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East Notes: Muse, Housley, Sanderson

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The new head coach of the New York Rangers, Peter Laviolette, is working diligently on getting the rest of his bench filled out for the upcoming season. In the last 36 hours, one name has already been inked, as former player Michael Peca will be brought on to serve as an assistant coach.

Adding to that list, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports that Dan Muse will also be brought on to serve as an assistant coach on the Rangers’ bench. This will not be Muse’s first shot in the NHL, as he served under Laviolette with the Nashville Predators from 2017-20.

Since then, Muse has been serving as head coach of the United States U18 team, coaching the team to a gold medal finish last April in Switzerland. Adding to his winning pedigree before his time in Nashville, Muse was also an assistant coach for Yale University from 2009-2015, helping his team win the 2013 Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship against Quinnipiac University.

Other notes:

  • Like Muse, there may be another former Nashville coach joining Laviolette in the Big Apple, as Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News reports that Laviolette has interest in bringing in Phil Housley. After his time in Nashville came to end in 2017, Housley signed on with the Buffalo Sabres as head coach, only to be fired after his second year. Currently employed as an assistant coach for the Arizona Coyotes, Housley is most well known for his 21-year career in the NHL, scoring a total of 1,232 points in 1,495 career games.
  • Ottawa Senators defenseman, Jake Sanderson, has switched agents, now being represented by mega-agent Pat Brisson of CAA Hockey (Tweet Link). Although under contract already with the Senators, the change could mean a lot for Sanderson this summer. Entering the last season of his entry-level contract signed back in 2022, Sanderson could sign a long-term extension with Ottawa this offseason.

Ottawa Senators Want To Sign Alex DeBrincat To Extension

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Postmedia hockey columnist Bruce Garrioch tweeted today that the Ottawa Senators would like to sign Alex DeBrincat to a long-term deal, but they aren’t sure if he wants to stay. For his part, DeBrincat has been non-committal but did tell Garrioch today that he’d let the Senators know his intentions before the draft. Garrioch added that it is believed that DeBrincat would like to see where the Senators ownership situation goes before signing any long-term contract extension.

It makes sense from DeBrincat’s perspective to take a wait and see approach. He has put himself in a position to take a $9MM qualifying offer from Ottawa and then cash in next summer with any team of his choosing. For him to sign right now would mean he would be committing himself for the near future without knowing who will be signing his cheques.

DeBrincat had a steady, but unspectacular first year in Ottawa. He had 27 goals and 39 assists in 82 games, but nearly half of his production came on the power play. DeBrincat managed only 36 even strength points, a sharp drop from the 50 even strength points he produced in his last season in Chicago. DeBrincat also didn’t have great possession numbers at five on five and seemed to struggle without the benefits of the man advantage.

While it is not unusual for a player to struggle in his first season with a new club, it must give the Ottawa Senators some reservations about committing to another $8MM player. The Senators already have Thomas Chabot, Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle and Joshua Norris signed to contracts around that mark, with Jake Sanderson due an extension next summer. Adding a long term DeBrincat contract to the ledger could leave the Senators with precious little cap space to shore up their goaltending, or fix their bottom six, something general manager Pierre Dorion has talked about improving.

Atlantic Injury Updates: Bruins, Bennett, Sanderson

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After a report yesterday signaling that Boston Bruins star center David Krejci would be shut down for the remainder of the regular season, head coach Jim Montgomery announces that he will be ready for Game 1 of the NHL playoffs. This is good news for the Bruins, as Krejci is one of their best playoff performers in franchise history.

Montgomery also made time for several other injury updates, noting that Vezina candidate Linus Ullmark would not make the trip with the team as they head to Montreal for their final game of the season. Nothing is imminent on that front, as Ullmark snagged the win against the Washington Capitals last night, but Montgomery notes that the team is trying to be precautionary with their goalie.

For their depth players, primarily about injured defenseman Derek Forbort and forward Nick Foligno, the Bruins head coach says they are both, “checking boxes”. It’s unclear whether either will be ready for the Bruins’ first-round playoff matchup. With the depth Boston added to their blue line at the trade deadline, it’s also unclear whether Forbort would play for the Bruins in the playoffs regardless. Foligno would be a much more lethal addition, rebounding from a disastrous 2021-22 season, scoring 10 goals and 16 assists for the Bruins this year.

For this year’s playoffs, the Bruins will have a home-ice advantage throughout the entirety. Although the Eastern Conference wild-card race has not been entirely settled yet, they will play the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, or the Pittsburgh Penguins for their opening-round matchup.

Other injury updates from the Atlantic Division:

  • Jameson Olive, the Senior Digital Content Manager for the Panthers, relays on a message from head coach Paul Maurice, announcing that forward Sam Bennett will not play in Florida’s final regular season game. Although the Panthers clinched a spot in the playoffs last night, they don’t know if they will be playing the Bruins or the winner of the Metropolitan division. The team has played well in Bennett’s absence, as the forward has not played since their March 20th win against the Detroit Red Wings. Bennett has had a similar year to his last, scoring 16 goals and 24 assists for the Panthers this season.
  • Spending last summer rehabbing from an injury, Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson is looking to get a proper summer of training under his belt. In doing so, Bruce Garrioch of TSN is reporting that Sanderson has declined to play for Team USA in the upcoming World Championship. In 76 games for the Senators during his rookie season, the young defenseman has scored four goals and 27 assists. If they weren’t quite ready for it this season, the Senators are fully prepared to make a run to the playoffs next year. After the addition of Jakob Chychrun at this year’s trade deadline, they will have a lethal blue line if Sanderson can continue progressing this summer.

Jake Sanderson Out Two Weeks, Senators Recall Kevin Mandolese

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As expected, the Ottawa Senators have recalled goaltender Kevin Mandolese from their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators. The move comes after Senators goalie Anton Forsberg had to be stretchered off the ice during last night’s game due to a lower-body injury. He will be out indefinitely with MCL tears in both knees.

In addition, Senators GM Perre Dorion announced that rookie blueliner Jake Sanderson would miss a minimum of ten days (and likely two weeks in total) with an upper-body injury.

Mandolese’s recall comes as the Forsberg injury puts the Senators’ difficult goalie situation into an even more dire state. Veteran Cam Talbot is already on injured reserve and expected to miss another week, according to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. 

The team already has 2019 second-round pick Mads Sogaard on the active roster on an emergency loan, and now Mandolese heads to the active roster as well having previously started games this season at both the AHL and ECHL level. He has a .879 save percentage at the AHL level this season and a .927 in the ECHL.

With both Sogaard and Mandolese up in the NHL, the AHL Senators are now forced to rely on minor-league veteran Antoine Bibeau, as well as ECHL trade acquisition Logan Flodell, who has an .800 save percentage in the AHL so far.

The loss of Sanderson, though, is perhaps even more discouraging given the success he has had in his rookie season. The Senators are interested in playing meaningful, competitive hockey down the stretch even though their playoff hopes remain in long-shot territory.

Losing Sanderson, who has helped their penalty kill and overall defensive game, for two weeks will likely hurt them in the standings if the Senators’ other defensemen can’t pick up and capably fill the minutes he leaves.

Jake Sanderson Fully Recovered, Ready For Training Camp

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When the college season ends and top prospects start signing, there is usually a bit of time for NHL clubs to get them into the lineup. Owen Power, Kent Johnson, and Matty Beniers, for instance, all played in a handful of games down the stretch and now enter training camp knowing what it takes to compete at the next level.

That would have been the case for Ottawa Senators prospect Jake Sanderson but unfortunately, a hand injury kept him on the sidelines even after signing his entry-level deal. It also likely kept him off the U.S. World Championship team, given he had already been selected for the Olympics earlier in the year.

Injury no more, Sanderson explained to reporters including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press today, as he met with media during the NHLPA rookie showcase. The hand has now healed and the young defenseman expects to be 100% healthy for training camp later this month.

It is an interesting place the Senators find themselves in, with regards to the 20-year-old. The team already has six other defensemen signed to one-way contracts after Erik Brannstrom inked his deal yesterday, and older prospects like Jacob Bernard-Docker and Lassi Thomson pushing for spots. How Sanderson slots into the lineup is still undetermined, and there is still the possibility (however remote) that he spends a substantial amount of time in the minor leagues.

The thing is, Ottawa is now clearly trying to turn the corner on their rebuild, after acquiring the likes of Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat, meaning the best six should be in the lineup on any given night. Sanderson will have to fight for those minutes, even if he does come with a tremendous resume from his time with the University of North Dakota. In 45 college games, the 2020 fifth-overall pick had 41 points, including 10 goals.

Ottawa Senators Sign Tomas Hamara To Entry-Level Contract

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Just the second pick outside of the first round from the 2022 NHL Draft has now signed the entry-level contract. Per CapFriendly, the Ottawa Senators did so today with Czech defenseman Tomas Hamara, who they selected in the third round (87th overall). His entry-level deal carries a cap hit of $852K with the following breakdown:

2022-23: $750K NHL salary, $85K signing bonus, $15K performance bonus, $80K minors salary
2023-24: $775K NHL salary, $85K signing bonus, $80K minors salary
2024-25: $775K NHL salary, $85K signing bonus, $80K minors salary

Most public scouts would agree Hamara was a bit of a steal in that range, with most pegging him to go in the mid-to-late second round. Hamara played in a lot of different leagues and tournaments this past year, but he spent most of his time with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga, split between their main team and their junior team. He had a strong performance in juniors with 25 points in 32 games, and played in 24 games in the Liiga as well. He also saw some time in the Champions League tournament with Tappara, playing in four games.

In all likelihood, Ottawa will loan Hamara back to Tappara for the next two seasons, as he’s under contract there until 2024. He’s also a more raw prospect, and he likely needs some more conditioning before he’s even ready for AHL ice. Yet, he projects as a well-rounded two-way defenseman who should add nicely to Ottawa’s defensive depth on the left side with players like Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson.

East Notes: Blue Jackets Draft, Sanderson, Burke

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While no team can quite match the draft pick stockpile the Arizona Coyotes have amassed for next month’s draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets might be the team best positioned for the first round specifically. The Blue Jackets hold the sixth and twelfth-overall selections, and according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, that might not be where they end up picking. (subscription link) Portzline makes it clear that the Blue Jackets will be “keeping their options open” with regard to the two picks, specifically pointing to the Blue Jackets potentially using their two selections to climb higher on the draft board.

Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is notoriously private about his strategy leading into drafts, so it’s unlikely that we’ll know exactly what the team decides to do until the night of the draft itself. That possibility is made especially true due to the uncertainty at the number-one slot. The Montreal Canadiens, who not only host the draft but also hold the number-one pick, could possibly pass on Kingston Frontenacs center Shane Wright in favor of Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky, whose momentum has been building in recent weeks. If the Canadiens end up doing just that, it brings up an extremely intriguing trade possibility with the Blue Jackets and Devils. The Devils are already set at center — having two number-one picks in Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes on the roster will do that — and there are few teams that could match the Jackets’ offer should Kekalainen dangle both of his first-rounders. While we’re obviously a ways away from any sort of wildly entertaining scenario such as that one from actually taking place, it seems like there are definitely the pieces in place to make this year’s draft one of the more memorable in recent history, especially thanks to the mystery surrounding the Blue Jackets and their two top picks.

Now, for some other notes regarding the league’s Eastern Conference teams:

  • While Columbus holding the sixth and twelfth picks at the 2022 draft is certainly an enviable situation for many teams, few clubs have been able to replicate the sort of high-end draft capital the Ottawa Senators were able to amass in 2020. The team held two top-five picks, and with their second they selected American defenseman Jake Sanderson. Sanderson’s debut has been highly anticipated since he signed from the University of North Dakota, but injuries kept him from getting into NHL games this past season. Per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, by the time the season starts in the fall, those injury woes will be behind Sanderson and he’ll be ready to be a full contributor with the Senators, assuming he makes the team out of training camp as he’s widely expected to. Sanderson is a dynamic defenseman who has the potential to transform the makeup of the Senators’ blueline corps. His full recovery coming in time for the start of next season is not only a win for the Senators, it’s a win for hockey fans in general.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins were a single goal in Game Seven away from advancing to the second round for the first time since 2018, but ultimately their injuries and inability to finish off the New York Rangers doomed their season. That has left the team with an offseason of major uncertainty, and that uncertainty may not involve just their two big-name franchise pillars that are out of a contract. According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, Fenway Sports Group, the new Penguins owners, “may not be so enamored with Brian Burke keeping his post as president of hockey ops after a second straight first-round flameout.” Burke was hired in tandem with GM Ron Hextall last February, and under their stewardship, the Penguins have had a points percentage above .600, albeit with two first-round losses as Brooks mentions. Burke is a highly experienced hockey executive who is widely respected across the league, and the Penguins parting with him so early in his tenure would certainly be a surprise. While a summer front office shakeup is not something many had on their radar for the Penguins, especially given the high-stakes negotiations the team is currently engaged in, it now looks like it’s a possibility that cannot be ruled out.

East Notes: Senators Injuries, Goodrow, Kaski

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In an interview on TSN 1200 (audio link), Senators GM Pierre Dorion provided an update on several injured players.  Forward Tim Stutzle suffered a recurrence of the knee injury he had earlier in the season while playing at the Worlds which resulted in his early exit from the tournament.  Fortunately, the injury isn’t a severe one as the youngster will need a couple of weeks to recover which will give him plenty of time to get ready for training camp in the fall.  Meanwhile, Jake Sanderson is on the right path in his recovery from a hand injury that prevented the blueliner from seeing any NHL action down the stretch and is expected to be ready for development camp this summer.

As for goaltender Matt Murray, Dorion added that the netminder is expected to be fully recovered from his concussion and be ready for training camp.  The 28-year-old is coming off another tough year that saw him post a save percentage of just .906 which has led to some speculation about his future with the Senators.  Murray has two more years left on his contract that carries a $6.25MM AAV.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • There was some good news on the injury front for the Rangers today as Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today relays (Twitter link) that winger Barclay Goodrow has resumed skating. He has been out since being suffering a lower-body injury in the opening game of the playoffs.  Considering he has missed a few weeks now, it seems unlikely Goodrow will be available for Thursday’s fifth game against Carolina but he might have a chance to return by the end of the series.
  • Hurricanes RFA Oliwer Kaski has decided to stay overseas as HC Lugano of the NLA in Switzerland announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a two-year contract. The 26-year-old was tendered a qualifying offer by Carolina in 2020 but has spent the past two years with Avangard Omsk in the KHL.  His NHL rights are set to expire next summer so if he wants to come back to North America at that time, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.

Senators Notes: Free Agents, World Championships, Brown, Sanderson

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Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion spoke to reporters today during his end-of-season availability, stating that forwards Chris Tierney and Tyler Ennis won’t be extended and defenseman Victor Mete won’t be issued a qualifying offer. The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise as the team likely looks to be a little more aggressive in free agency, pursuing bigger talents to help push a budding young core into playoff contention.

Tierney had just 18 points in 70 games this season, a career-low. Ennis was much more productive in an even more limited role, notching 24 points in 57 games. He should continue to find a home next season to provide solid depth scoring. Mete only appeared in 37 games this season, oftentimes a healthy scratch.

  • Dorion also announced that forwards Austin Watson and Adam Gaudette will make the trip to Finland to represent the United States at the 2022 World Championships, joining teammate Tim Stutzle who will be with Germany. Gaudette had just 14 points in 58 games this year, a far cry from his 33-point year in 59 games a few seasons back. Watson, known for his grit rather than his scoring, ended up with more points, tallying 16 in 67 games.
  • Forward Connor Brown was dealing with not one but two wrist injuries by the time the season ended. That didn’t stop him much, though, as he still tallied a respectable 39 points in 64 games as he battled through injury at various points this season. He’s done nothing but score consistently since joining the Senators, tallying 117 points in 191 games over three seasons so far.
  • Promising defense prospect Jake Sanderson re-injured his hand this week, but Dorion says he’ll be ready for training camp. Dorion notes Sanderson will participate in development camp over the summer, while forward Shane Pinto, who was injured most of this season, will join him at rookie camp.

Ottawa Senators Sign Jake Sanderson

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The Ottawa Senators announced that they have signed defenseman Jake Sanderson to a three-year, entry-level contract. The financial terms of the deal have not yet been announced, however the contract will take effect immediately with Sanderson expected to join the club in the coming days.

As mentioned earlier, Sanderson was close to signing with the Senators after his season at the University of North Dakota came to an end earlier this week. Although Sanderson is still recovering from a hand injury suffered on March 5th, Ottawa wanted to get their star prospect into the organization and around the team as soon as possible, getting him accustomed to the team and lifestyle, and importantly, around team doctors and training staff as he recovers. Ottawa also hopes to have Sanderson in the lineup once he is fully healthy, and before the team’s season concludes on April 29th.

The fifth-overall pick in 2020 by Ottawa, Sanderson has found himself among the game’s best prospects, and has impressed at UND. After playing with the US National Team Development Program, Sanderson began playing for UND during the 2020-21 season, putting up two goals and 13 assists in in 22 games. This season, Sanderson was named an alternate captain for UND and took additional strides, posting eight goals and 18 assists in 23 games. Despite playing in just 23 of UND’s 39 games, Sanderson was third on the team in scoring.

In addition to missing time due to injury, Sanderson also missed games for UND as a result of playing in the suspended IIHF World Junior Championships, where he served as Team USA’s captain, as well as playing for Team USA at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

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