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Josh Norris

Josh Norris Will Not Require Surgery

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After seeing five different doctors and two specialists, it has been determined that Josh Norris will not require shoulder surgery, according to Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion. As Claire Hanna of TSN relays, Dorion noted today that the team will know more in the New Year about a potential return this season.

Norris, 23, has had shoulder injuries before, including one in 2019 that essentially ended his college career. Dorion explained that this is a different injury entirely than the ones he has dealt with before, and for now he will just rehab.

While that technically qualifies as good news, it’s still a brutal outcome for the young center who is coming off an outstanding 35-goal season. He did that in just 66 games, one of the best per-game scoring rates in the NHL, ahead of players like Jake Guentzel, Steven Stamkos, Matthew Tkachuk, and Alex DeBrincat. Building on that was a big part of why so many people were bullish on the Senators this offseason, and his absence has been one of the main reasons why they have disappointed.

Norris managed just five games and two points. With no clear timeline on when he can return, this may end up being a wasted season for the young forward and one that potentially hinders his long-term development. That would be a worst-case scenario for the Senators, who committed eight years and $63.6MM to him in the offseason. That $7.95MM cap hit makes him the 38th most expensive forward in the league this season, only a touch below Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.

Injury Updates: Norris, Saad, Matheson, Mitchell

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While it was recently revealed that Senators center Josh Norris would miss several months due to needing shoulder surgery, that procedure hasn’t happened yet.  Instead, as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports, the 23-year-old is seeking a second opinion in the hopes of avoiding having to go under the knife and miss that much time.  Head coach D.J. Smith indicated that the team is still proceeding with the expectation that Norris won’t be available for the rest of the season while Garrioch notes a final decision from the center is expected in the next couple of days.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Blues winger Brandon Saad has resumed practicing as he works his way back from a back injury, relays Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 30-year-old has missed six straight due to the issue and hasn’t gotten onto the scoresheet in his three contests so far this season.  At this point, there’s no timeline for a return just yet and it’s worth noting that he’s not on injured reserve so a roster move won’t need to be made when he gets the green light to suit up.
  • Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson skated today for the first time as he continues to work his way back from an abdominal injury, relays TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The 28-year-old was originally designated as day-to-day but that was later amended to an eight-week absence.  There still are a few weeks left in that timeframe so it’s unlikely that Montreal will be getting one of its top defenders back for a little while yet.
  • Blackhawks defenseman Ian Mitchell told reporters including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) that his wrist injury basically boils down to a pain tolerance issue at this point. He’s hoping to skate with the team next week when they return from their current road trip and if all goes well, he could be cleared to return soon after.  That said, while he should be getting back to game action before much longer, it appears that this injury will linger for a little while yet.

East Notes: Norris, Blackwood, Palat

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The Ottawa Senators got bad news yesterday when head coach D.J. Smith told the media that he was not confident that Josh Norris, a crucial top-six center in his lineup, would return to the ice this season. This unfortunate development has led many to wonder whether the Senators, led by GM Pierre Dorion, would pursue immediate upgrades to fill the hole left in their lineup by Norris’ absence. Veteran forward Derick Brassard is currently occupying Norris’ old slot in the lineup, and seeing as the Senators have hopes of contending in the Atlantic division, so they may want to upgrade on Brassard, who had 19 points in 46 games last season.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger on today’s Insider Trading program, that’s not the direction the Senators will be headed. Dreger reports that Ottawa feels “that they are OK” despite Norris’ injury, and they believe that they have the depth in their lineup to overcome the challenges they’ll face in his absence. The Senators certainly have enviable scoring depth, and with Shane Pinto off to a scorching hot start, the need to find an immediate upgrade at center looks to be less urgent.

Some other notes regarding Eastern Conference teams:

  • New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood is out with a day-to-day injury and could return as soon as tomorrow, reports Amanda Stein of the Devils’ team website. While this injury appears to be a minor one, it’s worth noting considering the larger situation Blackwood finds himself in. A pending arbitration-eligible restricted free agent, Blackwood is looking to rebound after an injury-plagued 2021-22 campaign that saw him post an .892 save percentage in 25 games. Staying healthy could be the key to him having that rebound season, so hopefully he’ll find his way back into the lineup quickly.
  • In another injury update concerning the Devils, forward Ondrej Palat is “continuing to be evaluated” for a lower-body injury, per Devils head coach Lindy Ruff. According to Ruff, an update on that injury should come in the “next few days.” Palat was the team’s major free agent signing this past summer and has three goals in six games so far this season.

Josh Norris Out Several Months

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Oct 26: The results of the MRI are not what any Senators fan wanted to hear. Ian Mendes of TSN reports that Norris will be out long-term (three to five months was a rough estimate), though surgery has not been confirmed yet. Head coach D.J. Smith is not confident that the young forward will even play again this season, though he is holding out hope.

Oct 24: The Ottawa Senators will be without one of their top centers for at least the next two weeks. Josh Norris will miss that time after suffering a shoulder injury over the weekend, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, who adds that the young forward is waiting on the results of an MRI before getting a more accurate timeline.

Ottawa moved Derick Brassard into the second-line center role, for the time being, quite an opportunity for a player on a PTO just a few weeks ago. He’ll line up between Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux, though the team could always move Shane Pinto into that role during Norris’ absence.

It’s a tough start for the 23-year-old Norris, who is coming off a breakout 35-goal campaign and starting an eight-year, $63.6MM contract. Norris did score against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday but ended up playing just 14:32. Missing a couple of weeks isn’t the end of the world, but if the injury is deemed more serious and keeps Norris out for longer than that, it could be a huge blow to an Ottawa team that has turned things around after a slow start.

With wins in each of their last three, the Senators are now back in the mix in the Atlantic Division, exactly what they expected after an impressive offseason. Their potential was always tied to the forward depth they accumulated but now with Norris on the sideline and Alex Formenton still unsigned, there are some cracks showing.

The team is back in action tonight against the Dallas Stars.

Ottawa Senators Extend Josh Norris For Eight Years

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The Ottawa Senators continue to form and lock up a formidable top-six forward group. Today, the team announced an eight-year, $63.6MM extension for center Josh Norris, carrying a $7.95MM cap hit. The deal keeps him a Senator until 2029-30 when he’ll be 31 years old and eligible for unrestricted free agency. The max-term extension, which is paid entirely in base salary, has the following breakdown:

2022-23: $5MM
2023-24: $6.5MM
2024-25: $9.5MM
2025-26: $9.5MM
2026-27: $9.5MM
2027-28: $8.75MM
2028-29: $7.85MM
2029-30: $7MM

General manager Pierre Dorion gave a statement on Norris’ signing:

We’re very pleased to come to a long-term agreement with Josh. He’s a versatile forward who continues to mature into an exceptional NHL player. His scoring prowess has already shown to be a considerable asset for us and one that will help us reach the next level. His dedication and the pride he takes in his physical conditioning will serve as a great example for our next wave of young players.

After finishing fourth in Calder Trophy voting during the 2020-21 season, Norris has blossomed into a true first-line center in Ottawa. Originally acquired from the San Jose Sharks as part of the blockbuster Erik Karlsson trade, Norris had 35 goals in 2021-22 to lead the team in just 66 games.

He’ll only build on those point totals as he’ll return as part of a fortified top-six that includes a healthy Drake Batherson, as well as offseason additions Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux. If Ottawa is able to make the jump to the playoffs for the first time since losing in the 2017 Eastern Conference Final, his role on the team’s top line will be a big reason why.

The Senators have $10.8MM in cap space remaining with Alex Formenton, Mathieu Joseph, and Erik Brannstrom needing new contracts, per PuckPedia. While those contracts won’t push them right against the salary cap, this Norris extension continues to mark a trend towards big spending that’s been absent in Ottawa during recent years. Committing to their talent financially on reasonable contracts like Norris’ is a clear path to sustainable success, something that the Senators organization will welcome with open arms.

Andrew Peeke To Play In World Championship; Josh Norris Will Not

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Another name for Team USA at the upcoming World Championship has emerged, as Andrew Peeke will head to Finland for the event next month according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Peeke’s first full season in the NHL will come to an end tonight when the Columbus Blue Jackets take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’s been an impressive year for the 24-year-old defenseman, who quickly went from organizational depth to top-pairing option. Over his last 45 games, Peeke has averaged nearly 24 minutes a night, racking up hits and blocked shots while carrying a huge defensive load. His deployment at even-strength is skewed heavily toward the defensive end, he averages more penalty-killing time than anyone else on the Blue Jackets roster, and his 168 blocks and 191 hits lead all Columbus defenders by a wide margin.

All of that comes at a cap hit of just $787.5K, as Peeke signed a two-year contract last summer that is paying him the league minimum this year. While he doesn’t provide much offense–just two goals and 15 points in 81 games–he’s still been one of the most valuable players on the Blue Jackets all season long. He’ll now be rewarded by getting a chance to represent his country on the international stage, something that hasn’t happened very often throughout his career. This will be his first chance at the World Championship, and though he did make the 2018 World Junior squad and played in one Hlinka-Gretzky, he isn’t a product of the USNTDP like so many others, which has limited his exposure to international tournaments.

The U.S. team will unfortunately not have Josh Norris, however, as Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the Ottawa Senators forward has turned down the opportunity to play at the event. Norris is a pending restricted free agent, a status that often leads to players declining an invitation as they try to secure their future. Just 22, the San Jose draft pick scored 34 goals this season in just 65 games and looks like a candidate for a long-term extension. With no arbitration eligibility though, the Senators could go for a bridge deal or even squeeze him into a one-year, extremely inexpensive contract, if they want to try and maximize savings.

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.

Senators Place Tyler Ennis And Josh Norris In COVID Protocol

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The Senators are set to return to action tomorrow against Toronto but will be doing so without two of their forwards as the team announced (Twitter link) that center Josh Norris and winger Tyler Ennis have been placed in COVID protocol.  While not every Canadian province has adapted their quarantine protocol to the shorter period, Ontario has which means the two could be back after five days of isolation.

Norris, in particular, is a notable loss for Ottawa as he sits second on the team in scoring with 22 points in 28 games while logging nearly 19 minutes a game of ice time which puts him third among Senators forwards.  Ennis, meanwhile, had a successful training camp PTO and while he has only scored once this season, he has also picked up 11 assists in 26 games, providing a decent return on his $900K price tag.

Earlier this morning, the team announced (Twitter link) that forwards Clark Bishop and Logan Shaw were added to the taxi squad, likely as the corresponding moves for the COVID news. Bishop played in 13 games with Ottawa last season but injuries have limited him to just five games this year, all with AHL Belleville.  As for Shaw, he has a goal and two assists in 16 games with Ottawa this season and just one helper in six AHL contests.

Montreal’s Sami Niku Suffers Concussion

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Saturday: The Canadiens announced that Niku suffered a concussion on the play and is out indefinitely.

Friday: Newly signed Montreal Canadiens defenseman Sami Niku has left tonight’s preseason game against the Ottawa Senators and won’t return. The team reports he suffered an upper-body injury, leaving the game after a hit from Ottawa’s Josh Norris.

Niku signed a one-year, two-way deal with Montreal on September 24 after having his contract with the Winnipeg Jets mutually terminated. It was going to be the second year of a two-year deal for him with a cap hit of $725,000.

Drafted 198th overall in 2015, Niku’s stock rose steadily within the Winnipeg organization after his draft year. He had two impressive seasons with JYP in the Liiga in 2015-16 and 2016-17, tallying 38 points in 97 games while holding his own defensively in a professional league.

It hasn’t gone nearly as smoothly for Niku in the NHL, though, struggling to land a full-time spot with the team. Niku spent the majority of 2020-21 on the taxi squad, getting into just six games with Winnipeg and no AHL time whatsoever. Over a four-year career in Winnipeg, Niku’s gotten into 54 games, scoring two goals and eight assists for 10 points.

Niku was hoping a change of scenery and an uncertain defense in Montreal could translate into a consistent lineup spot this season. With Shea Weber missing the entire year and Alexander Romanov possibly moving into a top-four role, there’s space to fight for on the bottom pairing. Without a more extended internal scouting of their newly acquired talent, though, Niku’s opportunities to enter the lineup could be more limited than otherwise. He’ll be fighting for games played with more experienced talents like Brett Kulak and Chris Wideman. It’s not at all a guarantee that Niku is able to translate this one-year deal into a full-time role.

Training Camp Notes: Kane, Toews, Senators

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Today marked the first day of training camp for the majority of teams across the league. With the first preseason tilt just two days away now, teams are getting fired up and ready to go see at what level players in their organization are able to perform. One team whose offseason led to much fanfare was the Chicago Blackhawks, and the health status of both of their stars were hot topics of discussion today. NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis reports that a nagging injury to star winger Patrick Kane, an undisclosed matter that had appeared before the start of the Edmonton bubble in 2020, hasn’t healed completely. However, neither Kane nor others in the organization are concerned about his ability to play through the matter, as Kane himself remarked today that he’s “optimistic with where [he’s] going.” A great sense of mysteriousness still veils whatever the nagging issue is, as the nature of the injury has yet to be reported.

More notes from today’s opening of training camps:

  • After missing the entirety of 2020-21 due to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, it was reported earlier in the offseason that Chicago Blackhawks Jonathan Toews was expected to return to play this year. Roumeliotis reports that after summer workouts, Toews rejoined the team today for his first formal practice since 2020. It would be a huge add for Chicago to get their captain back into the fold after an offseason that saw them forge a deeper team throughout. While Toews’ practice today went well, he hopes for but won’t guarantee an opening night appearance when their season opens in Colorado on Wednesday, October 13.
  • The contract negotiation saga of Brady Tkachuk has largely been an arduous, open-to-the-public process that continues to plant nervousness in Senators fans. It’s come to a head in recent days, as training camp has now begun without Ottawa’s best forward in the fold. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that in his absence, they’ve kept the other two-thirds of his line together in Josh Norris and Drake Batherson. While it’s anybody’s guess on who could fill that role during play if Tkachuk misses the start of the season, head coach D.J. Smith used forward Nick Paul in that first-line left-wing role today. Potentially a sign of things to come, it’s still anything but a guarantee.

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