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Patrick Roy Resigns From QMJHL’s Québec Remparts

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9:56 a.m. CT: Roy told the media this morning that “absolutely [no]” NHL team has reached out to him yet about a coaching position.

9:35 a.m. CT: NHL head coaching hopeful Patrick Roy announced today he’s leaving his post with the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, reports TVA Sports. Roy and his Remparts just won the 2023 Memorial Cup, defeating the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds with a shutout win in the final game.

It’s quite auspicious timing for the announcement, given the sale of the Ottawa Senators to Michael Andlauer was agreed upon in principle this morning. Roy, who’s been connected to Senators coaching vacancies in the past, could be a leading candidate if the team decides to move on from D.J. Smith behind the bench this summer under new ownership.

Roy last coached in the NHL in 2016, serving as the head coach and VP of hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche before abruptly quitting during training camp preceding the 2016-17 campaign. He was succeeded by Jared Bednar, who guided the Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup in over two decades in 2022.

After taking two years off, Roy returned to the Remparts as GM and head coach in 2018. Before joining the Avalanche, he had been Québec’s coach between 2005 and 2013 and general manager since retiring from the NHL in 2003. He also owned the Remparts from 1997 to 2014.

Roy has a penchant for a defensive style of play as a coach, an area where the Senators have struggled in recent seasons. One would argue, though, with the standout individual defensive performances of players like Artem Zub, that it’s more of a personnel issue than a coaching one. Nevertheless, if he does end up behind the Senators’ bench, improving the team’s defensive systems would be his first priority.

Michael Andlauer Expected To Purchase Ottawa Senators

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8:30 a.m. CT: Andlauer’s winning bid for the Senators is worth $950MM, sources tell Garrioch. The final purchase price comes in well above most valuations of the franchise – Sportico values the team at $655MM, while Forbes was more optimistic at $800MM in 2022 (although it was a 52% change from 2021).

7:52 a.m. CT: Soon-to-be-former Montreal Canadiens minority owner Michael Andlauer has won the bidding war for the Ottawa Senators and is expected to assume ownership, sources tell Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.

Andlauer’s bid won’t quite eclipse the $1 billion US mark but is close to it. The development comes after Garrioch reported Sunday that the NHL had urged the estate of previous owner Eugene Melnyk to reach a resolution to the sale process as soon as possible.

Multiple celebrity-backed bids for the Senators, namely Snoop Dogg’s involvement with Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Neko Sparks, The Weeknd’s involvement with Jeffrey and Michael Kimel, and Ryan Reynolds’ involvement with the Remington Group, were not selected. Reynolds chose not to submit a bid last month, while Andlauer’s bid eclipsed the value and stability of both the Kimel brothers’ and Sparks’ bids.

The agreement will now require approval from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the league’s executive board. The board met regarding the sale last Wednesday but will likely meet again in a quick fashion considering today’s development. The approval process may extend beyond the upcoming NHL Board of Governors’ meeting in New York on June 22, but Bettman is expected to provide a comprehensive update to the governors on the status of the sale. In order to go through, Andlauer’s bid will require a two-thirds majority vote from the board.

This is expected to be the largest sale in NHL history, assuming it is indeed in the $1 billion US ballpark. It comes just two decades after Melnyk purchased the team out of bankruptcy. Per Garrioch, a no-relocation clause is included as part of this sale.

Garrioch’s reporting indicates Andlauer has impressed league representatives with his vision for the team and desire for competitiveness. Quality ownership, something that’s been missing at times throughout the team’s 30-plus-year history, should lead to more consistency on the ice.

All four final bids (Andlauer, Sparks, the Kimels, and Toronto billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos) ranged between $850MM and $1 billion, Garrioch said. Apostolopoulos withdrew from the sale process on Friday, citing frustration with the lack of a resolution, which could very well have influenced Andlauer’s camp to get this done quickly.

Per Garrioch, Anna and Olivia, Melnyk’s daughters and heirs of his estate, will retain up to a 10% stake in the franchise upon approval. As part of the agreement, Andlauer will obviously need to divest his ownership share in the Montreal Canadiens, where he currently holds a partial stake.

Andlauer is in a position to have a massive impact on the team – whether it’s by installing a new general manager, constructing a more centrally-located arena for the team, or both. After working with current Edmonton Oilers special assistant to the GM, Steve Staios, during Andlauer’s time owning the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, he should be a name to watch if Andlauer decides it’s time to move on from Pierre Dorion.

Ottawa Senators Sale Could Be Just Days Away

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  • The sale of the Ottawa Senators franchise may finally be entering its final days. This is according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia who has been tirelessly reporting on the process. It seems likely that the new owner will be either Michael Andlauer or Jeffrey and Michael Kimel of the Harlo Capital Group, however Los Angeles producer Neko Sparks remains in the mix but seems less likely to be the preferred bidder. League sources told Garrioch that they are confident there are no more major hurdles to clear leading them to believe they are on the verge of closing out the eight-month process. It’ll be interesting to see if the bid comes close to the $1B bid that was apparently posted by Steve Apostolopoulos, who has since left the bidding after he reportedly became frustrated with the process.

Ottawa Senators Have Expressed Interest In Scott Laughton

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Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton has once again entered trade speculation in recent days. It’s no surprise, given new general manager Daniel Brière’s aggressive approach, already moving on from defender Ivan Provorov before the offseason begins in earnest.

The team is looking for a more significant rebuild/retool than they’ve had in years past, but there are certain targets the team wouldn’t be opposed to holding onto. Laughton, 29, is one of them – he’s been one of the team’s more consistent players over the past few seasons and has taken on a significant leadership role.

All that’s to say, if Philadelphia moves him, it won’t be for a marginal package. The Fourth Period’s Anthony DiMarco reported this morning the Flyers have turned down late first-round picks in exchange for Laughton, who had 43 points in 78 games this season and is locked in at a $3MM cap hit through 2026.

One of the teams who’ve called the Flyers about Laughton is the Ottawa Senators, David Pagnotta said this morning, adding to his colleague’s initial report. The team’s offer likely would’ve centered around their 2024 first-round selection – they’ve already given up this year’s first-round pick (12th overall) to the Arizona Coyotes in a deal for Jakob Chychrun.

Laughton is a natural center, a position the Senators struggled mightily at this season in regard to depth. However, that was instigated by a shoulder injury to Joshua Norris, who missed all but eight games. With he, Tim Stützle, and Shane Pinto locked into the top three center spots long-term, Laughton would likely shift to wing to play in the top nine.

That’s something he can do with ease, and he did so multiple times as a Flyer. His versatility is a valuable asset, though, especially if injuries strike the Senators again. Laughton’s been used quite a bit on the penalty kill in Philadelphia, too, though advanced metrics aren’t kind to his performance with a man down.

One has to question, though – for a team that hasn’t been able to exit their rebuild successfully despite multiple attempts, are the Senators (and general manager Pierre Dorion) in a safe position to give up two first-round selections within months of each other?

You’d likely get a pretty even split of answers to that question. The team undoubtedly has the core to advance to their first postseason since 2017, but depth issues at every position continue to plague them in a tough Atlantic Division. Laughton, a high-end third-line piece, could go a long way toward solving those issues.

If the Flyers do manage to get more than just a late first in return for Laughton, it’ll be a great return on their investment. Drafted 20th overall in 2012, Laughton has given the Flyers over 500 games and nearly 200 points of service over a 10-season career in the organization.

Latest On Ottawa Senators Sale

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The long-awaited sale of the Ottawa Senators has entered the final stages, with only two potential buyers left vying for ownership of the franchise. Toronto billionaire Michael Andlauer and the Kimel brothers, Jeffrey and Michael, of the Harlo Capital Group are now officially the leading contender in what’s been a highly competitive and drawn-out process, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reported late Saturday night.

Sources close to the negotiations told Garrioch that an agreement in principle to sell the team is expected to be announced imminently. It’s believed the NHL is pushing former owner Eugene Melnyk’s estate representatives to close the deal “as soon as possible,” Garrioch added this morning.

Galatioto Sports Partners, the New-York based banker facilitating the deal, has kept a lid on most of the details of the bids submitted by four leading candidates last month. However, on Friday, it was reported that Toronto billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos, who had a well-financed offer exceeding $1B, withdrew from the process due to frustration with the prolonged negotiations and demands from the Melnyk estate representatives – hence the NHL’s reported impatience.

Apostolopoulos’ exit has cleared the path for either Andlauer or the Kimel brothers to become the new owners of the Senators. Both parties are familiar with the NHL’s head office, and their initial bids ranged between $850MM and $1B, but it’s believed both have raised their offers to the $950MM range, Garrioch said.

Andlauer is considered the frontrunner due to his position on the NHL’s board of governors as an alternate for the Montreal Canadiens, although he would need to sell his 10% stake in the Habs. Per Garrioch, a deal is close with André Desmarais of Power Corp, a Montreal-based company.

If Andlauer emerges as the winner, significant changes in the Senators’ hockey operations department can be expected, says Garrioch. As the owner of the Hamilton (soon-to-be Brantford) Bulldogs in the OHL, Andlauer aims to bring connections he’s made there to roles in the Sens organization.

But the Kimel family remains a formidable contender. They have been involved in the sale process from the beginning, initially attempting to partner with Eugene Melnyk for the bid to build a new rink at LeBreton Flats in December 2021. Garrioch clarifies the Kimels, who were part-owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins, sold their share to Fenway Sports Group when they became majority owners of the Penguins in 2021.

The Kimel bid also includes backing from star Canadian singer The Weeknd and New York billionaire Jamie Salter, who Garrioch says just recently joined the group.

Although Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks (and Snoop Dogg) remains in the picture as a potential bidder, Garrioch says the prevailing belief among other contenders is that Galatioto and the Melnyk estate are seeking to maximize the sale price while keeping Sparks as a fallback option.

DeBrincat Is Open To Extension With Senators

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In recent days, the trade market for Ottawa Senators forward Alex DeBrincat has heated up, as many sources have indicated that DeBrincat has given the Senators a list of teams that he would prefer to be traded to. As the Ottawa organization prepares to go through a sale in the next couple of weeks, DeBrincat has seemed to be apathetic towards signing a long-term deal with the Senators given the cloudy ownership situation.

To throw a little bit of cold water on the idea that DeBrincat may be moved by draft day this season, Steve Warne of The Hockey News reports from a source close to the family that DeBrincat is more than happy to continue his career in Canada’s capital. To quote the article, Warne writes, “[T]he 25-year-old winger remains open to staying with the Senators, but he is looking for term and wants to make sure he gets this right“.

Behind the scenes, it isn’t easy to fully ascertain the entire thought process that DeBrincat is putting into this situation, or which way he is leaning up to this point. All news indicates that he has not decided, but the Senators have given the young forward a deadline. By the draft, General Manager Pierre Dorion needs an answer from DeBrincat, as to whether he will sign a long-term deal in Ottawa, or if the team could make a trade to recoup some resources for his services.

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Steve Apostolopoulos Pulls Out Of Ottawa Senators Sale Process

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Toronto-based businessman Steve Apostolopoulos, the presumptive owner of the sole $1 billion bid submitted for the Ottawa Senators, has pulled out over frustration surrounding the length of negotiations, per Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.

Apostolopoulos’ decision marks the second bidder to walk away. As Garrioch notes, this move comes after Vancouver-born actor Ryan Reynolds and the Markham-based Remington Group also withdrew last month due to the estate over former owner Eugene Melnyk and New York-based banker Galatioto Sports Partners’ (GSP) refusal to grant an extended negotiating window with the National Capital Commission and the city of Ottawa for a new arena.

With Apostolopoulos and Reynolds out of the picture, the remaining two serious contenders are Toronto businessman Michael Andlauer and the Kimel brothers, Jeffrey and Michael, minority owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although neither group has submitted a bid surpassing $1 billion, those close to Andlauer suggest he’s determined to acquire the Senators and is exploring options to bring in additional investors to bolster his bid, which is currently estimated at around $900 million.

As a part-owner of the Montreal Canadiens and a member of the NHL’s board of governors, Andlauer’s involvement in the league is seen as a positive factor by the NHL’s head office, says Garrioch. The more publicized bid led by Los Angeles-based entrepreneur Neko Sparks, including backing from Snoop Dogg and the Kitigan Zibi Anishinābeg First Nation group, still is not fully funded but remains in the running.

Meanwhile, Garrioch reports Toronto billionaire Jamie Salter has submitted a revised bid to GSP over the weekend, intensifying the competition. The franchise was officially put up for sale on November 7, and it has now been four weeks since the binding bids were submitted, which, with hindsight, seems a rather pointless exercise considering the team is barely any closer to a sale.

Bidding Process Continues For Ottawa Senators Ownership

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  • The final stage in the sale of the Ottawa Senators has been going on for over three weeks and according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia there has been no indication of who will be awarded preferred bidder status. Garrioch writes that this may be a tactic being used to keep all the groups engaged in case they need fall back options should one of the bids fall through. The belief is that the final stage has been slowed by all the back and forth between the parties involved as they try to hammer down the final details in what should be the end of a very long process. Garrioch goes on to say that is does appear that this has become a three-horse race as it looks as though the Neko Sparks group is a long shot to win ownership of the club. They are having issues putting the financing in place, but at this time, they are still in the running.

Free Agent Focus: Ottawa Senators

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Free agency is less than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Ottawa Senators. 

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Alex DeBrincat – Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion has said numerous times that the team will explore all options when it comes to DeBrincat. This includes the trade market or a long-term deal. DeBrincat had an uneven first season in Ottawa but appeared to get more comfortable as the season went on. While he wasn’t as good as he was in previous seasons in Chicago, he was still a machine on the powerplay putting up 11 goals and 19 assists with the man advantage. Overall DeBrincat was fine in his first season with the Senators putting up 27 goals and 39 assists in 82 games.

Ottawa acquired the Michigan native last year prior to the draft with the intention of signing him long term, however the 25-year-old forward still isn’t ready to discuss a long-term deal with the Senators which has prompted Dorion to explore the trade market. Given Ottawa’s needs this may be the best course of action, Ottawa has a lot of cap space tied up in the forward group and DeBrincat may be a luxury they can no longer afford.

Ottawa badly needs to improve their bottom six and goaltending situation and $9MM can go a long way towards doing that. DeBrincat will be looking for an eight-year deal on an extension and one would have to assume that it will exceed $8MM annually. The Senators may be wise to recoup their assets and try to fill out their roster with more depth as they attempt to get back to the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.

C Shane Pinto – Pinto is an interesting RFA case as he has Group 10.2 (c) status which basically means he hasn’t accumulated enough playing time to qualify for Group 2 RFA status. This provision will keep Pinto from being eligible for arbitration which allows Ottawa more bargaining power when talking contract with Pinto.

In his first full NHL season Pinto was expected to handle third line center duties but was elevated when Josh Norris went down with a should injury early in the season. Pinto filled in admirably putting up 20 goals and 15 assists in 82 games. The 22-year-old saw some powerplay time with Ottawa on their second unit but did most of his damage at 5v5.

Pinto doesn’t have much in the way of leverage as he enters his contract negotiations and will most likely sign a one-year deal for something between $1MM and $2MM and hope he can improve upon his performance last season and sign a longer-term deal down the road at a much higher cap number.

D Erik Brännström – Brännström took a step forward in 2022-23 as he set a career high with two goals and 16 assists in 74 games. While those numbers aren’t lofty, they do represent a moderate improvement for the young rearguard. Brännström will continue to have unrealistic expectations placed on him due to his draft selection as well as the fact that he was traded for the beloved Mark Stone. While he was drafted 15th overall in 2017, it is unlikely he will ever live up to those kinds of expectations. Despite his draft position, Brännström has become a productive player who should be a good piece for the Senators as a bottom pairing defenseman should they choose to keep him.

It’s hard to see Brännström topping $2MM annually on his next contract, but he could find himself pushed out of the Senators depth charts given how many left-shot defensemen the team already employs. He does still hold some value, and Pierre Dorion could view him as a piece to try and acquire forward help or another goaltender.

Other RFAs: D Jonathan Aspirot, D Jacob Bernard-Docker, G Dylan Ferguson, F Dylan Gambrell, F Julien Gauthier, D Jacob Larsson, F Viktor Lodin, G Kevin Mandolese, F Egor Sokolov

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

G Cam Talbot – Talbot came over from the Minnesota Wild in the now ill-fated one-for-one trade for Filip Gustavsson. While Talbot struggled with injuries and inconsistency, Gustavsson quickly develop into one of the best young goalies in the game and exactly the type of netminder the Senators were starving for. Dorion has already stated that Talbot will not be back, making the 36-year-old an unrestricted free agent coming off a down year in which he posted an .898 save percentage and a 2.93 goals against average. Talbot will likely be staring down a one-year deal with a cap hit somewhere between $1MM and $1.5MM with some incentives added in.

D Travis Hamonic – Hamonic came over in a trade from the Vancouver Canucks that was widely panned. Despite some shortcomings, Hamonic was relatively steady for the Senators this past season. He will never be an offensive juggernaut evidenced by his six goals and 15 assists in 75 games. But he did provide stability to Jake Sanderson during his rookie season. Sanderson praised Hamonic for the steadiness of his game and how easy it was to play with him.  At 32 years old Hamonic could still be a part of the Senators defense, but it would likely be in a bottom pairing role on a cap number far less than the $3MM he made last season.

F Derick Brassard – Brassard had his best season since 2019-20 as he put up 13 goals and 10 assists in 62 games before finishing the season on IR with an injury. While he isn’t the offensive threat he was in his prime, Brassard proved that he could still provide depth scoring in the bottom six while jumping up to play on the top two lines in a pinch. At 35 years old the Hull, Quebec native might elect to hang up his skates and move on, however he is still an effective player who could find a role on a one-year contract around league minimum. Given that the Senators badly need help in the bottom six, they might be wise to hang onto Brassard as a cheap depth option who can slide up and down the lineup.

Other UFAs: G Antoine Bibeau, F Patrick Brown, F Rourke Chartier, D Nick Holden, F Jake Lucchini, F Scott Sabourin, F Austin Watson

Projected Cap Space

The Ottawa Senators provide a very good example of how quickly cap space can disappear as effective young players enter your depth charts. Just a few short years ago the Senators struggled to reach the cap floor and at times had to bring in expensive veterans on bad contracts just to reach the minimum. Now with so many good young players in the system and signed long-term, Ottawa is going to need to be creative to fill out their depth with inexpensive and effective players. This is something they haven’t been able to do the past few years, but it will be of utmost importance if they are going to become a contender in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa has just a shade over $17MM in remaining cap space for next season, but they have just 13 players signed to guaranteed NHL money next year. Pierre Dorion is going to be in tough to improve upon a roster that missed the playoffs this past year and is trending in the direction of being very top-heavy. Ottawa also must contend with possibly trying to fit in another big contract extension should they decide to keep Alex DeBrincat in the fold for the foreseeable future.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Latest On Alex DeBrincat

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After recently reporting that the Ottawa Senators were open to all options with all-star forward, Alex DeBrincat, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Senators are now fully examining the trade market for the young forward. A restricted free agent this offseason, DeBrincat is due a $9MM qualifying offer, a number that few teams are going to be able to absorb.

On the first day of last year’s draft, the Senators acquired DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks for a package including the seventh overall pick, the 39th overall pick, and the Senators’ third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Just after earning a 40-goal season with Chicago, Ottawa was hoping that DeBrincat would be the jolt of offense the team needed to get back to the playoffs.

Although starting off slow in Canada’s capital, DeBrincat finished the 2022-23 season with respectable numbers for his standards. In 82 games played, DeBrincat scored 27 goals and 39 assists, also providing the Senators with 109 hits, showing off a lot of physicality.

Ottawa has shown quite a bit of interest in signing DeBrincat to a long-term extension, but he has shown little to no inclination to sign a deal to remain with the Senators, as the team is now going through a change in ownership. Understandably, with the ownership of the team still in doubt, DeBrincat is wary of sticking around long-term in that situation.

For teams that have the cap space available, and should be in a position to be a consistent playoff contender in the near future, look towards two Atlantic-division rivals for the Senators, the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings. This season, Buffalo was much closer to the playoffs than the Red Wings, and still has a long-term extension to work out with stud defenseman, Rasmus Dahlin. Nevertheless, DeBrincat would surely make the Sabres’ offense almost impossible to defend against, and with the cap space reportedly growing after next season, they would be able to fit DeBrincat into the long-term outlook.

For Detroit, DeBrincat makes perfect sense as the big-name acquisition that fans have been waiting on for years. Growing up in Farmington Hills, MI, DeBrincat gives the team a right-handed shooting forward that carries high-octane offense, something that the team has been missing for quite some time. As the Red Wings’ depth of prospects make the jump to the NHL over the next several seasons, Detroit has the cap space available to them to make DeBrincat a big part of their future.

 

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