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William Nylander

Nick Ritchie Signs With Anaheim Ducks

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The wait is over for one restricted free agent, as Nick Ritchie has signed a three-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks. Ritchie missed the first few games of the season in his negotiation, but will now be allowed to rejoin the team and suit up as soon as possible. The contract carries an average annual value of $1.533MM, substantially lower than the Josh Anderson contract that was reported as a comparable. This deal leaves just William Nylander unsigned among this year’s crop of RFAs. The full breakdown is as follows, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic:

  • 2018-19: $1.2MM (prorated)
  • 2019-20: $1.4MM
  • 2020-21: $2.0MM

Because the deal was signed during the season, the cap hit will not be the same from year to year. Though the deal carries a $1.533MM AAV, Ritchie will cause a $1.63MM cap hit this season, and $1.50MM cap hit in year’s 2019-20 and 2020-21. CapFriendly has the exact breakdown on how the money will be divided, given the 171 days remaining in the season.

Ritchie, 22, still has big shoes to fill as the 10th overall pick from the 2014 draft. Other players selected around him including Nylander, Nikolaj Ehlers and Dylan Larkin have already established themselves as star players in the league, while Ritchie still hasn’t quite become the top power forward many believed he could be. Scoring just 55 points combined across the last two seasons, Ritchie does flash that potential still at times but doesn’t bring a consistent amount of offensive skill. In Anaheim there is more than enough opportunity for him to take over as one of their lead options on the wing, but he’ll have to take another step forward this season in order to seize that chance.

A three-year deal will give Ritchie some security, but it also provides the Ducks with a chance at some inexpensive production. Since they’re not buying out any unrestricted free agent years the cap hit is extremely low, and should the young power forward turn into a perennial 20-goal player like many suspect they would have a bargain on their hands. Even if he only fills the bottom-six role that he’s held previously the contract is by no means expensive, and gives the Ducks a chance to retain a player like Jakob Silfverberg next summer.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said during the first intermission of the Boston-Calgary game that Ritchie’s camp would have liked something shorter than three years, but eventually felt he had little leverage over the team. A shorter deal would have given him a chance to earn a substantial raise with a breakout, but the Ducks needed some cost certainty if they were going to commit to Ritchie.

The young forward is already in Anaheim and will likely get inserted into the lineup before long, rejoining teammates during a season in which Anaheim has already suffered some tough injury luck. Hopefully Ritchie can start turning things around, and give the team the boost needed to fight their way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Toronto Maple Leafs, William Nylander Meeting In Switzerland

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In all war-time negotiations, both sides usually like to find a neutral meeting place for any peace negotiations to limit the leverage for one group or the other. It’s apparently no different in contract talks, as Lance Hornby of Postmedia reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs and William Nylander’s camp will meet in Switzerland today. Though there’s little indication of what exactly will take place at the meeting, just the fact that the two sides are getting together has to be a positive sign in what has turned into quite a lengthy contract negotiation.

Nylander of course remains without a contract while the Maple Leafs roll through opponents, off to a 6-1 start by scoring the league’s most goals. Kasperi Kapanen has taken Nylander’s usual spot on the right side of Auston Matthews and looked like a star himself, though he’s adamant that he isn’t trying to replace his good friend. The Maple Leafs would obviously like to have Nylander back in the lineup, but at their price given the upcoming contract negotiations with Matthews and Mitch Marner. The team has to worry about getting everyone signed and under the cap, something that assistant GM Brandon Pridham will have worked out various scenarios for.

Though there have been reports of the Maple Leafs offering a long-term contract in the low $6MM range and Nylander’s camp countering with something approaching $8MM per season, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet added recently that the team had made a four-year offer as well. That deal would see Nylander’s cap hit drop to somewhere between $4-5MM, and keep him a restricted free agent at its conclusion. Hornby and his source have no information on whether the Switzerland meeting is to work out a deal like that, or just to touch base with a player who is still important to the organization.

Snapshots: Doughty, Nylander, Altybarmakyan

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The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up landing the biggest fish of free agency in John Tavares, but long before the Tavares sweepstakes even began, the team was linked to Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. Doughty, a Toronto area native, ended up signing an eight-year, $88MM extension early this off-season, ending any thoughts that he might be a free agent in the summer of 2019. So where did the homecoming rumors come from? Doughty has now admitted, via TSN, that he never seriously considered moving on from L.A. Instead, he floated the idea of departing the Kings for the Maple Leafs as a negotiation tactic. Doughty negotiated his latest deal without an agent and, in order to ensure he wasn’t taken advantage of, made sure he had some leverage on his side. The rumors that he might leave if able to test the free agent market surely encouraged the Kings to give him what he wanted on his latest extension, the largest contract for a defenseman in NHL history.

  • Another player who has no interest in signing with the Maple Leafs, at least not at their current offer, is restricted free agent forward William Nylander. Toronto and their young forward seem to be at an impasse in contract negotiations and the December 1st deadline, after which Nylander would be prohibited from playing in the NHL this season, is starting to look like a real possibility. Should that come to fruition, Nylander would likely turn to the KHL for his paycheck this season. Nylander’s rights are held by Avangard Omsk, currently led by former NHL head coach Bob Hartley, who recently spoke to TSN about his excitement about the possibility of having Nylander on the roster this season. Avangard already added Cody Franson, Alexei Emelin, David Desharnais, and Kris Versteeg this off-season and could really make waves in the KHL by adding Nylander to the mix. Nylander is currently skating in his native Sweden and could make the short trip over to Russia rather than the trip back across the Atlantic this season, if talks continue to go poorly with the Maple Leafs.
  • Staying in the KHL, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Andrei Altybarmakyan is on the move. The 20-year-old winger was traded today, swapped by SKA St. Petersburg to HK Sochi for fellow young forward Ivan Larichev, the league reports. Both Altybarmakyan and Larichev are fringe KHLers with limited experience at the highest level, but Sochi appears to be the long-term winner in this deal, acquiring the 2017 third-round pick. There has been no indication that Altybarmakyan is heading over to North America any time soon and could continue to develop into a bona fide starter for Sochi down the road.

Toronto Not Shopping William Nylander

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While the Toronto Maple Leafs were busy extending their hot start with a win over the Washington Capitals—thanks to Auston Matthews’ tenth goal of the season—William Nylander was still waiting for his chance to play this season, continuing negotiations with the team over his next contract. On Hockey Night in Canada, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet relayed some new information about the star forward, reporting that the team is not shopping him despite the ongoing negotiations and have made a four-year offer worth “well under $20MM in total.”

Previously we’d heard very little about a possible bridge deal for Nylander, after both sides indicated that they’d rather get a long-term deal done. A four-year contract is somewhere in the middle of those two options, but would still leave him as a restricted free agent at its conclusion and under Maple Leafs control. Anything five years or longer would take Nylander to unrestricted free agency, and also force the cap hit higher and higher. That’s a concern for the team given the upcoming extensions needed for Matthews and Mitch Marner, along with a decision on pending-UFA Jake Gardiner.

Like any other restricted free agent, Nylander must sign a contract by December 1 or be forced to sit out the entire 2018-19 season. Though it would hurt the Maple Leafs on the ice, that scenario seems much more detrimental to Nylander who would be in almost the exact same situation next season without any production from this year. Already he’s losing out on potential goals and points that could be used in negotiations and arbitration, especially given his expected role on the top line with Matthews. For what it’s worth, Nylander hasn’t asked for a trade either, making these negotiations still on track to eventually get worked out between the two sides.

Eastern Notes: Murray, Flyers’ Goalies, Kapanen, Zadina

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Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray is back with the team on the active roster after suffering a concussion less than a week ago, but will serve as the backup to Casey DeSmith for tonight’s game in Montreal, according to Seth Rorabaugh of The Athletic (subscription required). Third-stringer Tristan Jarry traveled with the team in case Murray cannot serve as backup.

Head coach Mike Sullivan wasn’t surprised that Murray was ready to return from a concussion after just a few days.

“And the reason is, it’s really hard to compare one concussion to the next,” Sullivan explained. “The nature of that injury is that they’re all different. Some guys recover very quickly. With some guys, it lingers. There’s so many things associated with it.”

Murray has struggled in the two games he has appeared in this year, having allowed 11 goals, but Sullivan believes that sitting Murray on the bench rather than sitting in the press box is the best thing for his recovery.

“When you see the game up close on the bench, it’s a whole different game than it is from the press box,” Sullivan said. “Things happen a whole lot faster. It’s one step in the process that we think prepares our goalies to be successful when they step back on the ice.”

  • David Isaac of the Courier Post writes that Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall isn’t opposed to the team keeping three goaltenders when injured backup Michal Neuvirth returns to the lineup, which is “not too far away.” The team has had quite a bit of success with the tandem of Brian Elliott and Calvin Pickard, but the team would have to expose someone to waivers if they want to keep just two goalies on the roster. “We’ll have to deal with that at the time,” Hextall said when asked if he intends on carrying three goalies on his roster. “It’s not an ideal situation, but if that’s what’s right for our hockey club, that’s what we’ll do. All these injuries, we have a roster issue. Thankfully we don’t have a (salary) cap issue. We’ll deal with it at the time and see what information comes to us between now and then and make a decision.”
  • Jordan Samuels-Thomas of The Athletic (subscription required) profiles Toronto Maple Leafs top-line winger Kasperi Kapanen and how he’s found chemistry with the team’s top line while William Nylander holds out for a contract extension. Kapanen’s effort, well-rounded game and speed have made him a perfect fit alongside Auston Matthews and Patrick Marleau.
  • MLive’s Steve Kaminski writes that Detroit Red Wings prospect Filip Zadina is starting to get hot in Grand Rapids after posting a two-goal game in his third appearance for the AHL club. “I am getting better every single game, and I’m way more comfortable than I was when I played the first game,” the sixth-overall pick in this year’s draft said. “(The goals) helped me a lot mentally, and I am more confident with the puck.”

Calgary Flames Hesitant To Move Sam Bennett Despite Interest

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Through four games this season, young Calgary Flames forward Sam Bennett has just one point. He has yet to score a goal and has taken just six shots. He is seeing just over ten minutes of ice time per game, down more than four minutes from his career average. Bennett is currently on pace for just over 20 points on the year. It seems like a disappointing start and perhaps just an aberration for the 2014 fourth overall pick. In reality, it is par for the course for the 22-year-old forward. Since his strong 36-point rookie campaign in 2015-16, Bennett has failed to improve his production and has seen less and less ice time. This is simply a continuation of the trend.

To say that Bennett has failed to live up to the expectations of his lofty draft position would be to understate the issue. Drafted ahead of the likes of William Nylander, Nikolaj Ehlers, Dylan Larkin, and David Pastrnak in 2014, the Flames certainly expected far more out of Bennett thus far. His overall production is decreasing, he has never cracked 20 goals or 20 assists in a season, and a center when drafted now plays almost exclusively on the wing. Bennett has simply not at all been what the Flames thought they were getting at fourth overall. Meanwhile, the team is without a playoff win in the three years since Bennett became a regular and patience is running out in Calgary. Bennett has shown flashes of immense ability, but has lacked consistency and, more than anything, has been a poor fit in the Flames’ system. With the hire of new head coach Bill Peters, many expected a turnaround from Bennett this year, but it has been far from it so far. It would seem that Bennett’s time in Calgary is almost up, right?

Wrong, in fact. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman led off his latest edition of “31 Thoughts” by acknowledging the trade interest in Bennett, but doubting that GM Brad Treliving and the Flames were ready to move on. Calgary is wary of trading Bennett while his value is at its lowest to a team seeking to buy low on the talented forward and finally find a way to get the most out of his ability. Friedman expanded on his comments with Sportsnet Radio 960 in Calgary, stating that the Flames appear to be obsessed with avoiding the mistake that provincial rivals the Edmonton Oilers made in trading away Taylor Hall at well below his true value. Hall was also struggling to meet the expectations of his draft slot, first overall in 2010, and it was compounded by the team’s struggles as well. Hall was traded to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Larsson and is now the reigning Hart Trophy winner and a top ten forward in the league. The Flames could certainly use a Larsson-caliber piece in their pursuit of a playoff berth this season, but not at the cost of losing a player that they still believe has untapped potential.

That is not to say that the team hasn’t considered offers, though. Friedman states that, while no deal was ever close, Calgary went “far down the road” in trade talks with several teams. Friedman specifically names the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning as teams that he knows have had interest in Bennett before and, especially in the case of Anaheim and Montreal, likely continue to. The fact that Bennett is perceived as being available via trade would seem to indicate that the Flames continue to field offers for the young forward, even if they aren’t actively selling. While Friedman doesn’t see it happening, Bennett’s play so far this year is trending towards 2018-19 being a new career low. With a year remaining on his contract beyond this season, giving a new team the time to attempt to turn his development around, a poor season for Bennett could see Calgary finally give up on their once-top prospect. It’s fair to want to avoid giving up on potential, particularly for a disappointing return, but a point is fast approaching when Bennett can no longer be seriously compared to a player like Hall.

PHR Mailbag: William Nylander Edition

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There has been a distinct theme in the questions submitted thus far for the mailbag with Toronto’s William Nylander getting a lot of attention.  With that in mind, here is a special Nylander edition of the PHR Mailbag with the answers to other questions running over the weekend as usual.

ThePriceWasRight: How long do the Nylander and Ritchie sagas play out? Maple Leafs have shown they likely don’t need Nylander but could still use a shutdown d-man. Anaheim, on the other hand, could use some offense in its lineup.

Nylander’s case is tough to handicap.  Toronto has shown they have no issues scoring without him so far but I don’t think that kills his leverage either; he is still a top-line player.  Considering the gap that they’re apart (which is believed to be around $1.5MM per year), he’s not necessarily losing too much money by sitting out if Toronto eventually ups their offer.  On top of that, a year one payment that is mostly signing bonus money would help recoup anything he loses as well and that is the route I think will be taken.  This could easily go another month at this point and follow a similar path as Jacob Trouba’s post-ELC deal which was signed in November although a long-term pact will be the end result instead of a bridge contract.

As a side note, there is a small benefit in this dragging out from Toronto’s salary cap perspective.  The longer this drags out, the higher the AAV will be this season (when they have more than ample cap room) but it will be lowered throughout the rest of the contract.  CapFriendly has a good breakdown of this on Twitter.  We’re only talking probably a couple hundred thousand per year at most but with how much the Maple Leafs are going to have tied into that core group, every little bit counts.

(Ritchie will be covered in the regular mailbag this weekend.)

mikedickinson: The Hurricanes are playing well, but you’ve gotta think they need a center, and we have too many defensemen. Why are the odds of Nylander shooting his way out of Toronto and going to Raleigh? He and Aho would be a dynamic duo. Faulk and prospects headed to Toronto?

Zack35: Aside from Dubas saying “we can and we will” why would the Leafs not just trade Nylander to Carolina for Justin Faulk? Maybe not a 1 for 1 trade but that kind of framework. Signing him for anything above 7 mil when they have a ton of scoring already doesn’t make sense to me.

Toronto is known to have shown interest in Faulk over the summer but at that time, Nylander wasn’t involved in the trade discussions.  It’s hard to see that changing now.

From the perspective of the Maple Leafs, they wouldn’t be wise to trade a top-line winger for a second-pairing defenseman with just two years of team control remaining.  A short-term return isn’t ideal for a long-term asset like Nylander is.  I also think Toronto would be better off targeting someone that’s a little better in the defensive zone although Faulk’s offensive skillset in their system is quite intriguing.  He wouldn’t be the ideal fit for them in my opinion but he would certainly represent an upgrade and it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Leafs circle back on him at some point.

From Carolina’s perspective, this is a team where seemingly every decision that has been made since the ownership change has been about cutting costs.  Go back to their GM search where candidates were withdrawing due to low offers and limited power, the trade with Calgary, offloading Jeff Skinner for a futures-based package; even the radio broadcast was cut to save some money.  To turn around and add what would wind up being their biggest contract by a considerable margin just doesn’t seem to fit that mindset, especially with Sebastian Aho needing a new, expensive deal after this season.  If they’re going to be a lower-spending team, I can’t see them taking a real serious run at Nylander although he’d certainly bolster their offense.

@poulter_s: What is the realistic chance William Nylander gets traded?

I don’t think it’s all that realistic, to be honest.  I know with these types of holdout situations, the trade speculation picks up but the player ultimately winds up re-signing most of the time.  As part of his pitch to bring in John Tavares, GM Kyle Dubas insisted that he could keep their core (including Nylander) together.  To go back on that promise that quickly wouldn’t resonate well.  I also suspect that the reported salary demands (if true) would be limiting the number of potential suitors out there.

Ultimately, if I had to handicap what’s going to happen, I’d guess that the focus becomes a six-year deal, one that buys out just one year of UFA eligibility which will ultimately lower Nylander’s demand on the AAV with fewer UFA years than a max-term contract.  Toronto will up their offer to closer to $7MM and they’ll settle there with Nylander’s camp knowing that he will be in the prime of his career when he hits the open market where an even bigger contract will await him.

binarydaddy: I’m seeing a lot of Leafs/Nylander questions here…but the real question should be; the Leafs aren’t going to give him what he wants, Shanahan’s made that clear regarding salaries moving forward. So which teams do you see as being possible suitors for a Nylander/Gardiner combo to get a top-5 d-man into Toronto now? Gardiner is clearly not the future and the thought of him putting up 50-points/season means he should be paid upwards $6M+/year is unfathomable! The Leafs aren’t going to be able to stay in games with the likes of Boston or Tampa if they rely on their offense to carry the load. Not to mention, we all know Freddy ain’t the best in October. Can the Leafs win on offense alone or could you see a package that sends Nylander and Gardiner to LAK for a Doughty scenario?!? Or maybe to SJS for a Brent Burns?

The short answer is that on the surface, no team with a top-five defenseman should have interest in a deal like that.  No one with an established elite defender should want to move that player for a winger and a rental blueliner while adding considerably to their salary cap for this season once Nylander eventually signs.   I’d go as far as saying no team with a legitimate and controllable number one blueliner is going to do a deal with that type of framework.  That’s a premium position to fill where players of that ilk are often franchise players and while a Nylander/Jake Gardiner package is indeed very strong, they’re not franchise players.

For a number one defenseman signed beyond this season to move for a forward, it would need to be an established center (a premium position) coming the other way and although some believe Nylander could still play down the middle, he’s not established at that position just yet.  Other than Erik Karlsson, there isn’t really an elite rental option out there (and with the penalty built in the trade to San Jose if he’s sent back East, he wouldn’t be an option for Toronto even if the Sharks decided to flip him).  Gardiner himself is one of the more prominent rentals which is why his price tag is probably going to exceed the $6MM mark when all is said and done.

If Dubas wants to trade Nylander, I would recommend they go a different direction than the one you’re proposing.  As I don’t believe an established number one defender is realistically on the table, I’d instead target a 20-23 year old that is already a top-four player and still has room to develop into a top pairing option.  I’d be aiming for at least five years of team control remaining (to match Nylander and line up with their current young core) and with that, the price tag shouldn’t be higher than what they’re willing to pay Nylander currently.  Given the big tickets they’re going to have on the books up front next year, the difference of a few million dollars between this type of player and an established number one defender is going to be critical for their ability to keep as much of the existing core intact as possible.

Can Toronto win on offense alone?  I have a hard time thinking so (teams built that way haven’t fared too well in the playoffs) although they’ll be difficult to stop entirely in the playoffs.  They’ll slow down but the Leafs are still going to score a lot in the postseason.  That’s why a number one defender isn’t a must-have.  Get a young rearguard that can help now and long-term and then supplement that with a rental player at the deadline.  That’s still a pretty substantial improvement that would go a long way towards helping their chances.

If you have non-Nylander questions, there’s still time to post them in the comments section here or by using the hashtag #PHRMailbag on Twitter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Marner, Matthews, Ozhiganov, Stempniak

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With the Toronto Maple Leafs enduring their drawn-out negotiations with restricted free agent William Nylander, it was suggested recently that Toronto try to negotiate deals with future restricted free agents, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, during the season to avoid similar holdouts next season.

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Saturday Headlines, reported that while Marner’s camp sounds uninterested in discussing a contract extension in-season, Matthews camp is open to a deal.

“There were discussions throughout the summer with both Auston Matthews’ camp Mitch Marner’s camp with their extensions. They could’ve done that July 1, but some of those discussions are off,” Johnston said. “Mitch Marner and his camp have called a moratorium on talks throughout the season. They don’t want to see that distraction. I get the sense that Auston Matthews would be willing to work on his extension throughout this season.”

Matthews would be in line for a major contract pay raise as he is likely looking for pay that may even exceed the $11MM that Tavares received this summer. The 21-year-old posted 40 goals in his rookie campaign. That number dropped a little last year when he tallied 34 goals, but Matthews also missed 20 games due to injury last season.

Marner, on the other hand, hopes to get similar money to that of Matthews and The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) believes that Marner is ready to take his game to another level and believes he will easily manage to average a point-per-game after impressing in Saturday evening’s game against Ottawa. If he has an 80-point season, Marner will have posted 210 points in his three entry-level seasons, which the scribe compares to numbers of Jack Eichel, who signed an eight-year, $80MM ($10MM AAV) deal a year ago. That could prove to be quite costly for the Maple Leafs as well.

  • In a competitive defensive training camp battle, the Toronto Maple Leafs determined that defenseman Igor Ozhiganov was a keeper earlier than most. However, what does Toronto have in the 25-year-old defender who came over from the KHL this summer. The Athletic’s Ian Tulloch (subscription required) breaks down the play of the 6-foot-2 defender, who moves the puck extremely well, although there remain questions on his defense. While many KHL imports have struggled with moving the puck, Ozhiganov has had quite a bit of success so far, albeit in limited time, giving hope that he could develop into a solid blueliner. However, he does have Justin Holl breathing down his neck as a potential replacement.
  • NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty, in a mailbag piece, writes that Lee Stempniak, who signed a PTO with the Boston Bruins, continues to remain with the team hoping for a chance to work his way into the team’s lineup. The scribe writes that if youngsters Ryan Donato or Danton Heinen fail to impress in their top-six auditions, the team is keeping Stempniak around as insurance. The 35-year-old, who played 37 games for Carolina last season, said that he would prefer to stay in Boston with his family and will continue to practice with the team for now.

Atlantic Notes: Cooper, Nylander, Kotkaniemi, Kronwall, O’Brien

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Despite the fact that Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is in the final year of his contract, often a bad sign if a team hasn’t extended him, that isn’t the case here. Cooper and new general manager Julien BriseBois have a long history together as BriseBois was the one who originally hired Cooper back in 2010 as the head coach of their AHL franchise when BriseBois was the assistant general manager.

The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) documents their long history together and writes that even though negotiations haven’t started, BriseBois and Cooper aren’t worried about it at all, considering the trust and bond the two share together.

“I don’t see anyone else I’d want to work with right now,” BriseBois said, who hoisted a Calder Cup trophy with Cooper seven years ago. “The people who were there with you, you never forget that.”

  • Damien Cox of The Star writes that while the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t done anything wrong when it comes to the contract situation with holdout William Nylander, the team does need to think about how it intends to manage their next two major contract discussions when they must tangle with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. While Nylander is rumored to be asking for $8MM plus in his next deal, both Matthews and Marner could ask for quite a bit more. With the team’s significant cap issues in front of them, the scribe writes the team would be well advised to avoid a similar situation next season by trying to lock those two youngsters up during the season.
  • Montreal Canadiens’ centers have already begun training their newest addition in Jesperi Kotkaniemi by working separately after practice with him on faceoffs on Friday. According to The Athletic’s Marc Antoine Godin (subscription required), Tomas Plekanec, Mathew Peca, Andrew Shaw and Phillip Danault got together and helped teach the 18-year-old some tips and tricks on taking faceoffs with the hopes that the youngster improves his game as quickly as possible.
  • The Detroit Red Wings will be without Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson for their two-game road-trip, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. Both defensemen have been on injured reserve and still are not ready to return to action.
  • While not on the Ottawa Senators NHL roster, Matt Tidcombe of the Belleville Senators website reports that team lost forward Jim O’Brien for four to six months after the 29-year-old forward underwent surgery on a severed tendon in his right leg in an AHL preseason game. O’Brien played 10 games for Ottawa last year.

Eastern Notes: Tkachuk, Formenton, Nylander, Carrick, Bobrovsky, Knight

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The Ottawa Senators were always planning on bringing in a group of young talent to join their NHL team this year and when Senators’ head coach Guy Boucher said that his forwards were set to start the year, Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas tweets that means that forwards Brady Tkachuk and Alex Formenton made the team.

While neither player’s appearance on the roster is much of a surprise, the team has been impressed with Tkachuk’s offensive and physical play as well as the impressive speed that Formenton adds. Tkachuk, the team’s fourth-overall pick in the 2018 draft, and Formenton, a second-round pick in the 2017 draft, both are expected to take on significant roles for a team that many feel could finish at the bottom of the league this season. Formenton made the team out of training camp last year, but appeared in just one game before being returned to his junior team.

  • The Hurricanes were among the teams to inquire regarding the availability of Maple Leafs winger William Nylander, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported in an appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link).  However, Toronto GM Kyle Dubas informed them (and other seekers) that they have no intention of dealing the restricted free agent.  LeBrun also suggested that an offer sheet for the 22-year-old is quite unlikely given Toronto’s cap space for 2018-19 and the fact that a lot of the teams that could afford him and have the requisite picks to surrender are far from postseason locks; they probably won’t want to risk potentially losing a lottery pick.
  • The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel reports that Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said that he will know his roster by tonight, with final cuts coming tomorrow. One person who has an uncertain future with Toronto is defenseman Connor Carrick, who according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton, is facing an uphill battle to making the team. When asked if he’s spoken to Babcock, Carrick’s responded: “We haven’t talked much. I’m not sure there’s a ton to talk about.”
  • Brian Hedger of NHL.com asked Columbus Blue Jackets’ goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who could be a potential unrestricted free agent next season, whether it is easy to keep the business and hockey sides separate. His answer: “Yeah, well, we’ll see. I’m a human too. I’ve developed some skills, some mental skills, some technical skills, so I’m a human … it is what it is.” The 29-year-old Bobrovsky is believed to be asking for a contract equal or surpassing the eight-year, $84MM deal that Montreal handed to Carey Price last offseason. Negotiations haven’t gotten very far.
  • Despite an impressive preseason, veteran AHL’er Corban Knight will not make the Philadelphia Flyers’ opening day roster after all after the team announced that Knight will miss the next three weeks with an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old forward has played in 291 AHL contests over his career, compared to just 29 NHL games and was one of the last players fighting for a roster spot before being injured.

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