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.