as the team has received all its offense from their top-six.

Minnesota Signs Forwards Luke Johnson, Gabriel Dumont

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Wild have added four forwards already today, announcing the depth additions of Luke Johnson and Gabriel Dumont. The duo sign matching two-year, two-way deals worth the minimum $700K at the NHL, although Dumont is set to make a higher AHL salary than Johnson.

The 24-year-old Johnson has showed some promise as he has continually improved in his three years in the AHL with the Chicago Blackhawks’ affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. He finally broke out with an 18-goal season there in just 53 games and got some ice time with Chicago, playing in 15 games, but failed to score a goal and only registered a point, averaging just 10:49 of ATOI. He will compete for a fourth-line spot, but is more likely going to end up with the Iowa Wild for another season.

The 28-year-old Dumont bounced around Montreal, Tampa Bay and Ottawa as he struggled to crack an NHL lineup. Tampa Bay eventually claimed him back from the Senators in 2018 and he was immediately sent to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL where he played since then. Minnesota is likely expecting him to join Johnson with Iowa to provide some veteran depth for their younger players.

Thirty-Five Players Placed On Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After 25 players were placed on waivers Friday and another seven Saturday (all of which cleared), the biggest yet came today with 35 more players being placed on waivers, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie.

F Andy Andreoff (Tampa Bay)
F Chase Balisy (Ottawa)
D Julius Bergman (Ottawa)
F Connor Brickley (Nashville)
G Peter Budaj (Los Angeles)
F Michael Bunting (Arizona)
D Erik Burgdoerfer (Ottawa)
F Tim Clifton (San Jose)
F Gabriel Dumont (Tampa Bay)
D Stefan Elliott (Pittsburgh)
F Kurtis Gabriel (New Jersey)
F Tyler Gaudet (Nashville)
D Cameron Gaunce (Tampa Bay)
G Troy Grosenick (Nashville)
F Jimmy Hayes (Pittsburgh)
G Maxime Lagace (Vegas)
F Tobias Lindberg (Pittsburgh)
F Stefan Matteau (Vegas)
G John Muse (Pittsburgh)
G Eddie Pasquale (Tampa Bay)
F Nick Paul (Ottawa)
F Blake Pietila (New Jersey)
F Kevin Porter (Buffalo)
D John Ramage (New Jersey)
D Griffin Reinhart (Vegas)
F Ben Sexton (Ottawa)
D Patrick Sieloff (Ottawa)
D Brian Strait (New Jersey)
D Chris Summers (Pittsburgh)
F Adam Tambellini (Ottawa)
F Eric Tangradi (New Jersey)
D Jarred Tinordi (Nashville)
F T.J. Tynan (Vegas)
F Carter Verhaeghe (Tampa Bay)
F Garrett Wilson (Pittsburgh)

One of the more interesting players put on waivers is Reinhart, the fourth-overall pick back in 2012, who the Golden Knights took a flier on in the expansion draft. The 6-foot-4, 212-pound blueliner has never been able to match his size and skills together to make considerable NHL contributions. It was no different in Vegas, where the now 24-year-old never made an NHL appearance for the Golden Knights. He played 60 games for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves where he posted just two goals and 12 points.

Budaj, who has been a solid goaltender in previous year, may be past his prime as the 36-year-old couldn’t make an impact in Tampa Bay or Los Angeles last year, both places where they had backup goaltending issues at one point in the season last year. In eight games with the Lightning last year, he posted a 3.75 GAA and a .876 save percentage.

Other interesting players who saw significant NHL time last season include Andreoff, Brickley, Hayes, Dumont and Lagace.

 

Lightning Claim Dumont, Blue Jackets Claim Chorney

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Both players on waivers yesterday have been claimed, with Gabriel Dumont heading back to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Taylor Chorney on his way to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Dumont had previously been claimed from the Lightning by the Ottawa Senators, but will now head back to his old organization. Since he made it all the way to Tampa Bay, he’ll be allowed to head directly to the AHL if they so choose. That gives the Syracuse Crunch a valuable asset for their stretch run, as well as adding more depth into the Lightning forward group.

The Blue Jackets have dealt with a few injuries of late with Dean Kukan and Markus Nutivaara going down, thus making Chorney’s availability too good to pass up. The veteran defenseman can step into a depth role for the club while they get healthy, and likely stick around after rosters expand next week. The Blue Jackets needed to make a corresponding move to fit him in for now, and have moved Nick Foligno to injured reserve.

Minor Transactions: 02/21/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After a busy night in the NHL, the league has just three games on tap for today. Instead, teams might use their time off to cement their status for the trade deadline and make inquiries around the league. All the minor moves we’ll keep track of right here. Refresh the page throughout the day to make sure you stay up to date on all the comings and goings.

Gabriel Dumont, Taylor Chorney On Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Ottawa Senators have placed forward Gabriel Dumont on waivers. The 27-year old forward was claimed earlier this season from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Joining him is Washington Capitals defenseman Taylor Chorney, who was absent from the team’s morning skate after they acquired Michal Kempny yesterday.

Dumont is in the first season of a two-year deal signed last summer, that interestingly turns into a two-way contract in 2018-19. His entire $650K cap hit can be buried by the Senators if he clears and is assigned to the minor leagues, but he could potentially be claimed by a team looking for a player with experience at center. He offers little offensive upside, as he has scored just two points this season and nine in 87 career games.

Chorney on the other hand is a veteran defenseman with ten seasons of professional hockey under his belt. The 30-year old has played 24 games for the Capitals this season, but was made expendable by the Kempny addition. The Capitals can bury his entire $800K cap hit in the minor leagues if he clears, giving them a little more flexibility at the deadline.

Anaheim Claims J.T. Brown, Places Logan Shaw On Waivers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Anaheim Ducks claimed J.T. Brown off of waivers Sunday and placed Logan Shaw on waivers to make space for him, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Brown, who was placed on waivers Saturday by the Tampa Bay Lightning, will now join the Ducks in hopes of providing some bottom-six offense for them.

Brown played sparingly in Tampa Bay, who was looking to free up roster space so the team can audition some of its top youngsters from their AHL franchise. They 27-year-old has spent six seasons with Tampa Bay, but has seen his playing time drop to an all-time low of 9:22. He has played in just 24 games for the Lightning this year, often being a healthy scratch. He has a goal and three assists on the year and might be best known this season for raising his fist in protest during the national anthem on Oct. 7. Brown is the second Lightning player to be lost to waivers this season as they lost Gabriel Dumont earlier this year to Ottawa.

The 25-year Shaw, on the other hand, has seen a significant amount of action this year, mostly on the team’s fourth line, as he’s played in 42 of the team’s 44 games. However, with just two goals and six assists this year while averaging 11:29 of ice time, the team hopes he might clear waivers and they can keep him with their AHL affiliate.

Senators Not Likely To See Youth Movement Soon

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators finally promoted one of their top prospects in 2015 first-rounder Colin White on Saturday with three games left before their bye week starts. It would be a perfect time for the 20-year-old center to prove himself to head coach Guy Boucher and the organization. However, Boucher is well-known to put little faith in young players as he prefers not to place young players in stressful situations. He proved that in White’s first appearance Saturday by giving the youngster a whopping 7:50 of ice time. At this rate, he’ll be reassigned after the next two games and not seen again for quite a while.

“We’re going to try to manage him as best as we can,” Boucher said before Saturday’s game. “We’re playing the best team in the league. The one thing we have is the last change (as the home team), so we’re going to have him play against players he’ll be able to manage. If we say it like it is, Tampa’s third line can beat most team’s first lines. In that respect, we have to be smart.”

And what makes that so difficult for fans is that the Senators are stockpiled with young talent. If the team continues to struggle, the fans want to see their young players give them hope. It took their other 2015 first-rounder Thomas Chabot a long time to get the confidence of Boucher, assuming he even has it. Chabot was rarely given a chance to prove himself at the NHL level and only now seems to be getting solid minutes with the franchise.

Ken Warren of The Ottawa Citizen writes that the best chance any fans have of seeing some of their top young players such as White, Chabot or Filip Chlapik getting legitimate minutes would be if the Senators completely fell out of the playoff race. Chlapik is another example of a player recently sent down to Belleville. He’s played in six games for Ottawa this year, averaging 9:06 of ice time. Not exactly enough time to learn your way around the NHL. Even 2017 secound-rounder Alex Formenton, who surprised many when he made the team out of training camp, only managed to get into one game for 4:54 before he was eventually returned to his junior team.

However, Warren says its about time to start taking time away from the veterans who haven’t produced enough for the team to enjoy the same success they had a year ago. Players like Alexandre Burrows and Gabriel Dumont might have to give way for progress, and find out if some of their youngsters can handle the pressure of life in the NHL. Neither has produced much as fourth-line players.

And there is even more talent on the way. The Athletic’s Ary Maharaj breaks down (subscription required) that many top Senator performers in the World Junior Championships, including Drake Batherson, Formenton, Markus Nurmi and 2016 first-rounder Logan Brown. Along with the likelihood that the Senators could end up with a top-ten pick (or none at all) in the upcoming 2018 NHL Draft, talent is definitely not their problem. Getting them on the ice will be.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top