Senators Engaged In Extension Talks With Thomas Chabot
After signing forward Colin White to a six-year, $28.5MM extension last week, GM Pierre Dorion and the Ottawa Senators have turned their attention to talented young defenseman Thomas Chabot. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that the Senators have entered talks with Chabot about a new contract. Chabot’s entry-level contract expires after this coming season, but the team likely wants to avoid a difficult negotiation with their young star. However, whileDorion was happy to talk to Garrioch about White, he kept things close to the chest when it came to Chabot:
In the case of Colin White we were able to keep everything very confidential and we were able to get a contract done. We don’t think talking publicly about any contract negotiations, whether it’s Chabot or any pending UFA, does us any good. But we understand the importance of our young core and having them in Ottawa as long as possible… We’re going to keep (Chabot details) quiet, we’ve had discussions and I don’t want think I should say anymore.
The 22-year-old Chabot recorded a whopping 55 points in 70 games in just his second NHL season in 2018-19, including a team-high 41 assists. In total, Chabot has accumulated 80 points through his first 134 NHL games and is considered one of the best young offensive defensemen in the game. With so many departures from Ottawa over the last six months, the pressure will be on Chabot to take on an even bigger role moving forward. With that also comes the opportunity to produce even more offense on a Senators blue line largely devoid of any other established puck-movers.
Whereas White currently is owed more money than any other player on the Ottawa roster, that title will likely be short-lived. With the likes of Charlie McAvoy and Zach Werenski currently sitting unsigned and reportedly eyeing Jacob Trouba’s recent seven-year, $56MM contract as a comparable, Chabot is likely to land in that group as well. Owner Eugene Melnyk has been cautious about committing to large contracts over the last few years, but if he wants to hold on to the new Erik Karlsson, he will have to pay up for Chabot. Fortunately, the team has already begun negotiations, as it could be a long, arduous process.
Prospect Notes: 2020 Draft, Reinhart, WHL
It may only be August, but The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler is already hard at work evaluating next June’s draft class. The 2020 Draft promises to be chock full of talent, with Wheeler calling it more impressive than the most recent draft class and deeper at the top. In fact, he believes it could be the strongest class since 2015, which produced superstars like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Zach Werenski, Mikko Rantanen, Jake Debrusk, Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor, and Thomas Chabot in the top 20 picks alone. Also unlike recent drafts, Wheeler feels the 2020 class will be deeper at forward than defense and will be lacking impact American prospects, with the scout failing to see a U.S. product even enter the conversation as a top-ten pick. So who might be in contention for one of those elite slots? Canadian forward Alexis Lafreniere has long been considered the presumptive top pick and finds himself at No. 1 on Wheeler’s initial draft board as well. However, Swedish forwards Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz could push him for that top spot. College-bound Dylan Holloway is an interesting name to watch as a top-ten candidate, as is Wheeler’s highest-ranked defenseman, Jamie Drysdale. Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov also intrigues Wheeler; he feels the Russian keeper could be the best goalie prospect of this decade. Plenty could change in the ten months still to come before the 2020 Draft, but it never hurts to get a head start on researching who your team could be eyeing next year.
- Unsurprisingly lost in the shuffle of an off-season that has left many major names unsigned is a former top NHL prospect in Griffin Reinhart. NHL teams have been tantalized by Reinhart’s upside seemingly forever without any real results to show for it, but it seems that luck has finally run out. The fourth overall pick in 2012 by the New York Islanders, Reinhart recorded one lone point in eight NHL games in his first pro season before the Edmonton Oilers traded a first- and second-round pick for him. He proceeded to score just one more point in 29 games over two seasons in Edmonton before being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Expansion Draft. In two years in Vegas, he did not see any NHL action and became a Group 6 unrestricted free agent. Reinhart received the benefit of the doubt for many years, but it seems no longer, as there has been practically no talk of the young defenseman this summer.
- The WHL is headed outdoors for just the third time in league history. Sportsnet reports that the Regina Pats will host the Calgary Hitmen in an outdoor game this season on October 27th. The game will take place at Mosaic Stadium in Saskatchewan just one day after the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames square off there for the NHL’s Heritage Classic. The last WHL outdoor game took place back in 2011 and was another Pats-Hitmen contest, again coinciding with the Heritage Classic.
East Notes: Chabot, Sabres, Galchenyuk
While there are plenty of impact restricted free agents still needing to sign, it’s never too early to look ahead to the 2020 crop. Among those slated to become RFAs is Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot. GM Pierre Dorion acknowledged to Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan that there have been discussions about a new deal for the blueliner although he didn’t want to get into any specifics. Chabot had a stellar sophomore season, collecting 55 points in 70 games while seeing his average ice time go up by nearly seven minutes a night. He’ll undoubtedly be keeping an eye on the current RFA market for blueliners (headlined by Zach Werenski, Charlie McAvoy, and Ivan Provorov) as the asking price could very well come in higher than what they get.
Elsewhere in the East:
- While the Sabres are currently sitting over the salary cap, don’t expect them to be making a move anytime soon. In an appearance on WGR 550 (audio link), GM Jason Botterill indicated that the team doesn’t need to make a trade to get back into cap compliance. Instead, it appears that their plan is to demote a veteran player or two to the minors, freeing up $1.075MM per player in the process while Botterill also brought up LTIR as a possible avenue. The team currently is in the middle of their second buyout window but it appears that they won’t be taking advantage of it.
- It doesn’t appear as if the Penguins plan to try to sign recently-acquired winger Alex Galchenyuk to an extension right away. Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that at this point, the team is content to let him play out the season and then make a decision about whether or not to re-sign him next summer or let him walk in unrestricted free agency. The 25-year-old is in the final year of his deal that carries a $4.9MM AAV but has dipped below the 20-goal mark in three straight seasons now so it’s understandable that they will want to take a wait-and-see approach with their new forward.
Aho’s New Contract Via Offer Sheet Could Benefit Thomas Chabot
The recent Montreal Canadiens’ offer sheet to Sebastian Aho that the Carolina Hurricanes matched Saturday was the hope of a team to take advantage of its owner. No one was quite sure what to make of billionaire owner Tom Dundon and whether he would be willing to pay up for his franchise. His early reputation made many wonder if he would be willing to pay a significant amount of money up front and Aho’s offer sheet was frontloaded with $21MM being paid out in the first 12 months of the deal. However, Dundon proved that he is willing to pay for his team as he matched the offer sheet, but it could start a precedent.
While an offer sheet to another player this year remains possible as there are a number of restricted free agents out there looking for a big contract, but the chances of a second offer sheet this offseason seems unlikely. However, many teams may look at Montreal’s plan to target an owner who may not want to pay up and that opportunity could present itself next season in Ottawa and owner Eugene Melnyk.
The Senators have seen their young defenseman Thomas Chabot develop into a star in his second season in the NHL last year. The 22-year-old broke out with a 14-goal, 55-point season and made fans quickly forget about the loss of Erik Karlsson. Now in the final year of his entry-level deal, he will become a restricted free agent next offseason. The Athletic’s Chris Stevenson (subscription required) reported last week that Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion didn’t seem worried about signing Chabot to an extension.
“I think we get too much caught up with contract talks in this city,” said Dorion. “We know what we have to do. We’ll get it done. It’s not like he’s a UFA. He’s an RFA. We have a plan in place along with all our RFAs that are up this year, we’ve had a plan and we’re going to meet it sometime over the course of the summer.”
Chabot could have signed an extension on July 1 and the fact that Ottawa hasn’t already done so could present a problem, according to Stevenson. Chabot is likely to be a prime target by other teams in one year to target for an offer sheet as many know of Melnyk’s penny-pinching ways. A front-loaded offer sheet is a very realistic possibility and it’s likely that Chabot and his representation knows this and may be very willing to take advantage of Ottawa, which has made it clear that they intend to lock up their young talent this time around as they are in the middle of their five-year rebuilding plan. It was Melnyk’s lack of willingness to pay up that led Ottawa to lose most of their top talent, including Karlsson, Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman in the past year.
If Ottawa can’t lock up Chabot soon, the Senators could easily lose control of the situation as many teams wouldn’t mind adding a franchise-changing defenseman with a high-priced up-front offer sheet next season.
Senators Notes: Coach, Chabot, Free Agency
Pierre Dorion took to the podium today in Ottawa to hold his year-end media availability, and answered questions about the direction of the franchise and evaluation of its core group. One of the biggest topics was the coaching vacancy, which is currently held by Marc Crawford on an interim basis. Dorion told reporters including Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia that while Crawford will be interviewed for the job at some point, the team is also looking at a list of five to six other candidates.
The organization made it clear what they were looking for in a new head coach when they announced the firing of Guy Boucher, listing key attributes that would be needed. At the very top of that list was “teacher,” as the team must bring in someone who can develop their young players and get the best out of them quickly.
- Thomas Chabot will play for Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championship, another step in his development path. The 22-year old defenseman may be the most important player on the Senators roster after putting together an outstanding season, and a chance to experience some more high-level hockey will only help his growth. Chabot recorded 55 points in 70 games this season and will be eligible for an extension on July 1. Dorion told reporters today that there had been preliminary talks and that they will try to sign him to a long-term deal.
- Garrioch also notes on Twitter that Dorion said he may try to add a veteran as free agency opens, something that wouldn’t be surprising given the salary cap situation the team is in. The Senators project to have just over $45MM committed to next season according to CapFriendly, though that covers just 14 roster players. The team will have to add a fair amount to reach the salary cap floor, though new deals for restricted free agents Cody Ceci, Colin White and Anthony Duclair should get them a good chunk of the way there. The team isn’t expecting to compete next season, but bringing in a veteran presence for the locker room in order to help the young players develop their professional habits is a route often taken by rebuilding clubs.
East Notes: Gordon, Chabot, Sabres
Flyers head coach Scott Gordon told reporters, including Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer that he has yet to hear anything about whether or not the team is interested in removing the interim tag for next season and beyond. While Philadelphia is likely to come up short of making the postseason, they have performed quite well since relieving Dave Hakstol of his duties, compiling a 25-17-4 record under Gordon’s tutelage. While there are some notable veteran bench bosses that will likely be looking to get back behind a bench this summer, how the 56-year-old has fared with the Flyers could help generate some interest from other teams if GM Chuck Fletcher opts to go in a different direction.
Elsewhere in the East:
- Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot is still dealing with multiple injuries, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. He still hasn’t fully recovered from the shoulder issue he had three months ago while his broken toe still isn’t back to 100% either. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ottawa decided to give him a rest down the stretch or at least try to scale back his ice time. It’s expected that he will get an invite for the upcoming World Championships but Chabot indicated that he’ll need to be fully recovered before agreeing to go.
- The Sabres could have center Evan Rodrigues and defenseman Jake McCabe back in the lineup on Saturday, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald (Twitter link). McCabe was effectively ruled out for the season earlier this month when it was announced that he’d miss five-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury but he’s clearly ahead of schedule as it has barely been three weeks since then. As for Rodrigues, he missed Thursday’s game with an upper-body issue of his own.
Injury Updates: De La Rose, Stepan, Chabot
Red Wings center Jacob de la Rose was removed from Tuesday’s game against the Rangers due to a cardiac episode. Today, head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters, including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, that while the youngster is doing okay now, he’s not expected to accompany the team as their road trip works its way out West. This is the second time this season that de la Rose has had this issue as it crept up at the end of training camp when he was still with Montreal which resulted in him opening up the year on injured reserve. Since joining the team via waivers, the 23-year-old has nine points in 60 games while winning just over 42% of his faceoffs.
Other injury notes around the league:
- The Coyotes could be getting a key piece of their lineup back very soon. Head coach Rick Tocchet told Craig Morgan of The Athletic (Twitter link) that center Derek Stepan is “very very close” to returning and could play as soon as this weekend. The veteran was pegged to miss four-to-six weeks with a lower-body injury but he appears to be slightly ahead of schedule. Arizona has a narrow lead on the second and final Wild Card spot in the West and they would certainly benefit from getting their forward ice time leader back in their lineup.
- The Senators could soon have their top defenseman back. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Thomas Chabot could return to the lineup on Saturday in Edmonton despite being listed as out week-to-week last Monday. The sophomore has been one of the few bright spots in Ottawa this season and is the highest-scoring player on their roster with 49 points in 62 games. He’s likely to receive an invite to participate at the upcoming World Championships assuming his broken toe doesn’t present any additional issues upon his return.
Thomas Chabot Out With Broken Toe
The Ottawa Senators have had a bright spot all season in Thomas Chabot, who has developed into a top defenseman in the NHL at a very young age. Unfortunately that bright spot will be snuffed out for at least a few weeks, as Chabot deals with a broken toe. Brent Wallace of TSN reports that the team has listed Chabot as week-to-week, but are hopeful he can play again this season. The Senators finish their season on April 6th, three and a half weeks from now.
Chabot, 22, has racked up 49 points through 62 games this season, establishing an early career high and proving himself to be one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the league. Logging more than 24 minutes per night for the Senators, Chabot is a huge centerpiece for their rebuild and will be relied upon moving forward.
Unfortunately, that may have to wait until next season if he doesn’t recover quickly. There’s not much point in rushing him back, though the Senators have said that they’re trying to win as many games as possible down the stretch. Tanking for a higher draft pick isn’t a problem for them, but they seem destined to finish in last place.
Atlantic Notes: Toronto Goaltending, Sergachev, Chabot
Sunday’s practice in Toronto seemed like old times as both of the Toronto Maple Leafs injured goaltenders, Frederik Andersen (groin/illness) and Garret Sparks (concussion) could be found on the ice. The team had already sent Kasimir Kaskisuo back to the Toronto Marlies in the AHL and Michael Hutchinson was seen after practice working on his own.
TSN’s Mark Masters reports that Andersen said he feels fine and is ready to return. However, Toronto head coach Mike Babcock said that he had to refer to the staff before naming a starter for Monday’s game against Colorado. Andersen hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 22. Andersen has been the team’s rock in goal as he has a 2.50 GAA and a .923 save percentage in 30 games this season.
Masters adds that Sparks said he’s been medically cleared to return to the team and it’s now up to the staff to determine whether he can return to the roster on Monday. Toronto has to be hopeful that both goaltenders can take over some of the workload as Hutchinson has now played in nine games this season. If he reaches 10 games, the team will have to pass him through waivers when both their goalies are healthy and there is a likelihood the team could lose another goaltender there. The team already lost both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard to waivers at the beginning of the year.
- The Department of Player Safety announced that they have fined Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev $2,403.67, the maximum fine allowable by the CBA, for cross checking Buffalo Sabres forward Johan Larsson Saturday. The incident occurred at 13:24 of the third period and Sergachev received a double-minor penalty on the play. Despite the fine, the 20-year-old has seen an improvement from the offensive end as he has a goal and four assists in his last five games with a plus-two rating. Despite the fact that many feel that Sergachev has taken a step back this season, he has actually increased his ATOI from 15:22 last season to 17:44 this season.
- While it’s vague, Ottawa Senators head coach Guy Boucher responded positively when asked about the injury status of second-year defenseman Thomas Chabot, saying that “Chabot is doing terrific,” according to Ottawa Sun’s Ken Warren. Chabot has been out since Dec. 28th after taking a hit from New York Islanders’ Matt Martin with an upper body injury and was deemed to be out “long-term.” While the update gives no projection on when he’ll be back, the team has been crippled without him as he has developed into the team’s No. 1 defenseman after the team traded away Erik Karlsson. Chabot was averaging a point a game so far this year with 10 goals and 28 assists in 38 games.
2019 All-Star Rosters Announced
The NHL has announced the four rosters for the 2019 All-Star Game today, scheduled to be held on January 26th in San Jose. Earlier today, Alex Ovechkin, who was elected captain of Metropolitan Division squad, told the league that he wouldn’t be attending and will accept the punishment of missing one game either before or after the break. Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews will represent the Pacific, Central and Atlantic respectively, as the other captains. A replacement Metropolitan captain for Ovechkin has yet to be named.
The full rosters are as follows:
Pacific Division
G John Gibson (ANA)
G Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK)
D Erik Karlsson (SJS)
D Brent Burns (SJS)
D Drew Doughty (LAK)
F Connor McDavid (EDM)*
F Johnny Gaudreau (CGY)
F Joe Pavelski (SJS)
F Elias Pettersson (VAN)
F Clayton Keller (ARI)
Central Division
G Pekka Rinne (NSH)
G Devan Dubnyk (MIN)
D Roman Josi (NSH)
D Miro Heiskanen (DAL)
F Nathan MacKinnon (COL)*
F Mikko Rantanen (COL)
F Blake Wheeler (WPG)
F Patrick Kane (CHI)
F Mark Scheifele (WPG)
F Ryan O’Reilly (STL)
Atlantic Division
G Jimmy Howard (DET)
G Carey Price (MTL)
D Keith Yandle (FLA)
D Thomas Chabot (OTT)
F Auston Matthews (TOR)*
F Nikita Kucherov (TBL)
F Steven Stamkos (TBL)
F John Tavares (TOR)
F David Pastrnak (BOS)
F Jack Eichel (BUF)
Metropolitan Division
G Henrik Lundqvist (NYR)
G Braden Holtby (WAS)
D John Carlson (WSH)
D Seth Jones (CBJ)
F Sidney Crosby (PIT)
F Taylor Hall (NJD)
F Mathew Barzal (NYI)
F Claude Giroux (PHI)
F Cam Atkinson (CBJ)
F Sebastian Aho (CAR)
*Denotes team captain
One final skater spot on each roster has yet to be announced, as it will be determined by the “Last Man In” fan ballot, a concept borrowed from Major League Baseball. The format of the current All-Star Game, which requires one representative from each team on these smaller 3-on-tournament rosters, was bound to cause some confusion with the initial selections. Seven top-twenty scorers were not selected – Mitch Marner, Brayden Point, Leon Draisaitl, Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk, Phil Kessel, and Gabriel Landeskog – and several will inevitably remain out of All-Star participation even after the fan ballot additions. Morgan Rielly, the league’s top-scoring defenseman, and Mark Giordano, enjoying an elite season on both sides of the puck, are two surprising omissions on the blue line. Several of the league’s top goalies are also going to miss out, ineligible for the fan ballot, including Ben Bishop, Frederik Andersen, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. The “Last Man In” will be an intriguing new addition to the All-Star process, with nominees to be named shortly, but more than a few notable names will be left out regardless. Meanwhile, the health of players like Price and Chabot for Team Atlantic and Hall for Team Metropolitan will bear watching, as those players may opt to skip the All-Star festivities, opening up more players to selection.