To begin- It’s too bad they let Jonathan Dahlen go. It really is.
While there wasn’t a ton of excitement when the Senators picked the diminutive Swede in the second round of last year’s Draft, he grabbed the attention of the fan base this year. It started with an impressive showing at the World Juniors and continued with a strong second half in Sweden. Admittedly I know nothing about the second tier of the Swedish Hockey League, but still, I was legitimately excited about what kind of player he could be in a few years.
We all were, to varying degrees.
And now a day and a half later, I feel like I have shown a sufficient level of disappointment over losing what may have been a top five prospect in the system.
Ready to move on. It doesn’t mean it wasn’t an over-payment but I’ve accepted it. You want to improve your team at the deadline, you have to give something up. Especially in an instance where there are multiple teams in the mix, including a division rival. It’s always been that way.
But the fact is this team is better now than they were a couple days ago. And even if you hate the trade, you have to at least admire that the rookie General Manager went out and made something happen. Maybe not the massive deal some were hoping for but Dorion identified the most pressing need and addressed it. And in the process, he has given his team a better shot to make the playoffs and maybe do some damage when they get there.
In Burrows and Stalberg, the Senators are getting two useful NHL players. Both guys are defensively responsible, can play on the penalty kill and can contribute offensively. 113 games of playoff experience between them too.
Stalberg, who was dealt for this year’s 3rd round pick, adds some much needed speed to the bottom six. While his offensive numbers don’t really jump off the page (9 goals in 57 games) he definitely has some skill. The Hurricanes have the top ranked penalty kill in the league right now and he was a big part of that (4th among forwards in PK TOI). He’s also got a Stanley Cup on his resume that he won with the Chicago Blackhawks back in 2013.
And to give you a little more context, here are thoughts on Viktor Stalberg’s 2016-17 season thus far from Matt Karash at independent Carolina Hurricanes site Canes and Coffee.
In his first season with the Carolina Hurricanes, Viktor Stalberg has been used almost exclusively in a fourth line role playing right wing mostly with Joakim Nordstrom (LW) and Jay McClement (C). He has also been a key contributor on the Hurricanes’ league-leading penalty kill. Stalberg has excelled in this limited but focused role. With his combination of size, speed and defensive acumen, Stalberg has played a key role in solidifying a fourth line around Jay McClement that struggled mightily in 2015-16 before his arrival. He has also provided significant secondary scoring with 9 goals despite averaging only 11:42 of ice time with limited line mates in terms of offensive ability and no power play ice time.
It is unclear if Stalberg can score enough to play in the top 9 on a good team, but he is a very good fourth line player with the size and physical play of a power forward but also with impressive straight line speed that makes him strong of the forecheck and capable of winning races to pucks against small, fast players.
Stalberg will fit nicely on a fourth/checking line and can skate and play 2-way hockey well enough to fill in on a higher line. He could also boost the penalty if help is needed there.
Did I mention he’s fast?
While Alex Burrows is clearly past his prime, he’ll still bring an element of energy/physicality/prickishness that will be useful down the stretch. And especially if they make it to the playoffs.
A four-time 20 goal scorer, Burrows has always had a nose for the net. And while his offensive production has predictably regressed over the years, he’s actually taken a small step forward this year compared to last. Playing with Bo Horvat has been a big reason for that slight boost in production.
He’s not the player he once was obviously but people that watch him regularly in Vancouver have been impressed with his game this season.
Will be interesting to see how Guy Boucher plans to use these two guys. The Senators really haven’t had a fourth line this year so the addition of Burrows and Stalberg (and Chris DiDomenico) should give him some more options in the bottom six. Stalberg is a left shot that plays LW while Burrows is a left shot that has primarily played right wing.
These aren’t flashy moves but they certainly make this a better hockey team.
Another top six forward would be great and a top four defenceman would be amazing but to make those type of moves they would almost certainly be doing serious damage to the future. And based on what I saw in here over the last couple of days, I’m not sure our servers would be able to withstand that sort of thing.
Pierre Dorion is taking some heat for what he gave up yesterday but good on him for not just sitting on his hands.
Now it’s up to the players to make the most of what they have in that room.
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DEADLINE DAY WRAP-UP
-It ended up being a quiet deadline day for the Senators which isn’t a huge surprise considering they made a couple moves in the days leading up to March 1st. As expected, the one deal they did make ended up involving Curtis Lazar. As rumoured, Lazar lands in Calgary in exchange for a 2nd round pick in the 2017 Draft and depth defenceman Jyrki Jokipakka. Mike Kostka is also heading to Calgary in the deal. Considering the dreadful year Lazar has had and the speculation he wanted out, a 2nd round pick is a damn good return. It’s disappointing to see it end this way for Lazar obviously but a fresh start was needed. There clearly just wasn’t a spot for him in the line up here in Ottawa.
-The Senators were on the ice for practice amid the awkward silence that was this year’s Deadline Day and it gave Boucher a first crack at some new line combinations with his additional forwards in the mix. Safe to say he’s pretty excited about Alex Burrows, as he started him up on the top line with Mike Hoffman and Kyle Turris. Viktor Stalberg started on a fourth line with Chris Kelly and Tommy Wingels. Smith-Brassard-Stone and Dzingel-Pageau-Pyatt were the other two lines. Interested to see how those combos look tomorrow night against the Avalanche.
-Pierre Dorion was on TSN1200 following the 3:00 PM deadline and hit on a range of topics. Aside from his clear excitement over the addition of Burrows, there were a few interesting notes about the deadline and about the team going forward. One that jumped out was a slightly more optimistic outlook on the possibility of Colin White joining the team in Ottawa, specifically mentioning that there may be a spot on the roster for him with Lazar on the way out. White’s season could wrap up in the next few weeks.
ICYMI: #Sens GM Pierre Dorion speaks to media following the #NHLTradeDeadline. pic.twitter.com/r9JHmpTBzf
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 1, 2017
