Okay, so maybe it wasn’t quite the “opening of the floodgates” we were all expecting.
It’s been four long days since the Senators signed Morgan Klimchuk to a one year, two-way deal and Sens scuttlebutt has been hard to come by since then.
The good news is we won’t have to wait much longer.
In just four days, teams will gather in Vancouver for the NHL Entry Draft which is sure to kick the rumour mill into high-gear. And while the Senators find themselves in the middle-of-the-pack in the Draft and mostly free of speculation leading up to Friday, you never know.
With so many picks stockpiled over the next few years, moving up is certainly a possibility for the Senators. And as we’ve seen in previous years, Dorion has no problem moving back if the price is right.
So with that in mind, a desperate attempt at Monday News and Notes.
-One RFA was crossed off the list this morning as the Senators announced they have signed forward Anthony Duclair to a one year deal worth $1.65 million. Goes without saying but that’s pretty much a perfect deal from Ottawa’s perspective. It gives them another chance to see if Duclair can sustain his play from late in the season before making a longer term commitment.
-Speaking of accumulating assets, some good news for the Senators this morning as it sounds like Erik Karlsson is going to return to the San Jose Sharks on an eight year deal worth around $11 mil per. Not great news for that faint glimmer of hope that he might return to Ottawa this summer but it does mean another second round pick in 2021. Now let’s hope Matt Duchene can work something out with Columbus. The Senators currently own 16 picks in the first three rounds between 2019 and 2021. Yeesh.
-One name to keep an eye on over the next week or so is Ben Harpur. The 24 year-old defenceman is entering the second season of a two-year deal and is apparently available this off-season. Harpur appeared in 51 games with the Senators last season, registering just 5 points and a -13 rating. The Senators are trying to make some room on the left side of that blueline heading into next year but moving Harpur may be easier said than done. While Harpur has shown flashes of being a capable bottom pairing defenceman, last year felt like a bit of a step back in his development.
-Sens Alumni held their annual golf tournament on Friday (my team finished in third place, by the way) and there were a few interesting media scrums just prior. That includes Chris Kelly, who’s future with the organization remains undetermined. Kelly is still weighing his options for next season but based on what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like a return behind the bench is too likely. DJ Smith still has at least one vacancy left on his staff and the thinking was Kelly would interview for that spot. And while he may have, the full-time commitment required as an NHL assistant isn’t what Kelly is looking for right now. His comments to the media at the golf tournament certainly suggest the same.
-It would appear that Pierre Dorion has not read the 1.7 million Cody Ceci related comments posted in the comment section of this particular website. Despite what most Sens fans have been asking for repeatedly over the last few years, the Senators continue to discuss a long-term extension with Ceci. Over the weekend, Bruce Garrioch mentioned that the organization is very much open to a multi-year deal with Ceci assuming “they can find the right fit”. While retaining Ceci on a one-year deal makes sense from an asset management point of view, anything longer is just unnecessary. Make that 1,700,001.
-While Ceci continues to be the RFA drawing the most attention from Sens fans, there are a handful of other names on Dorion’s list this summer. Anthony Duclair was signed earlier this morning but both Colin White and Christian Wolanin are RFAs this summer and Dorion has already held initial talks with their agents. At the AHL level, Marcus Hogberg, Nick Paul, Andreas Englund, Jack Rodewald, Adam Tambellini. According to Garrioch, all but Tambellini will receive qualifying offers.
