Senators Hoping To Have First-Round Pick Forfeiture Reduced
Last November, the NHL ruled that the Senators must forfeit one of their first-round selections in either the 2024, 2025, or 2026 drafts due to their failure to disclose Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade clause when they traded him to Vegas in 2021. The issue came to light less than a year later when the Golden Knights tried to flip him to Anaheim at the 2022 trade deadline, a team that was on that no-trade list. (He eventually was moved to Montreal later that summer.) Management in Vegas was understandably displeased about the matter and asked the league to investigate, eventually leading to the penalty to Ottawa.
The last time the NHL took this step was with New Jersey and their initial 17-year contract to Ilya Kovalchuk, a deal that was later reworked to a 15-year agreement. The Devils were fined $3MM and stripped of a first-round pick between 2011 and 2014. They elected not to forfeit in the first three years and in 2014, after Kovalchuk left the team, New Jersey successfully lobbied the league for a lesser penalty; half the funds were returned and instead of losing the first-rounder outright, it was moved to the back of the first round.
It appears that Senators owner Michael Andlauer is hoping that history will repeat itself with his franchise. In an appearance on Amazon’s Monday Night Hockey earlier this week (video link), he lobbied for similar relief when it comes to Ottawa’s penalty:
It is what is it, we move forward, it was before my time. I accept a lot of deliberation went through. I just hope that being good citizens we can get the same type of relief New Jersey did some years ago with a similar situation.
The team elected not to forfeit the pick in this year’s draft, instead selecting defenseman Carter Yakemchuk seventh overall in June. The Sens currently sit 25th in the overall standings and if they wind up finishing the season somewhere around there, it stands to reason that they’ll keep their 2025 selection, push the penalty to 2026, and hope for relief from the league at that time.
However, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch earlier this month that he has no inclination to lessen the penalty on the Senators. Of course, things can change between now and then but it certainly doesn’t appear to be trending in that direction for now.
It’s worth noting that the pick that Ottawa has to forfeit must be their own selection and not one acquired from another team. That means that if they trade one of their 2025 or 2026 picks, it would lock in them forfeiting the other one as things stand. That will likely play an impact in trade talks as they look to acquire help on their back end as those selections are trade chips that are probably off the table in discussions.
Evening Notes: Smith, McLaughlin, Oesterle, Portillo
The Carolina Hurricanes have brought defender Ty Smith back to the NHL roster per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff. He was assigned to the minor leagues in a corresponding move to their recall of goaltender Yaniv Perets, who filled in while Pyotr Kochetkov was day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Smith has been back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL rosters all season, though he hasn’t played an NHL game since 2022-23. His only ice time this year has come through four games with the Chicago Wolves. Smith has three points, all assists, in those outings. Smith has a defined history in North American pros, originally going 17th-overall in the 2018 NHL Draft after a strong WHL career and making his NHL debut in 2020-21. He recorded 23 points in 48 games as a rookie, but has since failed to follow-up – with just 47 games across 123 career games. He’s spent the last two years fully in the minors, recording 67 points across 102 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Smith will now return to a role as Carolina’s seventh defender, hoping to fight for ice time above Sean Walker or Shayne Gostisbehere.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Boston Bruins have assigned forward Marc McLaughlin and defenseman Jordan Oesterle to the minor leagues per the AHL transactions log. The move was first reported by Robert Chalmers of Cohen’s Hockey Media. It’s unclear if the move is a paper move – though Chalmers suggests it could be lasting. Neither McLaughlin or Oesterle suited up in Boston’s Wednesday win over the Islanders. In fact, McLaughlin has only stepped into one Bruins game this season – Boston’s loss to Vancouver on Tuesday. He didn’t record any scoring in that outing but did add one block and three hits in 9:36 of ice time. Oesterle has served a bit hardier of a role – albeit as an injury fill-in for Hampus Lindholm – stepping into three games but yet to find his first point of the year. Oesterle’s only stat changes come through three blocks, three hits, and a -2. Both players will return to the minors, where McLaughlin has scored 10 points in 15 games and Oesterle has eight points in nine games.
- Top Los Angeles Kings goalie prospect Erik Portillo is expected to make his NHL debut on Friday shares team manager of editorial content Zach Dooley. Portillo will take on an Anaheim Ducks with a 5-4-1 record in their last 10 games, though they’ve tied opponents in scoring 31-to-31. The Kings called Portillo up for the first full recall of his career on November 24th. He’s the only Ontario Reign goaltender with a save percentage above .900 – boasting a .906 through six AHL games this year. Portillo was more formally Ontario’s starter last year, recording 24 wins and a .918 through 39 games as an AHL rookie. He was a standout at the University of Michigan, accumulating a .918 save percentage over 87 games and three seasons with the Wolverines.
Snapshots: Hronek, Friedman, Pickering, Sillinger, Chinakhov
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek is expected to miss a “while” with an upper-body injury per Irfaan Gaffar of Daily Faceoff. Hronek seemed to suffer a shoulder injury in Vancouver’s Wednesday loss to the Penguins, after getting hit awkwardly into the boards by Pittsburgh defenseman Jack St. Ivany.
Any extended absence from Hronek would be hard for Vancouver to bear. He’s continued to serve a top-line role this season, averaging over 23 minutes of ice time a game opposite of Canucks superstar Quinn Hughes. Hronek has managed one goal and nine points in 21 games in the role – on pace for 35 points, a dip from the 48 points he scored last season.
Hronek’s stat line may not jump off the page, but he’s seemed to be the key to unlocking a Norris Trophy-level Quinn Hughes. The two have outscored opponents 18-to-10 at even-strength this season, compared to Hughes’ tying opponent scoring five-to-five without Hronek. The two have recorded a 55.07 expected-goals-for percentage since being paired together last year.
The Canucks are expected to recall veteran defenseman Mark Friedman in response to Hronek’s injury, per Noah Strang of Daily Hive. Friedman has four points through eight AHL games this year but has yet to make his season debut with Vancouver. He recorded one assist in 23 games with the Canucks last year, marking his sixth season serving the role of seventh or eighth defenseman for an NHL club. Friedman has tallied 13 points in 88 career games in the minutes he’s earned. Friedman will likely step right into the lineup hole, though he’ll face pressure from Vincent Desharnais on the bench – and Jett Woo and Cole McWard from the minors. With a potential long-term vacancy opening up, all four defenders could find a way into the lineup.
Other Thanksgiving notes:
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Owen Pickering missed another practice due to illness shares Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Head coach Mike Sullivan added that the rookie is still being evaluated, and remains questionable for the team’s road game in Boston on Friday. Pickering sat out of Wednesday’s game against Vancouver. He has one point – an assist – through the first four career games. Pickering will return to competition with Ryan Shea when he’s back to full health.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets will have the services of Cole Sillinger on Friday, but Yegor Chinakhov is “banged up” and questionable, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers. Both players missed Columbus’ Thursday practice. The two have returned as core pieces of Columbus’ middle-six. They sit next to each other on the team’s scoring ranks, with Chinakhov posting 14 points in 21 games and Sillinger posting 12 in 20 games.
Kraken Recall Ryan Winterton
The Seattle Kraken have recalled forward Ryan Winterton from Coachella Valley. It’s the second call-up of Winterton’s season, with the first awarding him one game – and a return to the AHL one day later. He didn’t record a point in his season debut, dragging Winterton through a 10th career game without his first point – after nine games last season. He currently leads the Coachella Valley Firebirds in goals and points, with seven goals and 15 points in 16 games.
Winterton has worked his way into a top-line role in Coachella Valley on the back of capable and quick play in the offensive end, stepping up as maybe the best playmaker and finisher on the Firebirds lineup. He’s showing noticeable improvements from his rookie AHL season last year, when he posted 22 goals and 35 points in 58 games.
Seattle captain Jordan Eberle is expected to miss the next three months after undergoing pelvis surgery earlier this week. His absence has cemented Tye Kartye and Daniel Sprong in the lineup, despite the pair scoring just four points in 22 games, and one point in six games, respectively. Meager production from his peers could open a chance for Winterton to work his way into minutes, and may even jump up the depth chart with a scoring spark.
Sharks Place Barclay Goodrow On IR, Recall Ethan Cardwell
The San Jose Sharks have placed forward Barclay Goodrow on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. He left the team’s Wednesday night loss to the Senators in the first period. Goodrow took a high hit from Ottawa’s Ridly Greig in his first shift and only played through three more 30-second shifts before heading back to the locker room. San Jose made no indication of what specific injury Goodrow suffered, though he’s had bad luck with head injuries – going on a liquid diet for a month after blocking a shot with his face in a game against Ottawa last December. He’ll miss San Jose’s next three games, at least, with this new IR designation.
Goodrow has struggled to find his footing with the Sharks, standing with just two goals in 25 games this season. He’s recorded 31 shots on net, earning a 6.5 shooting percentage – ranked in the bottom 25 of all forwards to score at least one goal this season. It continues his struggling scoring from last year, when Goodrow posted a 6.6 shooting percentage with four goals in 80 games. Despite the snakebite, he’s still offering meaningful veteran value to a young Sharks lineup – filling a routine role on the second unit of both special teams. San Jose is expected to slot Givani Smith in the lineup in Goodrow’s absence, meaning special teams minutes will need to be distributed around the lineup’s younger options.
In a corresponding move, Ethan Cardwell has been called back to the NHL lineup. He’ll step into the role of extra forward but could work his way into the lineup with an extended recall. Cardwell played in the first three NHL games of his career earlier this season, going without any scoring but recording three shots and five hits. He’s recorded one goal and seven points in 13 AHL games this season, slightly below the scoring pace of his 43-point rookie year last season.
Avalanche Place Miles Wood On IR, Recall Chris Wagner
The Colorado Avalanche won’t have forward Miles Wood for at least a week. The organization announced that Wood has been placed on IR and that they’ve recalled forward Chris Wagner from their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, in his stead.
It’s the second time Wood has landed on the injured reserve this season. He missed seven games from late October to mid-November and was only on his sixth game back from his previous activation.
The injury to Wood may be a re-aggravation of the upper-body injury that kept him out of the lineup a few weeks ago. He tried to deliver a hit in last night’s contest against the Vegas Golden Knights and was visibly in pain after missing his mark. Wood had scored one goal and two points in his six games back from injury with another goal in 10 games prior.
Replacing Wood in the lineup will be a frequent recall of the Avalanche this season. Wagner has already played in 12 games for Colorado this season, one game shy of his total mark from a year ago. With the number of injuries Colorado has had in their forward group, Wagner should easily eclipse that total for the most games he’s played since the 2020-21 NHL season.
Wagner has spent most of his two-year stint with the Avalanche organization just north on I-25 with the Eagles. Since returning to the Avalanche last year, he’s scored nine goals and 15 points in 26 games for AHL Colorado.
New Jersey Devils Reassign Nolan Foote
Nolan Foote is headed back to the American Hockey League after a short two-game stretch with the New Jersey Devils. The Devils organization announced they’ve reassigned Foote to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.
Foote could be recalled before New Jersey’s upcoming back-to-back games against the Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals, respectively. He’s making slightly above the league minimum salary ($825K) giving the Devils a one-day window for salary cap capture.
He’s primarily played on the third line in two appearances for New Jersey this season. He’s failed to register any points while averaging 10:46 of ice time per game but has posted a solid 60.5% CorsiFor% in limited action.
Foote is in his fifth season at the professional level since being drafted with the 27th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. He’s been a fairly consistent scorer in the AHL with Utica (one season in Binghamton) but hasn’t proven enough to become a full-time NHLer.
Since moving to professional hockey in the 2020-21 season, Foote has scored 48 goals and 99 points in 150 AHL games with another one goal and three points in six postseason contests. Over his lean NHL experience, he’s scored six goals and eight points in 25 games.
Morning Notes: Buchnevich, McMann, Czarnik, De Leo
Last night, one negative came out of the St. Louis Blues shutout victory against the New Jersey Devils. The Blues organization announced that forward Pavel Buchnevich wouldn’t return to yesterday’s contest due to a lower-body injury partway through the second period.
Buchnevich fell awkwardly when entering the offensive zone and limped off the ice in apparent discomfort. He finished the evening with one assist and a +1 rating after skating in 8:54 of ice time.
An extended absence from Buchnevich would put a glaring hole in St. Louis’ top six. He had been skating on the team’s first line alongside Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours but may be unavailable for the team’s next game on Saturday. Expect Jordan Kyrou to reclaim a role on the team’s first line on Saturday should Buchnevich exit the lineup.
Other notes from this morning:
- The Toronto Maple Leafs also had some injury news with the team announcing forward Bobby McMann left last night’s contest with a lower-body injury. McMann registered zero points while skating in 10:21 of yesterday’s game. It’s more insult to injury to a Maple Leafs’ lineup that may be without a seventh forward due to injury in their upcoming game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
- A pair of former NHL talents are reportedly leaving their respective teams in Europe. According to the Elite Prospects transaction page, forward Austin Czarnik is ending his tenure with the NL’s SC Bern while Chase De Leo is leaving the NL’s ZSC Lions. Czarnik’s departure will create a sizeable void for SC Bern after the veteran forward scored nine goals and 27 points through his first 22 games.
Central Notes: Hintz, Lundkvist, Colton, Bortuzzo
Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz will miss tonight’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with an undisclosed injury (as per Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika). Hoope reportedly tweaked something and was replaced in the Stars lineup by Colin Blackwell. Hintz has eight goals and five assists in 20 games this season and is on pace to top 30 goals for the third consecutive season, provided he doesn’t miss too much time due to injury.
In other Central Division notes:
- Mike Heika also provided a short update on Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist who is skating at the moment but isn’t ready to return to the lineup. Lundkvist has missed three straight games with a lower-body injury that he suffered a week ago in a 5-2 win over San Jose Sharks. The 24-year-old has never been one to produce much offense but has been particularly quiet this season with just a single assist in 15 games. His underlying numbers this season have been quite good, particularly his CF% which is at a solid 60%.
- Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton is expected to begin skating soon (as per Mile High Hockey). Colton has been out of action since October 28th with a broken foot and is likely on schedule given the original six-to-eight-week recovery timeline that he was given. Colton was having a terrific season prior to going down to injury, as he has eight goals and an assist in ten games this season. The 28-year-old is in his second season with the Avalanche and is coming off a career year last season in which he posted 40 points in 80 games.
- Utah Hockey Club defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was forced to leave last night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with a lower-body injury (as per Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports). The team hasn’t offered an update on the 35-year-old, but it is expected they will have an update before they take to the ice Friday night against the Edmonton Oilers. Bortuzzo has been in and out of the lineup for much of this season and cleared waivers less than a week ago. The 14-year NHL veteran signed a one-year two-way deal in the offseason with Utah and has served as a depth defenseman.
Wild Notes: Brodin, Lauko, Khusnutdinov
The Minnesota Wild announced earlier today that defenseman Jonas Brodin would not play tonight against the Buffalo Sabres due to an upper-body injury. Brodin skated with his Wild teammates this morning but left after just a few minutes. Jon Merrill replaced Brodin in the lineup for this evening.
Brodin is currently averaging the third-highest ice time per game on the Wild, playing nearly 23 minutes a night and has chipped in two goals and six assists in 19 games this season. The Wild play again on Friday against Chicago so it appears likely that Minnesota will have an update on his status before then.
In other Minnesota Wild notes:
- Forward Jakub Lauko did not dress tonight for the Wild (as per Michael Russo of The Athletic). The 24-year-old left Monday night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets after just eight shifts. He suffered an apparent lower-body injury in the second period and didn’t return to the game. Lauko hasn’t contributed much offensively this season with just two goals and two assists in 21 games this season, but he has been very useful defensively and has chipped in on the penalty kill.
- Wild forward Marat Khusnutdinov is also missing tonight’s game with a lower-body injury (as per Michael Russo of The Athletic). It will be the third consecutive game that the 22-year-old has missed. Khusnutdinov was likely injured last Thursday in a game against the Edmonton Oilers when he blocked a shot off the stick of Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard. The former second-round pick in 2020, Khusnutdinov hasn’t contributed much of anything offensively this year, with just two assists in 19 games and his possession numbers aren’t great either, with a CF% of 36.1% at even-strength.