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Trade Rumors: Pearson, Flames, Capitals, Bruins

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As the Vancouver Canucks’ season descends further and further into an inescapable disappointment, TSN’s Darren Dreger states on “Insider Trading” this evening that no impending free agent in Vancouver is off limits to suitors. However, that doesn’t mean that all current impending free agents will remain as such through the trade deadline in just over five weeks. Dreger notes that the Canucks would prefer to re-sign forward Tanner Pearson, who is coming off a career year in 2019-20. Negotiations on a new contract have not yet begun, but GM Jim Benning would like to start talks as soon as possible in order to have a clear picture ahead of the deadline. If there is no meeting of the minds on a potential extension and seemingly little chance of progress ahead of the deadline, the Canucks will have to trade Pearson. The two-way winger is their most valuable rental trade chip, as depth options Brandon Sutter, Sven Baertschi, and Jordie Benn have lofty cap hits relative to their value and veteran defensemen Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic have No-Movement Clauses that they may not be eager to waive. If the Canucks can’t re-sign Pearson before the deadline, or at least get a handshake agreement in place, trading him to a contender is their best chance of leaving the deadline with a nice haul of picks or prospects without having to move a term player.

  • The rival Calgary Flames are currently buyers and their biggest need is a winger, but Pearson doesn’t meet their most important criteria. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Calgary GM Brad Treliving is on the hunt for a right winger and, more specifically, a natural right-handed shooting right winger. The Flames’ best right-shot forward is Elias Lindholm and, while he has played on the wing many times before, the team prefers his fit at center. Unfortunately, that leaves the club with a lack of top-six caliber righties to put on the wing. Josh Leivo, Brett Ritchie, and the recently-waived Dominik Simon (a lefty) have not been the answer. The team also prefers to keep top-nine lefties like Andrew Mangiapane and Dillon Dube on the left side if possible and certainly do not want both on their off side. As a result, Calgary is seeking a trade partner. Seravalli does not address whether the Flames are only seeking rentals or if, seeing as the righty problem isn’t going away, they are looking at all options. The team already faces some difficult Expansion Draft decisions in regards to its deep forward corps, so a term acquisition could prove problematic. Among rentals, New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri and Nikita Gusev or Detroit’s Bobby Ryan stand out as the few top available options at a shallow position on the market.
  • Seravalli notes that another team with a very specific need could be the Washington Capitals. While Washington has received a stellar performance in net from rookie Vitek Vanecek, pressed into the starting role temporarily while Ilya Samsonov was sidelined, both Samsonov and Vanecek lack a crucial component to playoff success: experience. Seravalli wonders if the Capitals trust the young tandem enough to ride them into the playoffs, with veteran Craig Anderson as the third-string, or if the team needs to make a trade. Bob McKenzie echoed this same concern on NBC Sports on Wednesday. Experienced rental options include Devan Dubnyk, Antti Raanta, Jonathan Bernier, and possibly Pekka Rinne. But the question becomes whether or not any of these older goalies are an upgrade to Vanecek based only on experience, as only Rinne has outplayed him this season.
  • While it should come as no surprise to anyone who has reviewed their salary cap status, Bob McKenzie appeared on NBC Sports’ broadcast on Wednesday night and essentially stated that the Boston Bruins have the cap flexibility to do whatever they want at the trade deadline. He added that the team is in this situation “by design” and that GM Don Sweeney is open to any and all possibilities. The Bruins have dealt with injuries on defense and at forward and have experience concerns on the back end and scoring issues up front, so fans were happy to hear McKenzie say they could add a prominent defenseman or forward, “or both”. Currently pressed by injuries, the Bruins have just under $3.5MM in cap space which still prorates to nearly $8.7MM at the deadline, per CapFriendly. However, the Bruins banked cap space earlier this season when they had fewer injuries and could still get healthier before the trade deadline. With no one on the injured reserve eating up cap space at the deadline, CapFriendly estimates that Boston could have upwards of $12.7MM in prorated cap space. For context, that could be enough to add top-priced rental Taylor Hall and a defenseman like Ryan Murray while staying under the cap. The Bruins will be a team to watch over the next five weeks.

Washington Capitals Recall Ilya Samsonov, Intend To Start Him

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The Washington Capitals announced they have recalled goaltender Ilya Samsonov from the taxi squad and head coach Peter Laviolette said that he intends to start the netminder, who will be making his first appearance for Washington since Jan. 17. Veteran Craig Anderson has been returned to the taxi squad.

Samsonov has appeared in just two games this season before he and a number of Russian teammates found themselves on the COVID-19 protocol list. Once activated, the team sent him to the Hershey Bears of the AHL to find his game, but the 24-year-old has struggled there instead, posting a 3.25 GAA and a .869 save percentage in four games. Samsonov’s last game on Friday showed promise as he picked up the win, while allowing just three goals. The team hopes that giving him an easy assignment against the New Jersey Devils, who are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, might make for an easy transition back to the NHL.

The Capitals have been relying most of the season on rookie Vitek Vanecek, who has played quite well considering the workload they have placed upon him. Vanecek has posted a 2.81 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 17 appearances. Depending on Samsonov’s success, Vanecek will likely return to the back-up role that he was projected to take this year.

The Capitals allowed starting goaltender Braden Holtby to walk in free agency this offseason as they felt that Samsonov was the goaltender of the future after an impressive season in 2019-20. In 26 games, he put up 16 wins and a .913 save percentage. He didn’t appear in the playoffs, however, due to a lower-body injury and now has seen little time so far this year.

 

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 1/24/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • The Dallas Stars announced they have recalled forward Tanner Kero from their taxi squad after placing forward Joel Kiviranta on injured reserve. The 28-year-old Kero hasn’t made an NHL appearance since the 2017-18 season, but could get onto the ice depending on the injury status of Jamie Benn, who is a game-time decision. Kiviranta, who was listed as day-to-day Saturday after getting injured in practice, will have to sit out at least three games.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forwards Givani Smith and Taro Hirose from the taxi squad. Smith has been up and down between the NHL and taxi squad, while Hirose was recalled three days ago to the taxi squad from the AHL. Both are expected to make their season debuts on Sunday. Detroit also have re-assigned forward Riley Barber to the taxi squad. UPDATE: The Red Wings have reversed course, announcing they have sent Hirose and Smith back to the taxi squad after their game with Chicago ended.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have loaned defenseman Derrick Pouliot from the taxi squad to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL. The team also announced some salary cap moves, sending forward Connor Bunnaman and Samuel Morin to their taxi squad.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced they have swapped young players as the team has sent forward Dylan Cozens to the taxi squad and recalled Casey Mittelstadt, who is expected to make his season debut Sunday. Cozens scored his first career NHL goal Friday, but head coach Ralph Krueger made it clear before the season that he intends to ease his young players into the lineup. The team has also activated forward Kyle Okposo from injured reserve. He has missed the team’s first five games with a lower-body injury.
  • Las Vegas Review Journal’s David Schoen reports that the Vegas Golden Knights have activated defenseman Nicolas Hague off the taxi squad and moved center Cody Glass to the taxi squad, a similar move from two games ago as the team continues to balance their salary cap with rotating between five and six defensemen.
  • The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell reports that with two forwards (Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov), a defenseman (Dmitry Orlov) and a goaltender (Ilya Samsonov) out due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team was able to recall two players, including forwards Brian Pinho and Connor McMichael (as well as goaltender Craig Anderson), via the emergency recall exception rule and not count against their cap. McMichael is the most interesting of the two as the 2019 first-round pick will make his NHL debut Sunday.
  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned forward Jesper Boqvist to the taxi squad and they have recalled forward Nicholas Merkley, who is expected to make his season debut Sunday. Boqvist has appeared in four games for New Jersey, failing to register a point. Merkley, acquired from Arizona in the Taylor Hall trade last season, had a goal and an assist in four games last year with the Devils.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets already placed Brandon Dubinsky on LTIR earlier today, but the team also made a few other moves to get under the salary cap, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. The scribe writes that both Alexandre Texier and Liam Foudy have been assigned to the taxi squad, but as paper moves to maximize their LTIR pool. The team has also recalled Emil Bemstrom and Stefan Matteau from the taxi squad.
  • The New York Rangers announced they have recalled forward Colin Blackwell from their taxi squad and is likely to make his Rangers’ debut. The 27-year-old signed with the Rangers as a free agent after posting three goals and 10 points in 27 games for the Nashville Predators last season.
  • The Calgary Flames made their standard game-day transaction, recalling Derek Ryan and Oliver Kylington from the taxi squad. Ryan has appeared in three games with no points, while Kylington has yet to make an appearance for Calgary this year.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced they have recalled goaltender Andrew Hammond from their taxi squad with the status of Cam Talbot being day-to-day. In order to keep three goaltenders on the roster, the team has assigned netminder Hunter Jones from Iowa of the AHL to the taxi squad. Hammond has not made an appearance yet for the Wild.
  • With the Bruins off, CapFriendly reports that Boston has shuffled forwards Jack Studnicka and Trent Frederic plus defenseman Urho Vaakanainen to their taxi squad, continuing their near-daily movement.  Steven Kampfer was reassigned to AHL Providence from the taxi squad to create room for Vaakanainen’s placement.
  • Avalanche defenseman Conor Timmins was in the lineup for their game today against Anaheim, meaning that he has been recalled from the taxi squad.  The 22-year-old has played in four games so far with Colorado this season, logging a little under 13 minutes per game.
  • Pierre Engvall and Jason Spezza were both in the lineup for the Maple Leafs against Calgary today, meaning they were promoted from the taxi squad.  To get back into cap compliance, Travis Boyd was sent to the taxi squad.
  • After scoring in his Canadiens debut on Saturday, Montreal has returned Corey Perry to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The veteran will likely be recalled in time for their next game against Calgary on Thursday.
  • The Ottawa Senators have returned winger Micheal Haley to their taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  He was recalled for Saturday’s game against Winnipeg and played 7:39 while getting into a fight.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/21/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Craig Anderson from the taxi squad while replacing him with Connor McMichael. The team of course is dealing with a breach of COVID protocol by several top players, including goaltender Ilya Samsonov who will now be unable to practice or play for a certain amount of time. With Samsonov sidelined, Anderson will join Vitek Vanecek in the crease.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled Michael McCarron, Philip Tomasino, and Ben Harpur from the AHL to the taxi squad, while sending Cole Smith from the taxi squad to the AHL. The 19-year-old Tomasino will be the most interesting name of the bunch after his excellent World Junior performance a few weeks ago. Selected in the first round, Tomasino is one of the top prospects waiting for the OHL to return and is currently eligible to play in the AHL.
  • Morgan Barron and Matthew Robertson have both been assigned to the AHL from the New York Rangers taxi squad, giving them a chance to take part in minor league training camp. The pair of prospects are just starting their professional careers (with Robertson even eligible to return to the WHL) and need any development time available to them.
  • Spencer Martin has been recalled to the Tampa Bay Lightning taxi squad, giving them an extra goaltender as Curtis McElhinney remains on the CPRA list. Martin, 25, has played just three games at the NHL level and none since the 2016-17 season.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled MacKenzie Entwistle and Reese Johnson from the AHL to the taxi squad. Johnson, 22, has yet to see an NHL game and had just eight points in 52 AHL games last season for the Rockford IceHogs. Entwistle meanwhile had a much better start to his pro career, scoring 26 points in 56 games last season for Rockford.
  • In the wake of their injuries, the Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Samuel Morin from the taxi squad. Morin has experience at defense but has been training for a transition to wing to continue his career. He said during training camp that he had been watching Matt Martin and hoped to imitate that kind of impact.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have added Taro Hirose to their taxi squad, recalling him from the AHL.  The winger played in 26 games with Detroit last season, picking up two goals and five assists while adding 27 points (5-22-27) in 35 games with Grand Rapids.  The spot on the taxi squad was opened up Wednesday when Kevin Boyle was sent to the Griffins.

Craig Anderson Officially Signs With Washington Capitals

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Now that he has cleared waivers, Craig Anderson’s contract with the Washington Capitals has been officially announced. The veteran goaltender has inked a one-year deal worth $700K and will be immediately assigned to the club’s taxi squad.

Anderson, 39, comes to Washington as a pseudo-replacement for Henrik Lundqvist, after the latter was forced to sit out the season due to health concerns. Though their ages may be similar, the Capitals’ expectations of them are not. While Lundqvist was set to partner with Ilya Samsonov in the NHL, playing regularly, Anderson will slot in as the third option behind promoted Vitek Vanecek and be insurance for injury or inconsistency.

That means there is a lot riding on Samsonov, who certainly showed he could be one of the league’s best in his debut last year. Through 26 NHL games the 23-year-old goaltender has a .913 save percentage and a 16-6-2 record. Samsonov will take the lion’s share of the starts for the Capitals this year, with Vanecek, who is a strong goaltending prospect in his own right, slowly working his way in as a rookie.

Anderson meanwhile is mostly expected to watch from the sidelines, though it is quite the luxury for the Capitals to have a veteran of 648 NHL games waiting in the wings. He posted a .902 save percentage in 34 appearances last season, better than many backups around the league.

Seven Players Clear Waivers

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Jan 14: All seven players have cleared waivers and can report to a taxi squad or the minor leagues.

Jan 13: The first day of the hockey season is upon us and waivers are still jam-packed. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Par Lindholm (BOS), Devin Shore (EDM), Dmytro Timashov (NYI), Boo Nieves (TBL), Craig Anderson (WSH), Rodrigo Abols (FLA), and Kevin Connauton (FLA) are on waivers today.

Of course, several of these players did not have official contracts filed before today, meaning they now do.

Washington Capitals reporter Mike Vogel tweets that the team has signed Anderson to a one-year deal after bringing him into camp on a professional tryout. The deal will carry an average annual value of $700K. He will report to the team’s practice squad if he clears waivers. The Capitals have already announced that the team will go with Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek to start the season, but Anderson certainly provides a lot of experience at the position if anything goes sideways. The 39-year-old goaltender has 648 games played in his long career and carries a save percentage of .913.

Shore and Nieves are both brand new signings that their teams announced, both two-way contracts worth around $700K. Nieves’ deal was announced yesterday by the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Edmonton Oilers announced Shore’s deal earlier this morning.

Timashov and Connauton were also both unsigned as of today, though it was clear that both had earned contracts already. The New York Islanders have been very coy with all of their training camp deals, while the Florida Panthers had kept Connauton with the group on a professional tryout. Their official contracts should be announced at some point today, given they are now on waivers.

Washington Capitals Sign Craig Anderson To Professional Tryout

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With rumors that the team might be looking for a veteran netminder after the team lost veteran Henrik Lundqvist to injury, the Washington Capitals announced they have signed longtime Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson to a professional tryout.

Washington had high expectations for their goaltending when they signed Lundqvist to help share the workload with young phenom Ilya Samsonov. However, when Lundqvist backed out due to a heart condition, the team was left with very little cap room and two AHL goaltenders, Vitek Vanecek and Pheonix Copley, to fill that void.

That prompted the team to bring in the 39-year-old Anderson to see whether he can fill the void in net for Lundqvist and give the two AHL goaltenders another season to develop. Anderson, who spent the last 10 years in Ottawa, has struggled the last few years with the Senators, albeit behind a terrible defense. He finished last season with a 11-17-2 record with a 3.25 GAA and a .902 save percentage.

His biggest competition will likely be Vancek, who many people feel is ready to take on the backup job after two impressive seasons with the Hershey Bears, including one as an AHL all-star. The 24-year-old Vanecek, however, has no NHL experience (despite being Braden Holtby’s backup in the bubble last year) and with the expectation of many back-to-back games coming this season, it could be a tough situation to put an untested goalie in. However, Anderson will have to prove that he still has it after Ottawa informed the veteran that it wanted to move on from him after his contract expired this past offseason and no other team came calling until now.

Free Agent Profile: Andrew Hammond

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I know what you’re thinking. Andrew Hammond? Really? Other than the “Hamburglar” moniker, Hammond isn’t exactly a household name to NHL fans. In fact, Hammond hasn’t made an NHL appearance since 2017-18 and has just seven total appearances over the past four seasons. It’s been quite a while since Hammond heroically stole the Ottawa net and led the Senators to the postseason in 2014-15.

Yet, there’s a good case to be made that Hammond is the best available free agent goalie and there is no arguing that there isn’t still a considerable need for net depth around the NHL. The free agent market seems to be on hold right now as the league figures out its plans for this season, but when it picks back up Hammond is likely to be in demand.

Hammond, 32, is built for the 2020-21 season. The veteran goaltender can likely be slipped through waivers if his signing team so desires, but if injury spurns his recall, Hammond has both the NHL experience to jump into a backup role and has been a workhorse in the AHL for several years, ready for a condensed schedule and frequent appearances if need be. Hammond made 33 appearances for the Rochester Americans in the shortened 2019-20 season, the twelfth-most in the AHL. Hammond is also one of just seven netminders to have made 33+ appearances in each of the past two AHL seasons.

Among qualifying goaltenders, Hammond’s 2.53 GAA this past season ranked 13th in the AHL. It’s a pretty good ranking on its own, but consider that only one goalie with a better GAA played more minutes than Hammond last year and it puts his performance in perspective given his workload. Hammond’s .908 save percentage, while not among the AHL’s best, is a good number and has held steady for two seasons now as a stark improvement versus his AHL numbers earlier in his career.

When last Hammond was seen in the NHL, he was actually shocking many with his strong play as an emergency postseason call-up for the Colorado Avalanche in 2017-18. Hammond played three playoff games after making just one regular season appearance, yet posted a stellar .933 save percentage with a 2.62 GAA. While a small sample size, if this is what Hammond can do at the NHL level then he is even more valuable than it seems. For a larger sample size, look back at the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons with Ottawa, the only time in his career that Hammond was given a regular NHL role. In 48 games over two years, Hammond recorded an outstanding .927 save percentage and 2.21 GAA, as well as a .705 quality start percentage. Admittedly, that was five years ago now, but Hammond’s NHL numbers speak for themselves.

Still, Hammond can’t be the best free agent goalie option available, can he? Well, only four UFA keepers saw NHL action last season: Craig Anderson, Jimmy Howard, Ryan Miller, and Cory Schneider. Anderson, Howard, and Miller each made over 20 appearances last season, but didn’t exactly inspire their respective teams to give them any more play time than necessary. Of the 57 NHL goalies who made at least 20 appearances last year, Howard finished dead last in both save percentage and goals against average; Anderson ranked 47th and 55th and Miller came in at 37th and 47th, respectively. These poor performances marked a steep drop-off for Howard and Miller, while this is the third year in a row with ugly numbers for Anderson. Age is also a troubling number shared by all; Anderson and Miller are 39 and Howard is 36. Given their ages and stats, Anderson and Howard appear done. Miller may have enough left for one more run, but his value as a free agent is limited given his desire to play only with a team near his home in Southern California. As for Schneider, he played in 13 games and posted numbers comparable to Howard’s. Schneider, 34, has faced problems with injuries and inconsistency for several years now. He is nothing more than a dart throw at this point – and according to some sources there is a handshake agreement between he and the New York Islanders, who appear willing to toss that dart at a potential veteran No. 3. Even if Schneider is available or if Miller is willing to move on from the Anaheim Ducks, do any of these aging options inspire more hope than an established AHL starter with strong NHL numbers in Hammond?

Potential Suitors

There is no shortage of teams in need of a goalie before the 2020-21 season, including the aforementioned Ducks and Islanders. Anaheim especially currently counts just starter John Gibson and presumptive backup Anthony Stolarz as NHL options, with only recent draft picks as their other signed goalies. While Stolarz is younger than Hammond and has more recent NHL experience, the two share similar career AHL stats with Hammond having an edge in the NHL. Hammond could prove to be an upgrade over Stolarz as Gibson’s backup, if not just a sold third-string option at a shallow position. There is also the matter of the impending Expansion Draft and Anaheim needing a goalie signed beyond this season to expose, making Hammond an even more likely fit. In New York, depth is an extreme concern beyond the NHL tandem, with only one other goalie signed in young Jakub Skarek. Even if the Islanders do sign Schneider, it may not hurt to add Hammond as well given Schneider’s injury concerns and not wanting to rush Skarek into a workhorse AHL role.

Elsewhere, Hammond could compete for an NHL role with the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blackhawks have maintained that they are content with an unproven trio of Collin Delia, Malcolm Subban, and Kevin Lankinen competing for both NHL spots as they begin a rebuild. However, things could turn south quickly with that group and an experienced goaltender in Hammond could be valuable. Even if Hammond doesn’t make the ’Hawks out of camp, the team could use some dependability in their depth chart. Similarly, the Penguins claim that they are happy to go into next season with Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith in net. Jarry put up great numbers last season, but has never had a true starter’s workload in the NHL. DeSmith meanwhile did not see any NHL action last season and was outplayed in the AHL by Hammond. The Penguins have okay depth, including UFA addition Maxime Lagace, but could alleviate the risk of their untested NHL tandem or at the very least upgrade at No. 3 with Hammond.

Options where Hammond would only be asked to serve in a third-string role (at the outset), but where that could still turn into a key position, include the Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, or a return to an old home with the Colorado Avalanche. The Oilers and Sharks impressed no one with their off-season changes in net; Edmonton struck out with top free agents and re-signed Mike Smith to play alongside Mikko Koskinen, while San Jose decided the way to help severely struggling starter Martin Jones was to acquire an equally struggling netminder in Devan Dubnyk. Both teams have decent depth in the minors and may be content to lean on young options if their NHL tandem fails, but if either one hopes to be a contender this season they need a No. 3 who can push for top level opportunity and Hammond could fit the bill. At this point in time, it’s anyone’s guess whether any of Smith, Koskinen, Jones, or Dubnyk are actually better goaltenders than Hammond. As for Vancouver and Colorado, both teams are set with a solid duo in the NHL, but injuries are a concern and each is sorely lacking a proven option in the AHL. For two top contenders from this past season, depth is key and Hammond would look awfully nice as a third-string fallback.

Projected Contract

The contract question for Hammond is not so much NHL salary, but AHL salary. Given the cap crunch climate, Hammond is not getting any more than the $700K league minimum salary, even if he could work his way into a regular NHL role worth far more. The question is whether he can get a one-way deal, as he did last year with the Buffalo Sabres, and have that NHL salary guaranteed in the minors or if he will have to settle for a two-way deal, as he did two years ago with the Minnesota Wild. The cap implications are the same and Hammond’s decision will likely come down to fit and opportunity over salary anyhow, so the signing team’s current financial status will likely determine one-way versus two-way. Given the potential competition for his services though, Hammond may have a number of good options and a one-way offer could be the deciding factor.

As alluded to with the Ducks, don’t rule out a two-year deal either. While a one-year term is more likely, teams will be cognizant of their Expansion Draft requirements and how training camp waivers could change the status quo as well, which could lead to Hammond landing some two-year offers to serve as Kraken bait next summer.

 

Senators’ Anders Nilsson Unlikely To Be Ready For Season

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When the Ottawa Senators take the ice in 2020-21, all eyes will be on newcomer Matt Murray in net. The big off-season trade acquisition is set to take over as starter and appears ready to hold that role for many years to come. Seemingly lost in the shuffle has been the Senator’s previous notable goaltender addition, Anders Nilsson. Acquired midway through the 2018-19 season, Nilsson outperformed the now-departed Craig Anderson down the stretch. The performance won him the starter’s share over Anderson to begin last season, as Nilsson made 20 appearances in the first three months of the year. However, his season would end at 20 games as a concussion in mid December kept him sidelined for the remainder of the campaign. If not for the addition of Murray, a healthy Nilsson likely would have again been seen as the favorite to start in Ottawa in 2020-21.

It’s fortunate then that GM Pierre Dorion and company made the move to bring in Murray, as Nilsson is still not healthy. Senators goalie coach Pierre Groulx tells Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Citizen that Nilsson is still struggling with post-concussion syndrome and is unlikely to start the season on the active roster. While the ultimate decision of whether or not Nilsson begins the year on the injured reserve will not be made until he returns from his native Sweden, the odds are slim that Dorion will entrust a key roster spot to Nilsson if he is not fully healthy. According to Groulx, Nilsson is still suffering through headaches and issues related to his neck and eyes.

While Ottawa does not have any other veteran option to back up Murray in Nilsson’s place, they have a number of prospects who can battle for the role to begin the year. Marcus Hogberg, who served as Anderson’s backup in the second half of last season following Nilsson’s injury is the clear leader, and has a one-way contract to support his case, but he will not go unopposed. The recently-extended Joey Daccord, whose new deal also includes a one-way season, will have a say in the position battle. So too will top goalie prospect Filip Gustavsson, who is currently dominating while on loan in the the SHL. Even first-year pro Kevin Mandolese may get a look in training camp. It will be a hard-fought position battle, but an even more difficult decision may be coming down the line when (or if) Nilsson is finally healthy enough to return to the mix as well.

Atlantic Notes: Anderson, Senators, Stamkos, Weise

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Although Craig Anderson won’t be returning to the Senators next season, he isn’t planning on calling it a career just yet.  He told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that he still has some goals that he wants to achieve and that he won’t be overly picky about where he lands.  While it’s unlikely that the 39-year-old will have a significant market, there should be some interest from teams that are looking for a veteran second netminder.  Before this season, he had made at least 40 appearances in four straight years and with an expectation that 2020-21 will be more compact than normal, having a backup that’s capable of handling more than a typical number two workload will be more important than usual.  Anderson posted a 3.25 GAA along with a .902 SV% in 34 games with Ottawa this season.

Elsewhere around the Atlantic Division:

  • Still with the Senators, the team is in discussions with pending unrestricted free agents Ron Hainsey, Matthew Peca, and Scott Sabourin on new deals, Garrioch reports in a separate column. Hainsey logged over 20 minutes a night on Ottawa’s back end this season and would give them a bit of stability on a relatively young back end but would likely need to come cheaper than the $3.5MM he made this season to stick around.  Peca was acquired at the deadline from Montreal while Sabourin was converted to an NHL deal just before the season started and both would likely be vying for a depth role if they re-sign.
  • Steven Stamkos once again won’t be available for the Lightning as they look to wrap up the Stanley Cup tonight against Dallas, head coach Jon Cooper told reporters including Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston (Twitter link). The captain has been limited to just one game and 2:47 of playing time this postseason although he did score an important goal in Game Three of this series in that lone appearance.
  • Canadiens winger Dale Weise will not be re-signing with Montreal and will instead hit the open market, notes Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports (Twitter link). The 32-year-old spent most of the season in the minors but was recalled down the stretch while also seeing action in five playoff games while being held off the scoresheet.  Lavoie adds that Weise’s intentions are to try to land an NHL deal and that he isn’t pursuing opportunities overseas.

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