The Senators recalled top organizational goalie prospect Mads Søgaard from AHL Belleville today, a team release states. As Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch points out, this is likely a precursor to number-two netminder Anton Forsberg being placed on long-term injured reserve, as the Senators would otherwise not have the cap space available to execute the transaction.
Forsberg, 31, left last night’s loss against the Sabres late in the first period with a groin injury and did not return. Head coach Jacques Martin told TSN 1200 this morning that Forsberg’s absence was not expected to be short-term, although he did receive an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury and, correspondingly, a recovery timeline.
It’s been a tough season for Ottawa’s goalie tandem of Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo, but more so for Forsberg. After missing the last 32 games of the 2022-23 season with a freak double MCL tear, the Swede was looking to re-establish himself after proving he could be a capable NHL option since joining the Sens in 2020.
Instead, he and Korpisalo have been among the ten worst goalies in the league this season. Korpisalo has allowed the third most goals above expected with 9.5, per MoneyPuck, trailing only the Maple Leafs’ Ilya Samsonov and the Devils’ Vítek Vaněček. Forsberg is seventh on the list with 7.9 goals allowed above expected, despite playing in 16 games compared to Korpisalo’s 26. His box stats read out as a 7-8-0 record, .889 SV%, 3.35 GAA, and one shutout.
An LTIR placement rules Forsberg out through the All-Star break in early February. He would be eligible to return to action for the team’s February 10 home game against Toronto.
That means the 23-year-old Søgaard is in for a month-long stint on the NHL roster, his longest of the season. The 6-foot-7 Dane had been recalled on two occasions this year to serve as short-term injury insurance but has not appeared in an NHL game since playing in 19 of them last season. In his first example of extended NHL action, Ottawa’s 2019 second-round pick posted an 8-6-3 record and .889 SV% being an injury-depleted team at the tail end of the campaign.
This season in Belleville, Søgaard’s numbers are pristine. His .920 SV% in 16 games is tied for sixth among AHL netminders with at least ten appearances, and it’s a significant leap forward from his pedestrian numbers in his first two full professional seasons. Carrying that momentum forward into some appearances with Ottawa could help him steal the lion’s share of the starts away from Korpisalo, at least until Forsberg returns.
The Senators need to make Soogaard their number 1 permanently. The team is last in the Eastern Conference and he is their future. They need to buy out 1 of Korpisalo or Forsberg in the off season and fix Dorion’s horrible mistakes.
One might think that Pierre modeled his GM game after Jim Benning. Psst, Pierre! You should’ve been looking at Jim Nill.
If Dorion hadn’t been dumped so quickly, I expected him in the hot seat for the team’s on-ice performance. To save his job, he would have full faith in Smith and then can him. Lay-dees and gentlemen, I give you Travis Green as the next leader of the Sens! [Yes, I know he’s with the Devils now. Jersey will shrug and say you can have him.]
@Jess the trip — I’d be interested in seeing what Travis could do with that group. Hopefully, he learned from the Vancouver stint.
Green wouldn’t be the worst choice (as usual, the head coach gets more blame that he deserves) but the Sens need structure and accountability. Some of the young talent seem too comfortable. They might listen to Green or they might not. OTH, Green has endured dysfunction and probably has learned from it.
If you want to see players fighting for NHL jobs, look at the Blackhawks, who nearly knocked off the Oilers and Jets – two teams on a roll at the moment.