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Senators Notes: Goaltending, North Dakota, Trade Deadline

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Senators GM Pierre Dorion spoke on TSN 1200 in Ottawa this morning and addressed many of the most pressing issues facing his team down the stretch this season. And while that won’t include a playoff push, as the Senators hold the NHL’s second-worst record and are well outside of a playoff spot in the North Division, Dorion still stated that he would like to see more consistency out of his roster the rest of the way. The position of greatest concern right now is obviously goaltending. Ottawa is allowing 3.91 goals against per game this season, the worst mark in the league by a wide margin. The Senators’ depth in net appeared to be strong entering the season with newly-acquired starter Matt Murray at the top, promising backup Marcus Hogberg ready for a full-time NHL role, college standout Joey Daccord as next man up, and top prospects Filip Gustavsson and Kevin Mandolese to fall back on as well. Yet, Murray and Hogberg have struggled greatly and the Senators’ goaltending actually improved when the pair were lost to injury, making Daccord the starter by default. However, Daccord is now expected to miss the rest of the season due to an injury of his own. This prompted not only the waiver claim of Anton Forsberg, but also for the team to send a chartered private plane to Winnipeg to pick him up, so as to avoid any quarantine period. Forsberg, who amazingly has not played at any level this season despite being claimed on waivers three times, will start for AHL Belleville on Saturday and is then likely to dress as backup behind Gustavsson on Monday, according to The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. Gustavsson, who made his NHL debut by providing a shutout third period in relief of Daccord on Wednesday, will make his first start on Monday and he and Forsberg appear likely to split starts until Murray and/or Hogberg are healthy enough to return to action. Dorion considers Murray “week-to-week” and hopes Hogberg will be ready for an AHL conditioning stint before the end of the month.

  • Without anything to play for this season, the stretch run could actually be an exciting time for the Senators as they take a look at some other options in action before next season. That could very well include any number of current members of the University of North Dakota, once their NCAA season comes to an end. Ottawa has spent a number of high draft picks on Fighting Hawks commits in recent years and now the No. 1 team in college hockey is seeking a National Championship, fueled by Senators property. For now, Dorion says that he has informed North Dakota forward Shane Pinto and defensemen Jacob Bernard-Docker, Jake Sanderson, and Tyler Kleven to simply focus on their pursuit of a title and worry about their pro futures later. However, once the postseason has ended for North Dakota – as early as next weekend or as late as April 10 – Dorion could sign any of the group and insert them into the Senators lineup right away. He specifically called Pinto, Bernard-Docker, and Sanderson “close” in terms of their pro readiness. Bernard-Docker, a junior, and Pinto, a sophomore, are more likely to sign this year than Sanderson, a freshman, even though he was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. Beyond the North Dakota players that Ottawa already owns, their link to the program and the immediate opportunity available could give them a leg up in wooing a pair of the very best college free agents available. Seniors Matt Kiersted and Jordan Kawaguchi are certainly on the Senators’ radar and could be intrigued by joining the Ottawa rebuild. Dorion did not address the immediate pro future of North Dakota transfer Jonny Tychonick, another talented draft pick whose University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks are also hoping to make the NCAA Tournament.
  • As for players that could be leaving the Senators before the end of the season, Dorion opined that this could be a very quiet trade deadline for his team, a sentiment that many other teams have echoed. In a buyer’s market that is influenced by difficult salary cap situations and border restrictions, there is a feeling that there might not be much action before the April 12 deadline. Dorion claims that teams are “checking in” but there apparently hasn’t been much traction on forming actual deals. The Senators are not in a great position to trade this season anyhow. Recently re-acquired winger Ryan Dzingel is their most valuable rental piece, but may not even be available if there is mutual interest in an extension. Dzingel has already re-discovered his scoring touch back in Ottawa, notching four goals in eight games. Expensive and unproductive veterans Artem Anisimov and Erik Gudbranson, depth defensemen Mike Reilly and Braydon Coburn, and grinders Matthew Peca and Micheal Haley are the only other expiring contracts the Senators have and lack much, if any value. It could be a quiet deadline indeed in Ottawa barring a surprise move.

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.

Senators Notes: Draft Picks, Nilsson, Free Agency

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Are the Ottawa Senators ready to take the next step in their rebuild and begin trading futures to add help in the present? The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that Senators GM Pierre Dorion is listening to all offers for his numerous draft picks. The Senators own a whopping 13 picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, including three first-round picks and four second-round picks. In a draft class that is considered especially deep, there is a lot of value in those early picks. While No. 3 and No. 5 overall are certainly safe, No. 28 overall and any of the second-rounders could be in play. Dorion is not going to move all five of those picks, but could easily move one or two to bring in immediate help to his roster. Considering that this off-season will also see many teams looking to cut salary, the Senators could land a very good player (or two) by moving their high picks to a team that has no choice but to sacrifice the present and in Ottawa finds the opportunity to invest in the future.

  • Among the pressing roster needs that Dorion could address by dealing a pick is an addition in goal. Garrioch notes that there are concerns around the organization about presumptive starter Anders Nilsson, who has not skated since February as he deals with concussion repercussions. While Dorion is “confident” that Nilsson will be ready for the start of the season, there may still be an impact on his play. If he falters, the team does not have any NHL-proven options behind him, with youngsters Marcus Hogberg, Filip Gustavsson, Joey Daccord, and Kevin Mandolese making up their pro depth. As a result, the team may be forced to add a goalie to serve as a short-term fix. If they don’t want to fill that need on the trade market, there are also plenty of options on the free agent market.
  • A draft day trade and acquiring a goalie would be significant additions by the Senators, but they will be far from done after those moves are made. Ottawa has just eight players signed to one-way contracts for next season with maybe five or six entry-level players who will likely be on the season-opening roster. That leaves plenty of work for Dorion and company to do to fill out the roster. The team has a laundry list of restricted free agents to sign, up to nine of whom will be or at least could be on the NHL roster. Even if all of that adds up to a 23-man roster, the team also has to be wary of the $60.2MM, which they currently fall $22M under. The Senators will likely need to explore the trade and free agent markets for a few more additions before they can call their off-season complete.

Atlantic Notes: Nilsson, Hogberg, Boyle, Dadonov, Girgensons

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Anders Nilsson’s recovery from a concussion hasn’t gone well.  The Senators had hoped he’d have been back a while ago but symptoms still linger and as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes, Nilsson’s season may be over.  He’s not accompanying Ottawa on their upcoming road trip and with there now being less than a month left in the season, there may not be enough time for him to be cleared, get back into game shape, and return.  The 29-year-old is already under contract for next season with a $2.6MM cap hit.

Nilsson’s continued absence should mean more playing time for youngster Marcus Hogberg.  Garrioch notes that he’s expected to return from his personal leave next week.  The Sens seem to prefer to send him back to AHL Belleville to help in their playoff run but if there are considerable NHL minutes available, that would be crucial for his development as he’s likely to garner consideration for the full-time backup job to Nilsson next season.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Panthers center Brian Boyle won’t play on Saturday against Montreal but is expected to return next week, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). He has been out with an upper-body injury for the last month and his return would be a good boost to Florida’s bottom six.  Meanwhile, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty reports that winger Evgenii Dadonov will not face any supplemental discipline from the league following his elbowing penalty on Bruins blueliner Brandon Carlo on Thursday.  The hit initially received a five-minute major penalty but was reduced to a two-minute minor after video review.
  • Sabres winger Zemgus Girgensons is questionable to play in Saturday’s game against Philadelphia due to a lower-body injury that caused him to miss practice today, mentions Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. If he is unable to play, Michael Frolik would likely draw in after missing the last four games as a healthy scratch which wasn’t what anyone was hoping for when Buffalo acquired him back in January.

Minor Transactions: 03/02/20

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The calendar has turned to March and things are still not settled in playoff races across the league. The Pittsburgh Penguins have fallen apart at the worst time of the year while their cross-state rivals in Philadelphia play the best hockey of their season. The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally distanced themselves from the Florida Panthers, while the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche continue to show why they are Stanley Cup contenders. The last month of the season should be extremely exciting. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Filip Gustavsson from the minor leagues, with Marcus Hogberg not at practice for the team. The 21-year old Gustavsson was seen as the goaltender of the future when acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins, but has struggled over two seasons in the AHL. Hogberg meanwhile will be returning to Sweden for family reasons, according to Sportsnet contributor Wayne Scanlan.
  • The Ontario Reign and Manitoba Moose have swapped players, though not in an actual trade. Michael Spacek has been loaned to the Reign while Daniel Brickley has been loaned to the Moose. The move gives each team some depth at a different position, but doesn’t remove them from the NHL organization.
  • Speaking of minor league trades, the Charlotte Checkers have made another move to change their makeup. The team has acquired Ryan Bourque from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in exchange for Terry Broadhurst and Cedric Lacroix. Charlotte’s forward group was weakened at the NHL trade deadline and they have made moves recently to fill it back up.

This story will be updated throughout the day

Craig Anderson’s Trade Stock Plummeting

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Both the Ottawa Senators and goaltender Craig Anderson have an interest in the veteran’s trade value with the NHL Trade Deadline approaching next month. The Senators are again outside of the playoff picture and looking to deal any impending free agents for futures. Anderson meanwhile is 38 years old and has never come close to winning a Stanley Cup, reaching the postseason five times in his 17-year career and only twice advancing past the first round. Both sides would seemingly like to see a deal made.

Yet, as The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes, Anderson’s play of late may be ruining that chance for both he and his team. Anderson has allowed four or more goals in each of his last four games, all of which have ended in Senators’ losses. His save percentage has dropped below .900, while his goals against average has jumped to 3.27. Entering this season after back-to-back difficult campaigns, Anderson needed consistently strong play to redeem his value. Instead, the long-time Ottawa keeper looks like a player whose days as a reliable contributor are over.

However, Anderson remains “open-minded” to the idea of a trade and the Senators certainly would like to get anything out of him on the market, if at all possible. However, if Anderson’s value is to improve at all over the next six weeks leading up to the deadline, Ottawa must be wiling to but the veteran in net. Anders Nilsson received the lion’s share of starts early in the season, so much so that he has one fewer appearance than Anderson despite being out with an injury since mid-December. Even with Nilsson sidelined, Anderson has been sharing the net, now with young Marcus Hogberg. Hogberg has played in nine games this season, seven since Nilsson’s injury, and of late has been at the opposite end of the spectrum of Anderson, allowing two goals or fewer in each of his last three appearances. Despite these efforts, if the Sens want to move Anderson they must put him in the lineup, even once Nilsson returns to action.

If Ottawa isn’t willing to give Anderson the chance to improve his trade stock, they likely will struggle to get anything back for him. The rental goalie market is far from vacant; there are upwards of a half-dozen goalies who could easily be on the move by the end of February. The Chicago Blackhawks have at least one keeper that they could move, San Jose’s Aaron Dell and Montreal’s Keith Kinkaid are established backups who will be made available, and Anderson is not even the only gray-haired veteran on the block, with the Ducks’ Ryan Miller and Red Wings’ Jimmy Howard potentially available. There are more goalies for sale than there are backup buyers and not all of these names will move. If the Senators and Anderson hope that he is one of the few to go, things need to change – and soon.

Minor Transactions: 12/09/19

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A new week begins in the NHL with four games on the schedule, including the NHL’s two hottest teams. The Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche are both on six-game winning streaks and will welcome in the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames respectively. As teams prepare for that action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Cory Conacher again, but this time he’s coming with another teammate. Mitchell Stephens has been recalled as well and could make his NHL debut tonight after taking part in the morning skate. Tyler Johnson was absent according to Joe Smith of The Athletic, leaving an opening for the young forward.
  • Marcus Hogberg is back for the Ottawa Senators, while Craig Anderson is heading back to the injured reserve list. Anderson suffered a lower-body injury over the weekend when taking on the Philadelphia Flyers, meaning Anders Nilsson will take over the starting duties once again in Ottawa.
  • Jordan Kyrou has recovered fully and is on his way back to the St. Louis Blues. He and Austin Poganski have both been recalled by the club, giving them a little more forward depth while they continue to deal with major injuries.
  • Michael Dipietro has been returned to the minor leagues by the Vancouver Canucks, meaning Jacob Markstrom is back with the team. Markstrom had been granted a leave of absence to attend the memorial service of his late father.
  • The Avalanche are dealing with a few minor injuries, leading to the recall of goaltender Adam Werner from the AHL. Philipp Grubauer has been listed as day-to-day, but with Colorado taking on the Flames tonight they needed someone to backup Pavel Francouz.
  • Caleb Jones is getting another chance at the NHL level, recalled by the Edmonton Oilers today. The team has sent Joel Persson to the AHL in his place. Jones, 22, has played in nine games for the Oilers this season.
  • Nico Sturm has been returned to the minor leagues by the Minnesota Wild, after being recalled just a few days ago. Sturm is still waiting to make his NHL debut after signing with the team in the summer.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Valentin Zykov from AHL Chicago.  Cody Eakin and Cody Glass are dealing with injuries so even with Zykov up, Vegas is only carrying 12 healthy forwards on their active roster.
  • Robbie Russo is getting his first look of the season as the Arizona Coyotes announced that they’ve recalled the defenseman.  He last saw NHL action with Detroit back in 2016-17 when he played in 19 games with Detroit.

Minor Transactions: 12/05/19

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The Metropolitan Division kept on rolling last night, with wins by both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. That group has five teams that would be divisional playoff seeds in the Atlantic, meaning they are running away with the wild card positions at the moment. With nine games on the schedule for tonight, we’ll see if the other Metro teams can keep pace.

  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Erik Brannstrom and Marcus Hogberg back to the AHL, probably a good decision for the development of their young defenseman at this point. Brannstrom was the prize for Mark Stone last season and needs to grow into that first-pairing option that the Senators believed he could be.
  • Cory Conacher has been brought right back to the Tampa Bay Lightning today, though he wasn’t in the morning skate lines as the group prepares for their game against the Minnesota Wild.
  • Tom Kuhnhackl has been placed on long-term injured reserve in order to get him a conditioning stint with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, which actually signals that the veteran forward is getting closer to a return. Kuhnhackl has played just six games for the New York Islanders this season and is still looking for his first point.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have sent Logan O’Connor back to the minor leagues, suggesting that Gabriel Landeskog might be close to returning. The captain has been out for the last several weeks, but after Mikko Rantanen’s recent return the Avalanche are getting closer to full strength.
  • Matt Tennyson has been placed on injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils, while Jack Hughes returned to practice. The Devils are in a state of turmoil after firing head coach John Hynes, but will hopefully get their star forward into the lineup.

Minor Transactions: 11/27/19

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The vast majority of the NHL is taking part in the action tonight, as 26 teams suit up in a busy Wednesday evening. That schedule includes some top-tier matchups like the Florida Panthers-Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers-Colorado Avalanche. As teams prepare for what should be an excellent night of hockey, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • As expected, the Columbus Blue Jackets have flipped backup goaltenders once again, sending Matiss Kivlenieks to the minor leagues and recalling Elvis Merzlikins. Merzlikins got into some game action last night for the Cleveland Monsters, stopping 28 of 29 shots.
  • Christian Folin has been sent to the AHL on a conditioning stint in order to get him a chance to play in a game for the first time in more than a month. The 28-year old has played in just five games for the Montreal Canadiens this season, none since the middle of October.
  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Marcus Hogberg from the AHL, as Craig Anderson missed practice today. Hogberg is expected to serve as the backup for Anders Nilsson tonight when the Senators take on the Boston Bruins.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/26/19

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Like always, we’ll keep you aware of all the training camp cuts right here. Keep checking back to see the updated list:

Anaheim Ducks (per team release)

F Alex Broadhurst (to San Diego, AHL)
D Hunter Drew (to San Diego, AHL)
D Zack Hayes (to San Diego, AHL)
F Justin Kloos (to San Diego, AHL)
F Jack Kopacka (to San Diego, AHL)
D Patrick Sieloff (to San Diego, AHL)
D Chris Wideman (to San Diego, AHL)
G Anthony Stolarz (to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (per team release)

F Ryan Fitzgerald (to Providence, AHL)
F Joona Koppanen (to Providence, AHL)
F Zach Senyshyn (to Providence, AHL)
F Pavel Shen (to Providence, AHL)
F Oskar Steen (to Providence, AHL)
D Jeremy Lauzon (to Providence, AHL)
D Urho Vaakanainen (to Providence, AHL)
G Kyle Keyser (to Providence, AHL)
F Paul Carey (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Brendan Gaunce (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Alexander Petrovic (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)

Buffalo Sabres (per team release)

F Dylan Cozens (to Lethbridge, WHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

F Morgan Geekie (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Janne Kuokkanen (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Steven Lorentz (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Eetu Luostarinen (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Stelio Mattheos (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Jake Bean (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Kyle Wood (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Jesper Sellgren (to Lulea HF, SHL)
F Ryan Suzuki (to Barrie, OHL)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

D Bowen Byram (to Vancouver, WHL)
F Martin Kaut (to Colorado, AHL)
F Sheldon Dries (to Colorado, AHL)
F Logan O’Connor (to Colorado, AHL)
F Michael Joly (to Colorado, AHL)
G Hunter Miska (to Colorado, AHL)
D Jacob MacDonald (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Dan Renouf (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

F Kailer Yamamoto (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Florida Panthers (per team release)

F Anthony Greco (to Springfield, AHL)
D Ian McCoshen (to Springfield, AHL)
G Chris Driedger (to Springfield, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

F Matthew Peca (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Phil Varone (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Dale Weise (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Karl Alzner (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Xavier Ouellet (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)

New York Rangers (per team release)

F Daniel O’Regan (to Hartford, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (per team release)

F Parker Kelly (to Belleville, AHL)
G Marcus Hogberg (to Belleville, AHL)
F Nick Paul (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Jordan Szwarz (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)

Vegas Golden Knights (per Jesse Granger, The Athletic)

F Reid Duke (to Chicago, AHL)
D Dylan Coughlan (to Chicago, AHL)

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