- Bad news for the Ottawa Senators, as Thomas Chabot is expected to be out long-term with a hand injury. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia notes that the team will have more information in the coming days, but Darren Dreger of TSN was told it is a broken hand. This comes after Jake Sanderson, the team’s top defense prospect, was also ruled out for at least a few weeks, which could put his late-season rendezvous with the Senators in jeopardy. After a midseason hot streak, the Senators are back to their losing ways of late, dropping their last three and eight of ten. Without Chabot, things certainly will be more difficult down the stretch. (UPDATE: Senators head coach D.J. Smith confirmed today that Chabot has suffered a broken hand and will miss the rest of the season.)
Senators Rumors
Jake Sanderson Suffers Injury, Out Week-To-Week
- Jake Sanderson was expected to join the Ottawa Senators after his college career ended, but the young defenseman has suffered another injury that could potentially jeopardize that. Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that Sanderson will miss the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and is out week-to-week with this new issue. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia adds that the Senators’ medical staff has reached out to the University of North Dakota staff to get a full report and there is some concern that he could be out “a while.” Sanderson was limited to just 23 games for UND this season, while missing time at both the World Juniors (which was eventually canceled) and the Olympics (in which he played just one game because of COVID and injury issues).
Snapshots: Paul, Hughes, PWHPA
Nick Paul has a decision to make and is running out of time to do so. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that progress on a new contract for the impending UFA is still lacking and that Paul appears to be the one dragging his feet. Both Paul and the Ottawa Senators have publicly stated interest in an extension, but with just eight days until the NHL Trade Deadline there has been nothing new on that front. A hard-working, two-way forward, Paul has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches as well as the fans in Ottawa. As the Senators look to take a step forward as a club, they do not want to allow homegrown talent to walk away. However, if Paul cannot give them any assurance by the deadline, GM Pierre Dorion and company will have little choice but to make a trade. Paul is drawing considerable interest and the rebuilding Senators would gain valuable capital in a move. They would prefer to keep him, but that decision remains out of their hands so long as Paul cannot make a commitment to a new contract.
- Another impressive Hughes is heading to Michigan; however, this one has no relation to Quinn or Luke. The Wolverines have received a commitment from record-breaking AJHL scorer T.J. Hughes, as announced by his current team, the Brooks Bandits. At 20 years old, Hughes is an older prospect and college commit, but has earned his spot with an elite program like Michigan this season. Hughes just completed a 66-goal, 127-points season in just 60 games – an incredible 2.12 points per game. It was the most goals in a single season in Brooks history, as well as a top-ten historical mark in the AJHL and the first 60+ goal season in the league since before the turn of the century. As the star-studded Wolverines continue to chase an NCAA title this season, their incoming classes also continue to grow more and more impressive. Meanwhile, the Bandits are a juggernaut in the AJHL as the playoffs begin. The team holds the top seed in the postseason and each of the top four scorers in the league. They will look to make the most of Hughes’ efforts before he departs for Ann Arbor.
- The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association is closing in on the formation of a fully-funded league. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that the PWHPA is nearing an announcement of a women’s league that would be the first of its kind in terms of financial backing and sponsor support. The PWHPA represents players that broke off from the PHF (and its previous iterations) and has only been operating as showcases to this point, but a change seems to be on the horizon. Of note, Marek does not believe that this newly-constructed league has any association with the PHF and the two will likely exist separately as competing leagues. Additionally, there is no evidence as of yet to suggest that the NHL is tied in to this new league either.
Senators Give Victor Mete Permission To Seek A Trade
Senators defenseman Victor Mete has been a healthy scratch somewhat routinely as of late and as a result, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the team has given his agent Darren Ferris permission to speak to teams in an effort to facilitate a trade.
The 23-year-old was claimed off waivers from Montreal near the trade deadline last season and played a largely regular role for them down the stretch. That paved the way for the Sens to avoid arbitration with Mete as they agreed to a one-year, $1.2MM contract back in August.
However, things haven’t gone as well this year. Outside of a four-game stint in COVID protocol, Mete has been healthy all season but has played in just 31 of 57 games in 2021-22. When he has been in the lineup, he has basically been entrenched as a sixth defenseman and accordingly, his 14:56 ATOI is a career low. With a $1.2MM qualifying offer owed with salary arbitration eligibility again this summer, Mete currently stands as a possible non-tender candidate.
Despite his struggles, Dreger reports that there is some interest in Mete’s services, likely in the form of a draft pick coming the other way. If Ottawa was willing to retain half of his contract, that would lower the AAV for an acquiring team to just $600K or less than the league minimum. For cap-strapped teams wanting to add some low-cost depth, such a move would certainly make sense if Ferris is able to help facilitate a move between now and the March 21st trade deadline.
Batherson Won't Play On Homestand, Decision On Pinto Returning Or Not Expected In Next Couple Of Weeks
- Although Senators winger Drake Batherson has returned to practice, he won’t play in Ottawa’s current five-game homestand, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The 23-year-old has averaged over a point per game this season with 34 points in 31 games but hasn’t played since late January when he suffered a high ankle sprain. Meanwhile, Ottawa expects to find out in the next couple of weeks if center Shane Pinto will be able to return at some point this season. The rookie was expected to be a big part of their lineup this season but a shoulder injury has limited him to just five games so far.
Senators Notes: Sanderson, Murray, Forsberg
The Ottawa Senators are expecting Jake Sanderson to join them after his college season ends. While that isn’t much of a surprise given how NHL-ready Sanderson has appeared this season, general manager Pierre Dorion confirmed to reporters including Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia that he and VP of player development Pierre McGuire both recently went to have dinner with him in Grand Forks.
Tyler Kleven, Sanderson’s teammate at the University of North Dakota, has also been invited to come to Ottawa after the college season. The NCHC quarterfinals kick off tonight for UND, where they’ll take on Colorado College. Both would need entry-level contracts before suiting up for Ottawa.
- In more disappointing news, Dorion explained that Matt Murray won’t be back anytime soon. Murray has had a very up-and-down season including a stint in the minor leagues, but actually has his best save percentage in three years. An injury now is terrible timing for the veteran goaltender, as he tried to get his career back on track. He’s now out with an injury while sitting on a six-game losing streak.
- With Murray out, it means that Anton Forsberg will have to carry a good chunk of the goaltending load down the stretch, meaning he’s now basically off the trade market. Dorion explained that he wants Forsberg to stay for the rest of the year and actually suggested that the Senators will be very quiet at the deadline in general.
Senators Send Dillon Heatherington To AHL
- The Ottawa Senators have reassigned Dillon Heatherington to the AHL, after he failed to get into any games on this most recent recall. The veteran minor league defenseman last played for Ottawa in December but continues to be a depth piece that’s recalled as injury insurance. He has zero points in nine NHL games this season.
Matt Murray Placed On IR
- The Senators have placed goaltender Matt Murray on injured reserve, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). He had a tough outing against Arizona on Saturday, allowing all eight goals but played the full game. Anton Forsberg will take over as Ottawa’s starter for the time being while Filip Gustavsson was brought up from AHL Belleville earlier today. Forsberg has been speculated as a possible trade candidate but if Murray is out for an extended period of time, that could change.
Senators And Nick Paul Not Close On Extension
The Senators and pending UFA forward Nick Paul are not believed to be close on a contract extension, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. Ottawa’s last offer was reportedly a three-year deal with a $2MM AAV, a bit of a raise on his current $1.35MM cap hit. However, with him being on pace for a career year and the market for players that can play down the middle being strong, that isn’t the type of offer that’s going to make it worth not testing free agency. Seravalli adds that there has been little contact between the two camps in recent weeks. If they can’t reach an extension, the 26-year-old should be on the move by March 21st.
Michael Del Zotto Drawing Interest
When it comes to the Ottawa Senators and the trade deadline, most point to Nick Paul, Chris Tierney, and the rest of the pending unrestricted free agents as the most likely targets. But there is another name, buried on the organizational depth chart, that should always be considered a trade candidate at deadline time. Michael Del Zotto, who has been traded three other times in his career, is drawing calls from around the league according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.
Signed to a two-year, $4MM contract last July, things haven’t worked out for Del Zotto in Ottawa, where he has played just ten games this season. Instead, he’s spent most of the year in the minor leagues with the Belleville Senators, racking up nine goals and 22 points in 20 games for the minor league club. It’s something of a new experience for the 31-year-old defenseman, who stepped directly into the NHL in 2009 and stayed there, save for a brief 11-game tenure more than a decade ago.
In all, Del Zotto has more than 700 games of NHL experience and could still be a valuable depth addition for a contender looking for defensive help. The fact that he can still run a powerplay would give him a utility factor as an extra player, something that obviously attracted the St. Louis Blues in 2019 when they added him prior to their playoff run. Del Zotto wouldn’t end up playing for the Blues in the postseason, but his name is still on the Stanley Cup, a nice reward for the seven total games he played for the franchise.
It will be interesting to see what kind of market there would be for the veteran defenseman, given he’s signed through the 2022-23 season as well. That contract carries a cap hit of $2MM, meaning to even trade him the Senators may have to be willing to eat some of the remaining money. But for a contender trying to squeeze out value at the margins of a roster, you could probably do worse than a player with his level of experience.