Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jacob Larsson

Ottawa Senators Re-Sign Jacob Larsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators have announced that defenseman Jacob Larsson has been signed to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Per the announcement, the deal carries a league minimum $775k cap hit, as well as an AHL salary of $325k.

Larsson, 26, was a first-round pick at the 2015 draft who joined the Senators organization a year ago after being let go by the Anaheim Ducks. Larsson got extensive NHL time across three seasons with the Ducks but between 2020-21 and 2021-22 he went from playing in 46 NHL games to just six. It became clear that the Ducks organization had moved beyond hoping for Larsson to finally break out, so he left in the offseason for Ottawa.

In Ottawa, Larsson didn’t manage to re-establish himself in the NHL and played just seven games for the Senators. He spent most of the year with the AHL’s Belleville Senators, scoring 17 points in 55 games playing generally in a top-four role.

By locking up Larsson for another season, the Senators have locked in a top-four defenseman, minute-munching defenseman for their AHL affiliate who also can step in and play on their NHL lineup in a pinch.

The Senators already have Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Tyler Kleven, and Erik Brannstrom likely to occupy NHL roles on the left side of their defense, meaning it’ll be an extremely long shot Larsson makes the Senators out of training camp, although in the case of injuries this contract could ensure he’s among GM Pierre Dorion’s first call-up options.

Minor Transactions: 03/02/23

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With all of the excitement of trade deadline week, the shuffling of players between the NHL and minor leagues often gets overlooked. Luckily, we’ll keep track of all that movement right here!

  • The Ottawa Senators have reassigned Jacob Larsson to the minor leagues, as Jakob Chychrun met them on the road in New York. Larsson has played in seven games with the Senators this season, failing to record a point.
  • Darren Raddysh is up with the Tampa Bay Lightning, giving them another defenseman for their road trip after tonight’s game against Pittsburgh. Raddysh hasn’t played in the NHL yet this season but has been incredible in the minor leagues, scoring 50 points in 50 games for the Syracuse Crunch.
  • With several changes made to the Pittsburgh Penguins roster, Drake Caggiula has been recalled for now. The 28-year-old has 37 points in 47 games in the AHL this season, the first time he has played in the minor leagues.
  • Arnaud Durandeau has been returned to the minor leagues by the New York Islanders, as Pierre Engvall jumps into the lineup. The 24-year-old Durandeau failed to register a point in his four NHL games.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have returned Elliot Desnoyers and Olle Lycksell to the minor leagues, after explaining that it was important for their development to join the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ playoff chase. Desnoyers, in particular, seems to have made an impact on the Flyers coaching staff, despite playing just two NHL games so far.
  • Lukas Reichel has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs, now that Patrick Kane and company have left the building. A top prospect for the Chicago Blackhawks, Reichel scored three points in four games during an earlier call-up.
  • Mason Appleton has been moved to injured reserve by the Winnipeg Jets, meaning Axel Jonsson Fjallby is returning to the NHL.
  • With so many Detroit Red Wings players on their way out, Adam Erne is on his way up. The veteran forward has been recalled today.
  • Curtis Lazar has been activated from injured reserve by the Vancouver Canucks, meaning he can return after two weeks on the sidelines. The depth forward has five points in 45 games this season.

This page will be updated throughout the day. 

Ottawa Senators Recall Jacob Larsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators recalled defenseman Jacob Larsson from the AHL’s Belleville Senators this morning, per a team tweet. The move continues a busy season on the NHL/AHL wire for Larsson, marking his sixth recall of the 2022-23 season, CapFriendly lists.

Despite the numerous recalls, Larsson has primarily served as an experienced insurance policy for Ottawa. The 25-year-old defender has suited up just seven times for the Senators in 2022-23, and due to his low games played total, he still hasn’t required waivers since clearing them before the season. He will need to clear waivers again if he plays three more games or stays on the NHL roster for 10 more days.

Larsson comes up to the NHL roster to replace the spot vacated by Nikita Zaitsev, who the Senators traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday in exchange for future considerations. Drafted 27th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2015, Larsson has two goals and eight assists in 37 games for Belleville this season.

It was a short stint in the minors for Larsson, who Ottawa reassigned to Belleville on Monday after appearing in four straight games. A puck-moving defender, Larsson’s NHL play has been passable this season in limited ice time.

At 25, the development track on Larsson is nearing its end. With his waiver-exempt status close to expiration, Larsson could stay on the Senators’ roster as an extra defender for most of the season’s remainder.

Ottawa Senators Recall Jacob Larsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators have announced the recall of defenseman Jacob Larsson from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators. The move adds a seventh defenseman to the Senators’ roster and leaves the team with a full active 23-man unit.

Larsson, 25, heads to the Senators’ roster with a chance to play in some more NHL games. He’s gotten three games in Ottawa so far this season, averaged just under 13 minutes of ice time in those games. The 2015 first-round pick arrived in Ottawa over the summer, signing a one-year, two-way league minimum deal with a relatively hefty $300K AHL salary.

Larsson’s play in the AHL has been somewhat uneven. While he’s managed to contribute on both special teams, he hasn’t been able to have the top-of-the-lineup impact many would hope he’d have at this stage of his career in the AHL. He’s scored nine points in 33 games this season, and as can be seen here is often playing on Belleville’s bottom pairing.

In Ottawa, the Senators are hoping to put together a quality run of games to get them into the playoff hunt so they can play meaningful hockey in the spring. While this recall of Larsson adds a seventh defenseman to their roster which gives them some valuable reinforcement, the team is likely better off if Larsson remains depth rather than a counted-on contributor to coach D.J. Smith’s blueline equation.

For Larsson, this recall presents an opportunity. While his AHL performance isn’t going to wow people, strong performance on an NHL stage could go a long way toward earning him his next contract. As things currently stand, the Senators will have a chance to retain Larsson beyond this season as he’ll be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent.

Ottawa Senators Place Nikita Zaitsev On Injured Reserve; Recall Jacob Larsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the Ottawa Senators dealing with an ever-dwindling depth chart on defense, the team has recalled Jacob Larsson from the minor leagues. Nikita Zaitsev left yesterday’s game after blocking a shot, while Artem Zub remains out. The latter needs another test before getting clearance to play, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, while the former has been moved to injured reserve.

With Zaitsev leaving early and Dillon Heatherington playing just over eight minutes, the Senators were essentially playing with just four defensemen against the Boston Bruins. Thomas Chabot ended up with more than 31 minutes of ice time in the shootout win, while each of Nick Holden (24:41), Travis Hamonic (24:24), and Jake Sanderson (27:13) reached at least 24.

Larsson, 25, isn’t expected to really change that. The former Anaheim Ducks defenseman has played just three games with Ottawa this season, failing to crack 15 minutes in any of them. Through 24 games with the Belleville Senators, he has just five points and is a -13, trailing only Angus Crookshank for the worst number on the team. While he may be a capable short-term injury fill-in, the Senators desperately need Zub back to take some of the defensive responsibility off the shoulders of the top four.

Zub did skate today, and will hopefully be back in the lineup before long. There has been no announcement from the team on Zaitsev’s timeline just yet, but his placement on injured reserve requires him to miss at least a week. The team is back in action tomorrow in Washington, before a back-to-back against the Red Wings and Sabres this weekend.

Senators Recall Jacob Larsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Senators have brought up some extra defensive depth, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Jacob Larsson from Belleville of the AHL.  Ottawa had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made.

The 25-year-old is in his first season with the Senators after coming over in free agency following his non-tender by Anaheim last summer.  Larsson has played in three games with Ottawa so far this season during a recall last month, logging a little under 13 minutes per game while being held off the scoresheet.  Meanwhile, he has suited up in 16 contests at the minor league level, picking up four assists.

The move comes on the heels of Artem Zub and Travis Hamonic both taking pucks up high last night against the Rangers, the former to the face and the latter to the throat.  Zub has already been ruled out for tonight per Postmedia’s Ken Warren (Twitter link) and Nick Holden will return to the lineup in his place.  Meanwhile, Larsson will suit up if Hamonic is unable to play tonight against San Jose.

Ottawa Senators Recall Lassi Thomson; Looking For Additional Defensemen

at CDT | by 4 Comments

After another brutal loss that saw the Ottawa Senators give up five goals to the San Jose Sharks, the team has made a swap on defense. Jacob Larsson has been returned to the AHL, while prospect Lassi Thomson is on his way to join the club on their road trip.

Thomson, 22, was the 19th overall pick in 2019 and played 16 games for the Senators last season. His time in the AHL has been productive, including ten points in 15 games this season. While he may not be the complete solution for Ottawa, there is more help coming.

Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia tweets that the hope is Thomas Chabot can play tomorrow, while general manager Pierre Dorion has spoken to 10-15 teams about potential defensive additions. There hasn’t been a fit yet, and as losses pile up, it gets harder and harder to justify a big move. The Senators are now 6-11-1 on the year and sit dead last in the Atlantic Division, even behind the Buffalo Sabres who have lost eight in a row.

Larsson, during his short time with the club, didn’t impress. The 25-year-old averaged fewer than 13 minutes of ice time over his three appearances and was not totally trusted by the coaching staff. While Jake Sanderson, Erik Brannstrom, and Artem Zub were all logging more than 22 minutes last night, Larsson played just 14:40 and was the only defenseman to not see a second on the penalty kill.

The team goes into Vegas to take on the Golden Knights tomorrow, before heading back to California for matchups with the Ducks and Kings over the weekend.

Ottawa Senators Recall Jacob Larsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators recalled defenseman Jacob Larsson from the AHL’s Belleville Senators Sunday morning, according to the team’s communications department. The transaction comes after Thomas Chabot sustained an injury in yesterday’s 4-1 road win in Philadelphia.

Ottawa did have an extra healthy defenseman on the roster in Nikita Zaitsev, but he was waived last Wednesday after seeing his role diminish dramatically to start the season. He did clear waivers but has yet to be assigned to the minors. Larsson comes up instead, bringing 165 games of NHL experience with Anaheim to the active roster.

However, Larsson saw his semi-full-time NHL role disappear last season, playing just six games with the Ducks compared to 55 with AHL San Diego. He was waived and assigned to Belleville to begin the 2022-23 campaign, where he has two assists and a -10 rating in 12 games.

As for Chabot, the length of his absence is unknown as of last night. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman did note that if Chabot misses any meaningful length of time, it could speed up Ottawa’s already well-established desire to acquire a defenseman via trade to upgrade their blue line. The team is yet again lagging behind expectations, sitting last in the Atlantic Division with a 5-8-1 record. Injuries have certainly been a factor in their sluggish start.

TSN’s Bruce Garrioch notes that Larsson’s recall signifies that Chabot will likely miss at least tomorrow’s game against the New York Islanders.

East Notes: Chychrun, Nyquist, Larsson

at CDT | by 8 Comments

A few days ago, we covered an update on the ongoing Jakob Chychrun trade rumors. In that update, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that trade talks on Chychrun were more active than they’d been in recent months, and he specifically named the Columbus Blue Jackets as a potential suitor for Chychrun’s services. Today, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline has added some more details to Columbus’ side of the equation. (subscription link)

Portzline reports that earlier this summer, Chychrun was not interested in being traded to Columbus because he did not view the Blue Jackets as a legitimate playoff contender. Now, though, after they added the offseason market’s top free agent, he seems to have changed his tune. Portzline cites sources who say that Chychrun has “informed those close to him” that he is now willing to join Columbus in a trade. Chychrun would certainly make the Blue Jackets a better team for next season, but one wonders how they would fit his not-insignificant $4.6MM cap hit into their currently tight cap sheet, especially since the term left on Chychrun’s deal would seemingly rule out any significant retention.

Now, for some other notes from the league’s Eastern Conference:

  • In another piece of Blue Jackets news, we have an update on forward Gustav Nyquist’s injury situation after he left last night’s preseason contest early. As reported by Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch, Nyquist has suffered a lower-body injury and is injured on a day-to-day designation. This injury is hopefully not one that will nag Nyquist this season, as the forward is in a platform year, meaning he is set to hit free agency this summer, so he’ll want to stay healthy and have as strong of a season as possible to set him up for his next contract.
  • The Ottawa Senators’ defensive situation hasn’t garnered nearly as much attention as their new-look offense has, but that doesn’t mean their blueline is without notable additions. Per the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch, 25-year-old defenseman Jacob Larsson could be playing his way into “notable addition” territory. Larsson, a 2015 first-round pick, was not qualified by the Anaheim Ducks earlier this summer and arrived in Ottawa on a one-year deal. Garrioch says that although Larsson may not make the Senators’ opening-night roster, there’s “no doubt” that he’ll play in games for the team this season and has “made an impression” on the team’s management.

Ottawa Senators Sign Antoine Bibeau, Jacob Larsson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators may not be done adding to the NHL roster but at least part of the front office is also focused on improving the organizational depth. The team has signed Antoine Bibeau and Jacob Larsson to one-year, two-way contacts that carry cap hits of $750K at the NHL level. Bibeau will earn $100K and Larsson will earn $300K while in the AHL.

Bibeau, 28, actually found himself way down in the ECHL for part of this season, after signing a one-year contract with the Seattle Kraken. Because the Kraken were sharing an AHL affiliate, there wasn’t always room for him with the Charlotte Checkers, despite playing well whenever there.

The veteran netminder has four games of NHL experience but is a strong AHL option with a long history of success at that level. Given the recent departures from the Ottawa crease, he’ll slide into the depth chart as a reliable call-up option that isn’t focused on developing any longer.

Larsson meanwhile comes to the Senators as an interesting defensive option, after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Anaheim Ducks. The 25-year-old was selected 27th overall in 2015 and has 165 games of experience at the NHL level, including a full season as recently as 2020-21.

While Senators general manager Pierre Dorion may have bigger fish on his mind when targeting defensive upgrades, Larsson’s presence is certainly notable as they try to change the look of their group. Though he’s on a two-way deal, there’s a realistic scenario that sees him outplay some of the team’s other options in camp and earn his way onto the roster.

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

scroll to top