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Mike Hoffman

Calvert Suspended One Game For Kuhnhackl Cross-Check

April 15, 2017 at 6:09 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 1 Comment

Columbus Blue Jacket Matt Calvert has indeed been suspended by the Department of Player Safety for one game for his cross-check Friday night on Tom Kuhnhackl. This is the first suspension of the 2017 postseason. As referenced by colleague Mike Furlano earlier in the day, this suspension was one which was difficult to predict. The Department of Player Safety has been notoriously inconsistent in its application of league rules, especially when the playoffs are concerned.

The last suspension for a cross-check was assessed to Mike Hoffman of the Ottawa Senators on December 14th of last year, for a length of two games. The video of the infraction can be viewed here, with commentary from the DoPS. Although this play is certainly reckless, it occurs in front of the net in a tied game, in what could conceivably be construed as a “hockey play”. Hoffman, like Calvert, had no previous fines or suspensions – “prior history” in the eyes of the league. The Calvert play, meanwhile, occurs at center ice with little time in a game that is virtually over. Perhaps most importantly is the difference between reactions of the two players, on the ice and off. Hoffman attempted to justify his actions by explaining the riding of his stick upwards on the back of Logan Couture. On the ice, he stumbled over the player after delivering the blow. Calvert, conversely, changed his path and doubled back to deliver a body check to the hunched Kuhnhackl’s head following the cross-check.

Perhaps the greatest grievance of hockey fans is the inconsistency when it comes to intent. Not unlike ethical dilemmas, we often choose to judge the severity of a misstep by the underlying intent. Was the offender malicious and knowing in his action, or was the action merely a result of circumstance? Society functions in this way, the law works this way, and even the NHL rulebook provides a separate match penalty towards those who attempt to injury opponents. A large reason why the Scott Stevens headshots have left the game is because the intent was not merely to separate the player from the puck, but to inflict grievous bodily harm. One can only hope that a Todd Bertuzzi incident won’t be necessary for the league to take more substantial, decisive action to protect its players, postseason or regular, star or 4th -liner, history or not.

Officiating will likely continue to pose an issue this post-season, as fans’ patience for situational leniency will be tested.

 

 

Columbus Blue Jackets| Injury| NHL| Ottawa Senators| Pittsburgh Penguins| Players| Suspensions Logan Couture| Matt Calvert| Mike Hoffman| NHL Player Safety

1 comment

Expansion Draft Issues: Post-Trade Deadline

March 5, 2017 at 6:51 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 3 Comments

Last month, we looked at several teams facing some tough situations in regards to the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft and offered potential solutions to how they could address their needs for forwards, defensemen and goalies at the NHL Trade Deadline. With March 1st over and done with, many of those squads have solved their problems with signings or acquisitions.

Calgary Flames

Problem: Defense

Status: Solved

The Flames solved their problem of otherwise having to expose Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, or Dougie Hamilton with the ingenious signing of Matt Bartkowski, the only defenseman on the planet who was both free to acquire and automatically eligible for exposure in the draft. It’s a good thing they signed him too, since they ended up trading away their best fall-back option, young defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka.

Carolina Hurricanes

Problem: Defense

Status: Unsolved

It was a pretty quiet deadline in Raleigh, as the ’Canes shipped out Ron Hainsey and Viktor Stalberg and then called it a day. What they didn’t do was acquire another body on the blue line to help solve their lack of a defenseman to expose. Carolina is still facing the problem of All-Star Justin Faulk being the only defenseman on the roster currently meeting the criteria for mandated exposure, due to the majority of their defensemen being too young to be eligible altogether. There is no way that Faulk is there for the taking by Vegas, but GM Ron Francis is left with only two choices: extend impending RFA Klas Dahlbeck or extend impending UFA Matt Tennyson and make sure he plays in seven more games this season, as he’s currently short of the 40-game mark.

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Chicago Blackhawks

Problem: Forwards

Status: Solved

While the Blackhawks are always a threat to make a surprising change, GM Stan Bowman went a more traditional route in solving his expansion draft. Faced with the possibility of losing young Ryan Hartman, one of just two players who, at the time, met the criteria for exposure, Bowman simply decided to extend grinder Jordin Tootoo for another year. Tootoo qualifies for the two-forward quota, so regardless of his lack of production, he was a cheap solution to Chicago’s problem.

Dallas Stars

Problem: Forwards

Status: Unsolved

The Stars’s problem wasn’t as simple as trading for or acquiring just one player. They likely will have to decide between exposing Antoine Roussel and Cody Eakin when push comes to shove, but they shouldn’t have to expose both. That is the current state of the Stars after they shipped away several impending free agents at the deadline, but failed to bring in anyone that meets the Expansion Draft criteria. Luckily, they have quite a few options in-house that they could extend and expose such as Ales Hemsky, Jiri Hudler, Adam Cracknell, and Curtis McKenzie. 

New Jersey Devils

Problem: Forwards

Status: Unsolved

The Devils got what they could for their free agent pieces at the deadline, trading away P.A. Parenteau for a draft pick and Kyle Quincey for Dalton Prout. However, they missed out on the chance to fix their forward problem in the Expansion Draft in the process. The Devils want to protect their core five of Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Adam Henrique, Mike Cammalleri, and Travis Zajac, but that leaves Devante Smith-Pelly as the lone forward who qualifies for the quota. Now, New Jersey and GM Ray Shero are in a position where they must re-sign a young forward like Jacob Josefson, Beau Bennett, or Stefan Noesen (if he plays in 13 more games) and subsequently make them available, which they likely would have preferred not to.

New York Rangers

Problem: Forwards

Status: Unsolved

The Rangers also passed up a chance at solving their draft conundrum on deadline day. New York acquired two forward, Daniel Catenacci and Taylor Beck, but neither one qualifies for exposure. In order for the Rangers to protect all of their impressive, young core forwards, they’ll now need to extend one of Brandon Pirri, Jesper Fast, Oscar Lindberg or potentially Matt Puempel or Tanner Glass if either one plays another handful of games this season. Regardless, the Rangers don’t need to be overly worried about who they expose as their second forward, as they’ve likely come to grips with the strong possibility that their first forward, Michael Grabner, will be targeted by Vegas GM George McPhee.

Ottawa Senators

Problem: Forwards

Status: Unsolved

The Senators were busy at the deadline and their biggest move was also the move that impacts their expansion plans the most, the acquisition and extension of Alexandre Burrows. Although the Senators gave up a potential future star in Jonathan Dahlen to get Burrows, an extension prior to playing a single minute with the team means that GM Pierre Dorian had expansion on his mind. Yet, Burrows only solves one issue, as the Senators needed two eligible forwards – assuming they plan on protecting Bobby Ryan – if they also want to keep Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, Derick Brassard, Kyle Turris, and Zack Smith out of the Golden Knights’ grasp. Luckily, they have a veritable laundry list of extension options on the roster now, ranging from recent additions Tommy Wingels and Viktor Stalberg to veterans Chris Neil, Chris Kelly, and Tom Pyatt. 

Philadelphia Flyers

Problem: Goaltending

Status: Solved

Not too many people were excited about this move, but the Flyers announced on deadline day that they had extended struggling goalie Michal Neuvirth for two more years at $2.5MM per year. This means that they can expose Neuvirth to meet the one-goalie quota and protect promising prospect Anthony Stolarz. However, Philly overpaid to make this happen and it seems very unlikely that the Knights would bite on Neuvirth’s new contract. They’re likely saddled with his .887 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average for another two seasons. So really one problem solved, another created.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Problem: Forwards

Status: Solved

The Leaf’s expansion problem was never a big one, it was just that they would have to expose and potentially lose Leo Komarov when they really didn’t have to. They understood the scenario was though and did what was expected of many teams but actually done by no one else: threw in a qualifying forward to an existing deal. Toronto’s trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins was centered around Frank Corrado and a fourth-round pick, but by tossing Eric Fehr into the mix, especially after he cleared waiver, the Leafs now have a body that can occupy the other forward spot in the Expansion Draft and can then be forgotten in the AHL if he isn’t selected. A smart move by the legend, Lou Lamoriello.

Washington Capitals

Problem: Forwards

Status: Unsolved

Finally, the Caps may have made the biggest splash at the trade deadline, but did nothing to help their Expansion Draft situation with two important forwards. Because they can only protect seven forwards, Washington will have to expose one of Lars Eller and Jay Beagle. While it’s a toss up between the two – Eller has had a disappointing season but was acquired just this summer for two second-rounders, Beagle is a career Cap who is a face-off wizard and always good for moderate production – they certainly don’t want to expose both, as they currently would have to. The easiest solution is to extend and expose either Daniel Winnik or Brett Connolly. The again, if the Capitals are confident that Philipp Grubauer is going to be Vegas’ pick, as many are speculating, maybe they just bite the bullet and leave both Eller and Beagle unprotected after all.

 

Calgary Flames| Carolina Hurricanes| Chicago Blackhawks| Dallas Stars| Expansion| George McPhee| New Jersey Devils| New York Rangers| Ottawa Senators| Philadelphia Flyers| Pierre Dorion| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vegas Golden Knights| Washington Capitals Adam Cracknell| Ales Hemsky| Beau Bennett| Bobby Ryan| Brandon Pirri| Brett Connolly| Chris Neil| Cody Eakin| Daniel Winnik| Derick Brassard| Dougie Hamilton| Eric Fehr| Jacob Josefson| Jesper Fast| Jiri Hudler| Justin Faulk| Jyrki Jokipakka| Klas Dahlbeck| Kyle Palmieri| Kyle Quincey| Lars Eller| Mark Giordano| Mark Stone| Matt Bartkowski| Matt Puempel| Matt Tennyson| Michael Grabner| Michal Neuvirth| Mike Cammalleri| Mike Hoffman| Oscar Lindberg

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Vancouver Canucks Trade Alex Burrows To Ottawa Senators

February 27, 2017 at 2:55 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 12 Comments

Following the Maple Leafs’ acquisition of Brian Boyle, the Ottawa Senators have made their own deal up front. The Vancouver Canucks have sent Alex Burrows east in exchange for Jonathan Dahlen, a prospect selected in the second round this summer. The deal includes a two-year extension for Burrows which will pay him $2.5MM per season.Alex Burrows

Ottawa has needed help on the wing since Bobby Ryan broke a finger and was ruled out for more than a month if not before. When Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman were both injured the next day, it proved just how fragile their depth at the position was. Burrows adds to that depth in a big way, despite not being the 30-goal scorer of his youth. His production has dropped to that of a third liner in recent years, though he does give you some special teams flexibility with experience on both the powerplay and penalty kill.

Burrows is currently earning a full season salary of just $3MM, though his cap-hit comes in at $4.5MM. For a team like Ottawa who does not spend right up to the cap, having a lower actual salary is a big plus.

Despite having his offensive production slip in recent seasons, Burrows still provides an ample amount of sandpaper to any game, getting under the skin of star players and often forcing teams into bad penalties. His style of play and general demeanor will be welcome on an Ottawa team that has missed that kind of play from Chris Neil due to being scratched or only playing a handful of minutes. Burrows would immediately become a hated target in the Atlantic Division, and a valuable playoff asset.

Burrows had a full no-trade clause in his contract, and may have only been willing to waive it after agreeing to an extension with the Senators. There was no guarantee he would get a two-year deal on the open market this summer, especially at the age of 35. With the Atlantic crown is clearly up for grabs, the Maple Leafs and Senators have pushed some of their chips forward as they reach for the top. We’ll see if the Montreal Canadiens now answer with a move of their own (turns out they will).

In Dahlen, the Senators have paid a very high price for the addition of grit and depth. The Swedish prospect was selected at #42 in this summer’s draft and is tearing up the Swedish second league with 41 points in 43 games. The 19-year old forward is an exceptionally skilled offensive player that dropped in the draft due to his small stature. The Canucks, dealing with a nightmarish season have pried a very good return out of a rental with a no-trade clause. While they didn’t receive any draft picks, Dahlen should be considered no worse than a late-first/early-second round pick in this year’s draft.

It’s a hefty price to pay for Burrows, even if he does fit the Senators lineup well. We’ll see if Ottawa has any more additions in the next few days, as teams load up for a dogfight in the last two months.

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun was the first to announce that the two were finalizing a deal, though Joshua Kloke of The Athletic heard rumors of the deal earlier today. Kloke would include that it came with an extension, one that Dan Murphy of Sportsnet gave us the financials on.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Montreal Canadiens| Newsstand| Ottawa Senators| Players| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions| Vancouver Canucks Alex Burrows| Bobby Ryan| Brian Boyle| Chris Neil| Mark Stone| Mike Hoffman

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Injury Notes: Marner, Pouliot, Senators

February 24, 2017 at 2:24 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

Mitch Marner is likely out again on Saturday night, but it doesn’t seem like that’s what his coach wants. Yesterday before Marner sat out against the New York Rangers, Mike Babcock told Kristen Shilton of TSN that it’s not up to him at this point.

Mitch and I had that little discussion today. We wondered how the science project was going…and we didn’t get any good answers.

I’ve said it before – that’s why coaches and players aren’t allowed to make those decisions.

Shilton again today reported that Marner had a vigorous on-ice workout on his own before Leafs practice, but didn’t skate with the team. Babcock would love to know when he gets his dynamic winger back, and so would Leafs fans. The team could have used him last night in a shootout loss against the Rangers, and it has now been nine days since he suffered his “day-to-day” upper-body injury.

  • Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED reports that the Edmonton Oilers got some good—or bad, depending on who you ask—news today on the injury front, as Benoit Pouliot rejoined the team in Washington. Andrej Sekera also was at practice though Adam Larsson, who missed Wednesday’s game with a lower-body injury, was still absent.
  • Columbus has lost winger Matt Calvert on a week-to-week basis, according to the team. Calvery suffered an oblique injury just before their bye-week, but will be out on a longer term than expected. This is the reason for the Markus Hannikainen emergency recall this morning.
  • Terry Frei of the Denver Post tells us that both Erik Johnson and Rene Bourque will be back in the lineup tomorrow, a good sign for a team heading into the trade deadline. Bourque could warrant a look from teams looking for depth up front if he can prove he’s healthy enough to contribute.
  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen is the bearer of bad news for Senators fans, as he reports that both Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone likely won’t play tomorrow night against the Carolina Hurricanes. Stone has a chance, but head coach Guy Boucher “wouldn’t bet on it”. If the pair remains out for any length of time, the Senators may be forced to make a move at the deadline, if they weren’t already planning one.

Carolina Hurricanes| Coaches| Edmonton Oilers| Injury| Mike Babcock| New York Rangers| Ottawa Senators Adam Larsson| Andrej Sekera| Benoit Pouliot| Mark Stone| Markus Hannikainen| Mike Hoffman| Mitch Marner

1 comment

Injury Notes: Marner, Senators, Johnson

February 22, 2017 at 2:58 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Maple Leafs escaped with two points last night against Winnipeg despite having to kill an Auston Matthews penalty in overtime, and got some more good news this morning. Though practice was cancelled for the majority of the team, Mitch Marner hit the ice and looked no worse for wear since sustaining a shoulder injury last week. Though coach Mike Babcock says he won’t play tomorrow night against the New York Rangers, he has a chance at playing on Saturday.

That would be a nice boost for the Maple Leafs who are actually just five points out of first place in the Atlantic Division. The continued brilliance of their rookies was on display again last night as Matthews recorded three assists in the victory.

  • The Leafs will be without Connor Carrick however, who suffered an upper-body injury when he collided awkwardly with Mathieu Perreault and left the game. Alexey Marchenko will slot into the lineup in his place for the first time since being acquired off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this month. Carrick’s timeline for return is unknown.
  • Pierre Dorion told the Ottawa Citizen that both Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone could play as early as Sunday, which is extremely important news for the Ottawa Senators. Getting the two wingers back would be a boost to a group that had trouble scoring last night in a 2-1 victory. The team generated just 23 shots on goal and needed Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson—their two remaining offensive options—to each light the lamp in the win.
  • Erik Johnson will return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup on Saturday according to Terry Frei of the Denver Post. The big defenseman has been out since the beginning of December and is finally skating without the non-contact jersey. As the Avalanche prepare for a busy trade deadline, Johnson looks like he’ll remain in Denver for the time being. His long contract and partial no-trade clause would make him difficult to move in-season even if there were people impressed enough by his return.
  • Ryan Callahan had another surgery on his hip yesterday, and is out indefinitely for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Callahan only played in 18 games for the club this season and now sounds like he might be out for the remainder of the year. While he’s not an integral part of their offense, losing a player of his experience is never a good thing. About to turn 32, Callahan is signed for another three seasons in Tampa Bay at a cap-hit of $5.8MM. Steve Yzerman said just a few days ago that he was operating under the assumption that Callahan and Steven Stamkos would be back at some point along with their cap-hits, and perhaps this clears that up.

Colorado Avalanche| Detroit Red Wings| Injury| Mike Babcock| Ottawa Senators| Rookies| Toronto Maple Leafs| Waivers Alexey Marchenko| Auston Matthews| Erik Karlsson| Mark Stone| Mathieu Perreault| Mike Hoffman| Mitch Marner

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Ottawa Senators Receiving Calls On Curtis Lazar

February 22, 2017 at 10:01 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Trade season is alive and well with just a week left before the deadline, and in Ottawa they have been struck with a rash of injuries up front. Bobby Ryan, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone are all dealing with different ailments, and the team might need to make a move to solidify their top-six as they try to capture the Atlantic Division crown. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that GM Pierre Dorion has received calls on the underperforming Curtis Lazar, but would prefer to keep him if possible. Lazar amazingly has just one point this season despite seeing more ice time since the injuries.

It has been previously reported that the Senators would like to extend Lazar, banking on his pedigree and potential over production. The former 17th-overall pick now just has 36 points in 175 NHL contests and has seen his entire game weaken this season. Still just 22-years old he’s by no means a lost cause but has to start to turn around his career soon or be labelled as another late first-round bust.

Garrioch adds that Dorion has received permission from owner Eugene Melnyk to make a move at the deadline if it means making it back to the playoffs. The Senators haven’t won a playoff round since 2012-13, and need the revenue generated by home dates to help with their internal budget. They are by no means a cap-ceiling team, and have a lot of room to make an addition if ownership signs off on the salary increase. Dorion admits the only thing he would do is go after a forward to help up front, as his defense corps is pretty well set going into the stretch run.

In goal, Mike Condon appears to be ready to sign a long-term deal with the Senators at some point after showing his capabilities this season. Garrioch reports though that the two sides have tabled talks until after the busy deadline. After playing in 55 games for the Montreal Canadiens last season when Carey Price was injured, Condon was forced into a similar role when Craig Anderson needed to leave the team to be with his ailing wife. In 33 games with the Senators this season, Condon has a .913 save percentage which is right in line with goaltenders like Martin Jones and Frederik Andersen. Condon is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, but the Senators do still have Anderson under contract for another season. For a team like the Sens, holding two goaltenders with substantial cap hits isn’t really an option. We’ll see how they deal with it as they head into the summer and expansion draft.

Expansion| Ottawa Senators Bobby Ryan| Craig Anderson| Curtis Lazar| Mark Stone| Mike Condon| Mike Hoffman

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Senators Injury Notes: Ryan, Stone, Hoffman

February 21, 2017 at 12:25 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

After recently losing four forwards in a couple of days, the Ottawa Senators took the ice this morning ahead of their game against the New Jersey Devils and gave some clarification on the group. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports on the injuries, including an unexpected absence from the skate.

  • Bobby Ryan has a broken finger and will be out at least a month. The original timeline was somewhere between three to six weeks when it was believed to be a broken hand. In something that has become a trend for Ryan, he’ll sit out with a broken digit instead; the winger has broken a finger four times in the past three and a half years, and twice already this season. The struggling winger hasn’t been able to repeat even his 22 goal season from a year ago (which in itself was a down season) and has forced the Senators to look for an upgrade up front as the deadline approaches.
  • Mark Stone, the victim of Jacob Trouba’s suspension-causing illegal check the other night is out with a neck injury and has no timeline for his return. Head coach Guy Boucher made it very clear that it isn’t a head injury as it first appeared. Remember that Stone suffered a concussion in training camp this season. As their best offensive forward, Stone’s absence will leave another big hole on the wing if he’s out for any length of time.
  • Mike Hoffman, who exited the same game in the second period is out with a groin injury and will not play tonight. It doesn’t seem as serious as the other two, but groin injuries do tend to linger and get re-aggravated if pushed too hard too soon. Another winger, the Sens will have some interesting line combinations tonight as they start a four-game road trip.
  • Dion Phaneuf was also missing from practice, but apparently just took the morning off for maintenance. Senators fans can breathe deeply knowing that he and Tommy Wingels will both suit up tonight for the game.

If the Senators want to capture the Atlantic Division crown, they may have to go out and add a player (or two) up front to fill in for these injuries. With Stone, Hoffman and Ryan out, they’ve lost three of their top five goal scoring threats and a ton of depth on the wing. Even a rental at this point may be worth it if the injuries linger, as they still have plenty of teams nipping at their heels for those last few playoff spots.

Guy Boucher| Injury| Ottawa Senators Bobby Ryan| Dion Phaneuf| Jacob Trouba| Mark Stone| Mike Hoffman| Tommy Wingels

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Ottawa Senators Recall Casey Bailey, Max McCormick From AHL

February 20, 2017 at 11:35 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

After losing several forwards to injury last night against the Winnipeg Jets, the Ottawa Senators have recalled two players from Binghamton to help fill the gaps. Casey Bailey and Max McCormick will both come up and likely see playing time right away, as the Senators will face New Jersey tomorrow night. Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone and Tommy Wingels all left the game last night after suffering injuries, and though there hasn’t been an official update on their status, the call-ups likely mean that at least two of them will miss some time. This comes on the heels of the news that Bobby Ryan will miss several weeks with a fractured wrist.

Bailey came over from the Toronto Maple Leafs last season in the Dion Phaneuf trade, and has played just five games with the big club this season. For the baby-Sens though, he’s been an effective scoring threat if not the dominant power forward some had hoped he could become when the Leafs signed him out of college in 2015. He has 14 goals in 44 games in the AHL this season, though he hasn’t scored for Ottawa.

McCormick is much of the same, scoring at a solid pace in the AHL but held pointless in a five game stint for Ottawa. Another NCAA import, McCormick is smaller than Bailey but a much more physical presence on the ice. Willing to drop his gloves if the need arises, his hard forecheck is the signature of his game.

Neither of these players are capable replacements for Stone or Hoffman, who lead the team in goals with 22 and 19 respectively. If the Senators are without either or both for a considerable amount of time, perhaps they’ll look even harder at players available on the trade market as we get close to the deadline. With the Montreal Canadiens within striking distance, the Senators could easily take over first place in the Atlantic Division by the end of the season and guarantee themselves home ice advantage throughout the first few rounds. On the other hand, the Bruins, Maple Leafs and now Panthers are all nipping at their heels for the second spot, and time without their top offensive threats would put them at risk of even securing a playoff spot. Welcome to the Eastern Conference, where everyone is still in it.

AHL| Injury| Ottawa Senators| Players| Winnipeg Jets Bobby Ryan| Casey Bailey| Mark Stone| Mike Hoffman

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Senators Lose Hoffman, Stone, And Wingels To Injuries

February 19, 2017 at 9:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

The past 24 hours have not been good for the Ottawa Senators when it comes to injuries.  After learning they’ll be without winger Bobby Ryan for potentially up to six weeks earlier on Sunday, they lost wingers Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, and Tommy Wingels all to separate injuries in a loss to the Jets.

Hoffman suffered a lower body injury in the second period while Stone left the game near the midway mark of the third following a hit to the head from Winnipeg blueliner Jacob Trouba.  As for Wingels, he was injured with just under three minutes to go in a collision with Dustin Byfuglien.

While no updates were publicly available following the game, head coach Guy Boucher didn’t sound too optimistic in his postgame press comments (via Darren Desaulniers of the Canadian Press):

“It doesn’t look good. We have to wait until tomorrow to be clear and precise but right now we could be losing quite a few guys.”

Stone leads the Senators in goals and sits second in points behind only Erik Karlsson while Hoffman slots in fourth in team scoring.  As for Wingels, he hasn’t been too active on the scoreboard but has provided the Sens with a physical presence in their bottom six.

In the short-term, this would seemingly provide an opportunity for Curtis Lazar to see a bigger role.  Senators GM Pierre Dorion met with Lazar’s agent earlier this weekend and there were suggestions earlier in the week that his name had been popping up more frequently in trade talks.  The former first round pick (17th overall in 2013) has had a nightmarish season so far with just a single assist in 31 games.  Chris Neil, who was a healthy scratch on Sunday, also should be in line for more regular playing time if at least some of the injured trio will miss some time.

In the meantime, it seems likely that Dorion will be working the phones in the coming days to see what the cost might be to bring in some more depth up front as the Sens try to push for top spot in the Atlantic Division; they sit two points behind Montreal but have two games in hand.

Injury| Ottawa Senators Mark Stone| Mike Hoffman| Tommy Wingels

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Expansion Draft Issues At The Trade Deadline: Forwards

February 11, 2017 at 5:32 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

This trade season is one like never before. The addition of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18 and the Expansion Draft that goes along with it add a whole other layer to trade-making this year. With each and every transaction, the expansion draft protection formula can change. Even in 2000, when the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets were welcomed into the league, the expansion rules were not a strict and general managers did not have to be as paranoid about their moves. This time around, everything is different. What does it all mean? For fans, there is a real possibility that this could be the quietest Trade Deadline in recent memory. Buyers interested in impending free agent rentals may not have to worry about the draft implications, but the sellers potentially taking back roster players with term certainly do. Trading is hard enough, especially in a season with very few teams significantly out of the playoff race, and expansion will only increase those barriers. Luckily, there are several teams that need to make moves prior to the deadline or they could risk being in very sticky situations when the Knights get ready to make their selections. With teams like the Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Anaheim Ducks, who have so much talented, veteran depth at multiple positions, there is really not much that they can do; they’re going to lose a good player. For others, a sensible contract extension can solve all of their problems. However, for these teams, making a trade before it’s too late may be exactly what they need. We’ve looked at the defense conundrums of the Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and the goaltending scenario of the Philadelphia Flyers, but there a quite a few more teams with problems up front that need solving:

Chicago Blackhawks

Luckily for the Blackhawks, it’s hard to remember a deadline where GM Stan Bowman didn’t add a veteran forward. This year they may really need one though, regardless of their Cup run condition, to protect young scorer Ryan Hartman. The 22-year-old winger has 13 goals and 10 assists in his first full season with Chicago, and if nothing changes it would likely be his last season in Chicago. In setting their protected list for the Expansion Draft, the Blackhawks must protect Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Artem Anisimov due to their no-movement clauses. They would, of course, have protected those four anyway, but other than that group, the team has only two other players that meet the draft criteria of having two unprotected forwards that have played in 40 games this season or 70 games over the past two seasons and have term remaining on their contract: Marcus Kruger and Hartman. Kruger is not a great loss, but retaining Hartman is a major priority as the deadline approaches. The ‘Hawks could simply re-sign 30-year-old Andrew Desjardins or 34-year-old Jordin Tootoo, who both hit the 40/70 benchmark, but are impending free agents. However, the pair have combined for one point in 63 man-games this season and may not strike Bowman as players worth keeping, since they are nearly guaranteed to not be selected by Vegas. Richard Panik and Dennis Rasmussen are both restricted free agents who would also qualify if given an extension, but the team might think twice about exposing either player when they don’t have to. If push comes to shove, Chicago would surely rather lose Rasmussen or have to re-sign Desjardins if it means that Hartman is safe, but acquiring an affordable, serviceable forward with years remaining on his contract prior to the deadline may be the easier move for Bowman and company.

Dallas Stars

Despite their performance this season, the Stars are very much built like a team trying to make one last run at a Stanley Cup. Only five players on Dallas and on the AHL’s Texas Stars have both two years of professional play under their belt and term remaining on those contracts. The rest of the team is composed of impending unrestricted free agents and the AHL squad is mostly restricted free agents.  Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza have no-movement clauses and are obviously safe, as is All-Star Tyler Seguin. However, without any further moves, Dallas would have to leave 25-year-old center Cody Eakin and team enforcer Antoine Roussel exposed in the draft. With the likes of Radek Faksa, Brett Ritchie and (probably) Valeri Nichushkin needing to be protected as well, the Star’s may have to leave one or the other on the table, but certainly not both. Roussel is having a career year, on pace to beat his career-high 29 points while also skating a career-best 15 minutes per game. Eakin, who missed time earlier this year and has been held to just six points in 33 games, is regardless coming off of three straight seasons of 35+ points and is just entering his prime. If they want to protect one or both, moves need to be made. Dallas is not short on extension options, with UFA’s Patrick Sharp, Patrick Eaves, Jiri Hudler, Lauri Korpikoski, Adam Cracknell and even the injured Ales Hemsky meeting the 40/70 criterion. However, if the Stars want to make up for their disappointing season, trading several of those players for picks and prospects at the deadline seems likely may eliminate some choices. In the process of moving out that trade capital, it may simply be easier for GM Jim Nill to add one or two qualifying forwards along the way.

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New Jersey Devils

As previewed in their Trade Deadline Primer, the Devils have a similar conundrum to the Stars. Outside of their core forwards, the young New Jersey team is mostly made up of impending restricted free agents. There’s no reason that New Jersey should have to break up their strong group of Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Adam Henrique, Travis Zajac, and Mike Cammalleri with no other priority protectorates, but as of now one of that group would have to join Devante Smith-Pelly as potential future Knights. No one else on the roster currently meets the 40/70 mark and also has term remaining on their current deal. Upcoming unrestricted free agent P.A. Parenteau could be exposed if re-signed, but he represents one of New Jersey’s best trade chips at the deadline as they look to continue their rebuild. Beau Bennett and Jacob Josefson would also qualify if re-signed, but Josefson has struggled all season and is either a trade candidate or a player the Devils could move on from and it’s doubtful that New Jersey would expose Bennett after just trading for him at the NHL Draft last June. The easiest move for GM Ray Shero is probably to just bring in another body to expose via trade prior to March 1st.

New York Rangers

The Rangers are going to lose a talented forward in the expansion draft, there’s no question about that. However, they would currently have to expose two top forwards instead of just one. New York has seven forwards who meet exposure criteria – Rick Nash, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, and Michael Grabner – and another player in obvious need of protection in RFA center Mika Zibanejad. The draft rules allow them to protect seven forwards, and given Nash’s no-movement clause, the odd man out is likely the 2016-17 rebound star Grabner. However, until another player becomes exposure-eligible or an eligible player is acquired, another Rangers’ impact forward would have to join Grabner and would be even more likely to be selected. Now, the fact that New York has seven forwards already lined up for protection actually helps them. They don’t have to consider whether or not they want to expose other impending restricted free agents, because they don’t have that option. They probably have already come to grips with the fact that they will likely lose Grabner. Thus, the extension and subsequent exposure of Jesper Fast, Brandon Pirri, Oscar Lindberg, or possibly even Matt Puempel would satisfy the two-forward criteria. However, the other route that remains is to acquire an a qualifying forward and save RFA negotiations for the summer.

Ottawa Senators

The streaking Senators are in the midst of a surprising playoff-caliber season, but may need to turn some attention to Expansion Draft preparation before it’s too late, because they have a few different issues to consider. Recent reports have indicated that Ottawa may ask Dion Phaneuf to waive his no-movement clause so that they can protect Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci, and Marc Methot along with seven forwards. Another newsworthy rumor has been that the Senators may leave struggling star Bobby Ryan and his $7MM yearly cap hit exposed in the draft. If Ottawa cannot get Phaneuf to waive his clause and choose instead to protect all four defensemen, then their expansion problem with forwards is beyond help; they will lose a talented scorer whether they expose Ryan or not. That seems highly unlikely though, so assume for now that Phaneuf agrees or the Sens expose Methot. Unfortunately, they are still not out of the weeds, with or without Ryan. The Senators have six forwards who qualify for exposure by having years remain on their contracts and playing 40 games this year or 70 over the past two: Ryan, Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, Derick Brassard, Kyle Turris, and Zack Smith. Stone, Hoffman, and Turris lead the team in goal-scoring, while Brassard is recently-acquired and Smith is fresh off a contract extension. Ottawa has no interest in losing any of those five, and the Ryan rumor would mostly serve to open up another spot to add both RFA’s Ryan Dzingel and Curtis Lazar to the protected list. However, just exposing Ryan wouldn’t be enough; the Senators need another qualifying forward to meet the two-player quota. Should they trade Lazar, which has been talked about, and decide to keep Ryan, then Ottawa will need two qualifying forwards. The Senators are quietly facing quite the conundrum. Luckily, their recent move to bring in Tommy Wingels from the San Jose Sharks could help them solve their problems. Ottawa will likely want to steer away from extensions for ineffective veterans Chris Neil and Chris Kelly, but if they can re-sign Wingels and Jean-Gabriel Pageau prior to the Expansion Draft, then they will cover their bases. Two new extensions during trade deadline season, the stretch run, and the postseason is somewhat of a daunting task for the Sens though, who may choose to bring in one or two qualifying forwards via trade instead.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Despite the immense number of Leafs forwards in their first or second pro seasons, the team’s expansion problems are not all that bad. In fact, their controversy comes down to one player: Leo Komarov. Toronto can comfortably protect centerpieces Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk from exposure, and probably don’t have to worry about the massive Matt Martin contract being scooped up by Vegas either. However, the only other Toronto player who meets the 40/70 rule and has remaining term is Komarov. If the Leafs had to make a tough call, Komarov just turned 30 and is having a down year, so the loss wouldn’t be huge. They shouldn’t have to make that call though. There is more than enough room for Kadri, Bozak, van Riemsdyk, Komarov, Connor Brown, and even two more on the protected list. Nearly a 20-goal scorer last year and reportedly a great mentor for some of the Leafs’ young stars, Komarov has earned his spot in Toronto and the team likely wants to keep him around. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy extension fix. Brooks Laich and, if he plays seven more games, Ben Smith present the only players who could meet qualification if they were to re-sign and Laich has been buried in the minors all season while Smith has just three points in 29 games. Of every team in trouble with balancing their forwards for the Expansion Draft, Toronto seems the most likely to go out and get a forward to expose via trade if they want to protect Komarov.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals are in nearly an identical situation to the Dallas Stars. Qualifiers Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Marcus Johansson, and Tom Wilson are safe, as are impending restricted free agents Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. However, there is one spot left on the protected list, but the number of unrestricted free agents on the team make it that Lars Eller and Jay Beagle are the only other forwards who can cover the two 40/70 exposure slots. The team faces a chance of losing one, but they shouldn’t have to offer up both. Eller is in his first year in Washington and it cost two second-round picks to get him, while Beagle is a career Cap and a face-off dynamo. The Capitals likely know which one they would prefer to keep, but will need to make a move to protect him. Expensive extensions for T.J. Oshie or Justin Williams just to then let Vegas take them doesn’t make any sense, but that strategy may work for veteran Daniel Winnik. Also, the team would probably like to bring back 24-year-old sniper Brett Connolly, but he likely doesn’t make the extension short list. They might look to re-sign him to meet the quota in hopes that the Knights take goaltender Philipp Grubauer instead as has been rumored.

Chicago Blackhawks| Dallas Stars| Expansion| Jim Nill| New Jersey Devils| New York Rangers| Ottawa Senators| RFA| Ray Shero| Stan Bowman| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions| Vegas Golden Knights| Washington Capitals Adam Cracknell| Ales Hemsky| Alex Ovechkin| Andre Burakovsky| Andrew Desjardins| Artem Anisimov| Beau Bennett| Ben Smith| Bobby Ryan| Brandon Pirri| Brett Connolly| Brooks Laich| Chris Kreider| Chris Neil| Cody Ceci| Cody Eakin| Curtis Lazar| Daniel Winnik| Derick Brassard| Dion Phaneuf| Erik Karlsson| Evgeny Kuznetsov| J.T. Miller| Jacob Josefson| James van Riemsdyk| Jamie Benn| Jason Spezza| Jiri Hudler| Jonathan Toews| Jordin Tootoo| Kevin Hayes| Kyle Palmieri| Lars Eller| Lauri Korpikoski| Marc Methot| Marcus Johansson| Marcus Kruger| Marian Hossa| Mark Stone| Matt Puempel| Michael Grabner| Mika Zibanejad| Mike Cammalleri| Mike Hoffman| Nazem Kadri| Nicklas Backstrom| Oscar Lindberg| Patrick Kane| Patrick Sharp| Ryan Hartman| Trade Deadline Previews

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