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One On One: General Manager Steve Staios' Additions Help To Reset The Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios deserves credit for the players he has brought in over the last calendar year.
With the exception of Fabian Zetterlund, who finally got his first point with the Senators and has been playing better of late on the team's first line, the majority of Staios' additions are contributing and playing their best hockey right now.
Since the start of March, the Senators have been bolstered by the contributions of David Perron, Michael Amadio and Nick Jensen.
At times, Jensen has been forced to rest and receive treatment for an undisclosed injury, but the relative difference between Travis Hamonic's presence on the second pairing and Jensen's is unmistakable. Replacing the league's least valuable defenceman, according to Evolving-Hockey's 'wins above replacement' (WAR) value, with a competent defender in Jensen represents a sizable upgrade.
Injuries and a family health issue impacted Perron's availability through the season's first few months. There was no production to speak of. Although the underlying numbers were strong and his line with Shane Pinto and Michael Amadio generated opportunities, few were winding up in the back of the net.
Since February 1, 2025, fans have been watching the version of Perron they were hoping for when the team gave him a two-year deal carrying an average annual value of $4.0 million.
Perron's season:
- From October 4, 2024, to January 31, 2025: 13 GP, zero goals, one assist.
- From February 1, 2025 on: 19 GP, seven goals, 12 points
Michael Amadio's production has markedly improved, as well. Since the start of February, only Brady Tkachuk has scored more goals (10) than Amadio's nine.
Ahead of the Senators' Tuesday night tilt in Buffalo, general manager Staios spoke about his success finding these fits.
"You've got to make big decisions in this business," Staios explained. "You do all the background work to try and make sure that there is a fit. But, I talked a lot about it at the end of last year, where I felt there was a great deal of opportunity for internal growth.
"Growth with the group, not only the skill set of our players in that age group, but also the character and the willingness. You can see them taking a step this year, and it was my job to be able to balance the lineup for them with Perron, Amadio and Jensen and the veteran presence they bring in."
Since taking the general manager's title, he inherited a core group that his predecessor, Pierre Dorion, drafted. During his time, he realized that he needed to dedicate himself to creating that lineup balance to assess this core's individual value accurately.
"For me, I didn't feel like the question was asked a lot on the core group, 'What do you think of you think of the core group?'", Staios explained. "I don't think there was really an opportunity to properly evaluate them until we balanced the roster. So, we put a lot of time into trying to look for the right fits. And, credit to the players for taking that step."
Once Staios had a large enough sample size this season, he identified an area that needed an upgrade.
At the time of the trade deadline, Josh Norris had secured his first 20-plus goal season since his big 2021-22 campaign, in which he scored 35 goals. Despite Norris' 28-goal pace, his beloved status within that dressing room, and his relationships with the rest of the team's young core, Staios dealt the centre in a blockbuster that landed the Senators Dylan Cozens.
For an organization that had struggled to finish at five-on-five, trading one of their more efficient shooters while risking a disruption to the dressing room represented a significant risk.
Under the hood, the real issue with Norris is that despite his finishing skill, work ethic and physical tools, his isolated impacts on the offensive and defensive side of the puck just were not there. He was not an efficient puck carrier or distributor who could tilt the ice in the Senators' favour. Despite his faceoff prowess, he profiled more like a goal-scoring winger who could use his speed and physicality to get in on the forecheck.
HockeyViz's data helps illustrate that point.
Norris' success at five-on-five this season occurred when he played alongside Brady Tkachuk. Thanks to Travis Green's penchant for loading up the first line with the captain and Tim Stützle, those opportunities did not occur very often.
Perhaps if the Senators had an exceptional play-driving winger like Nik Ehlers or Seth Jarvis, the Senators would have been able to get more out of Norris, but by moving him at a time when he was healthy and scoring goals, the Senators sold high while simultaneously adding a player in Cozens who checked off a lot of boxes.
"Both are great players," Staios described. "Josh is a very good player. Dylan is a very good player as well, with some different elements. He balances our profile through the middle of the ice with Tim (Stützle) and Shane (Pinto).
"We've seen some of the qualities that Dylan brings to our group, and I'm really excited for the growth of the player as well, because I believe the ceiling is high."
Adding a 6'3", 207lb centre who adds a physical dynamic and has no trouble getting inside the dirty areas of the offensive zone was significant, but Cozens' ability to efficiently transition the puck through the neutral zone and distribute to his linemates is an element that Norris did not consistently bring.
It is not a coincidence that Drake Batherson's game and production have rejuvenated since the trade deadline. The winger has contributed four goals and eight points in the Senators' nine games since. Having a skillset that could bring more out of Batherson was another reason the Senators targeted Cozens.
"Yeah, that was certainly part of it," stated Staios. "Well, there are lots of parts to it. But speaking to Drake, specifically, where he's taken a step, he's got a foundational game.
"So, sometimes when it's not going work for him offensively, you can see the work ethic and the wall battles. His pursuit on the puck has been strong, and that's taken a step."
Staios quickly credited the coaching staff for Batherson and the core's development.
"The coaching staff had a great influence on this group. Travis harps on these guys to play a certain way. And, when you ask them, they're a coachable group; they want to be coached."
Heading into the trade deadline, it was easy to assume that the Senators' front office would look to address the fringes of the roster. Despite the organization being eight years removed from its last playoff appearance, it felt like it lacked the requisite prospect capital, draft picks and cap space to make a significant change.
Staios proved me wrong.
"The deadline is one opportunity to try and reshape your roster, approve your roster, or look for certain components (to add) to the roster," said the general manager. "That's one opportunity, and you're right. It looked like it would be (making) a depth addition to the group until I started digging in on these conversations and tried to get creative and move some things around."
If Staios was frustrated by the lack of flexibility concerning resources and cap space, he would not let it show.
"The trade deadline was a unique one because we did feel like over a year, I was able to loosen some things up so we could have the call-up options. Having more depth to our roster from when I first got here, and (we) freed up a little bit of cap space.
"It takes time to get there, but this deadline was unique because we were looking at just adding some depth. And, throughout the conversations, I started looking at some things we could do and where it could lead us."
The magnitude of a Norris trade always felt like it would be safer to make in the offseason, but Staios saw the opportunity to unmistakably improve his team as being too good to pass up.
"I viewed (the decision to make the trade at the deadline) like this: this group has made a commitment. They, as individuals, have taken a step, and as a team, have taken a step. That's what motivates a general manager. That is what motivated me to try and do everything I could to do something for them.
"The credit goes to the players, who are the ones who have taken the step and have shown commitment. No team is perfect, and these players are still learning in certain situations, but (the deadline) was my opportunity to try and give something back to the group."
Given the circumstances, it is a credit to the front office that it could reshape the roster without depleting the organization's prospect pool and draft picks.
"We were able to execute a couple of trades that make our team better now and then. Also, there's growth potential with the two players we brought in."
The added benefit of bringing in Fabian Zetterlund and Dylan Cozens at the deadline is that they are both young players who offer talent and controllable term. The 24-year-old Cozens has five years left on a deal that carries through the 2029-30 season, while Zetterlund is a 25-year-old impending restricted free agent.
Staios acknowledged that benefit but emphasized the front office's due diligence and willingness to add pieces irrespective of age.
"If there were someone a little more veteran who could bring some of the qualities we were looking for, we would have done that as well," Staios admitted. "I would have looked at. I was looking at everything."
This due diligence and process are encouraging signs for Senators fans. After years of impulsive and risky short-term moves blew up in the organization's face, it is nice to hear about the dynamic and relationship between Staios and the organization's director of hockey analytics, Sean Tierney.
During a season seat member Q&A from a week ago, Staios shared an anecdote about how his eye test sometimes does not mesh with the analytics. After sending Tierney a note regarding some prospective players he was interested in, Staios received an email shortly thereafter with a subject line entitled, 'Bad Ideas.'
The entirety of Staios' answer can be seen below.
Having that comfort and relationship should continue to benefit the organization moving forward, but coming out of the trade deadline, the general manager's enthusiasm for what the organization accomplished was evident.
"We're happy with what we're able to do," Staios stated. "The group has responded well, and I'm excited for them because this is the first time they've gotten this chance to play in these types of games and these moments."
After eight long years, fans share that excitement.
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After Huge Deadline Day Trade, Senators and Sabres Caught Up This Week With Old Friends
Tuesday was a date circled on several calendars following the NHL trade deadline on March 7.
After the Senators' unexpected and foundation-shaking move that sent the popular Josh Norris with Jacob Bernard-Docker to the division-rival Buffalo Sabres for Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert and a 2026 second-round pick, all those involved wanted nothing more than to prove their respective organizations wrong.
In the week leading up to Tuesday night's tilt, it looked like there would be an outside chance that Norris would be ready to return to the lineup. The centre received treatment and travelled with the Sabres during their four-game road trip but ultimately did not play.
To his disappointment, he would not return against the Senators. The belief is that it is a reaggravation of the injury that kept him out of the Senators' lineup for six games, bookending the Four Nations Faceoff tournament.
"Yeah, I thought potentially, I was going to get out there," Norris explained while meeting the entirety of the Buffalo media for the first time since the trade. "But, (the injury) is something I was dealing with throughout the year and re-aggravated it. So, we're just being smart about it."
Norris' progression is day-by-day, but after videos of his arrival at the rink in Sunrise, Florida, went viral for his melancholic vibes. It is almost like getting traded in the middle of a playoff push when you have: 1) recovered from three shoulder surgeries; 2) the rebuilding team you have spent your professional career with is on the verge of the postseason; and 3) now have to leave all your friends, colleagues, and teammates; can create a factory of sadness.
The shock was real.
"I was kind of in shock when it happened, and that is what it is," Norris explained. "It's a busy time of the year. It just kind of happened, and it is what it is.
"I enjoyed my time there. I have a lot of great memories, and I started my career there and made a lot of really good friends. It's part of the business and obviously, there's a team that wanted me. A team that traded a really good player for me, and I'm really happy to be here, and I'll just do my best."
Weeks later, it is clear that the centre has had time to adjust to a new organization and city. Unfortunately for Norris, it does not sound like he will be ready to play soon.
The two others involved in the deal could not contain their excitement for Tuesday night's game.
Although they would not admit the amount, you could tell by the smirks on Dylan Cozens' and Jacob Bernard-Docker's faces that money was on the board.
Buffalo represented a fresh opportunity for the defenceman who got squeezed out of playing time by Nick Matinpalo and Travis Hamonic.
"It was definitely tough being out of the lineup as much as I was," Bernard-Docker admitted. "But, through all that, you just try to do what you can in the gym, do what you can on the ice, and keep improving every day. That's all I could do, and I'm really excited to be playing here."
The wrinkle with Bernard-Docker is that he got lost on the depth chart on the Senators' right side. Blame opportunity. Blame untimely injuries that took him out of the lineup when opportunities presented themselves.
Interestingly, whether looking at his statistics or the performances of the alternatives who have logged minutes with Tyler Kleven, Bernard-Docker's numbers outperform Matinpalo and Hamonic.
Evolving-Hockey's proprietary 'wins above replacement' value (WAR) measured him as being the better player. Their 'Total Offence' (OFF) and 'Total Defence' (DEF) metrics take a player's offensive and defensive contributions and combine them into single metrics. These metrics rate Bernard-Docker as being the better performer this season.
- Bernard-Docker: 3.3 OFF, 0.9 DEF, 0.7 WAR
- Matinpalo: -0.9 OFF, 0.6 DEF, -0.1 WAR
- Hamonic: -10 OFF, -2.7 DEF, -1.9 WAR
With a league-average player registering a value of zero, these numbers simply portray Matinpalo as league-average, Bernard-Docker slightly above league average, while Hamonic rates as the least valuable defenceman in the league this season.
The underlying numbers are interesting when looking at Kleven's pairings this season.
- Kleven-Hamonic: 186.4 TOI, 45.33 CF%, 41.51 SF%, 23.32 GF%, 50.0 xGF%
- Kleven-Matinpalo: 248.5 TOI, 50.88 CF%, 49.76 SF%, 47.23 GF%, 43.94 xGF%
- Kleven-Bernard-Docker: 259.9, 48.73, CF% 49.89 SF%, 55.94 GF%, 42.7 xGF%
In several instances this season, the organization has referenced expected goal data when explaining the team's performance. It stands to reason that they may emphasize that metric when determining who to partner with Kleven.
Evolving-Hockey's model rates the Kleven/Hamonic pairing as having the best expected goals for percentage even though the Senators are predominantly outshot when this pairing is on the ice. Their expected goal metric is interesting because the rate of shots and shots on goal that the Senators give up while this pairing is on the ice is significantly higher.
What works against Bernard-Docker is that he has no distinguishable trait. He is not as big and rangy as Matinpalo, nor does it look like he exhibits as much effort as Hamonic does when he plays. Simply put, when Bernard-Docker is at his best, you do not notice him on the ice.
Bernard-Docker admitted that he did not pay attention to the numbers or social media, but he was grateful for the support he received while playing here.
"I don't have many social media platforms like Twitter," stated Bernard-Docker. "I always knew that a lot of the fans were awesome in Ottawa. They always supported me, and I'll always be thankful for that.
"A lot of them reached out when I got traded. So, it was definitely nice, but I'm not much aware of the whole (analytics) stuff, and when I go out there, I'm just trying to focus on helping my team win. I could really care less about any stats."
For Bernard-Docker, the script could not have gone better. With seven minutes in the second period, he received a low-to-high pass from Tyson Kozak and wired a shot through traffic on the inside of the right post past Anton Forsberg. His goal notched the game at two.
Accentuating Bernard-Docker's night was the Senators' third defensive pairing struggled mightily and were on the ice for Bernard-Docker's game-tying goal and Tage Thompson's go-ahead third goal in the third period.
Since arriving in the nation's capital, Dylan Cozens has enjoyed a torrid start to his Senators career. In his first nine games, the centre has scored three goals and added five assists while providing some physicality in the middle of the lineup.
Although he picked up a point on the game's opening power play goal by Brady Tkachuk, it was easy to sense how much this game's outcome meant for the young centre.
"I just really wanted to win that game," Cozens stated deflatingly. "I think we had it at the start. We were in control, and we just let them back in it. We should have just kept pushing."
The anger and frustration from his teammates were on full display following the loss, but the emotion from Cozens was just as palpable. He sorely wanted to leave the Queen City with two points.
With the Canadiens' loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night, this game was a lost opportunity to create more separation from their division rival.
From a glass-half-full perspective, however, the Senators should arrive in the Motor City with a chip on their shoulder. Having lost three of their last four games, there will be pressure on the team to mitigate these lulls as the postseason rapidly approaches.
By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa
Stay updated with the most interesting Ottawa Senators stories, analysis, breaking news and more at The Hockey News Ottawa. Tap the star here at Google News to add us to your favourites and never miss a thing.
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Travis Green Moves Ottawa Senators Newcomer To His Top Line: 'We'll See If It's A Good Fit Or Not'
When Fabian Zetterlund was acquired with minutes to spare ahead of the 3 pm deadline on the NHL's trade deadline day, people in Ottawa instinctively began scribbling line combinations down on napkins.
No one could blame them because it was an unexpectedly productive day by general manager Steve Staios and his staff.
Many expected it to be a quiet day in Ottawa. It was reasonable to assume the organization would work the margins with their limited cap space to address easily upgradeable depth positions. But, for the team to be willing to jettison a popular teammate in Josh Norris and then sneak in a 25-year-old goal-scoring winger who notched 24 goals in 2023-24, it created some waves.
Through his first seven games, Dylan Cozens has been a revelation. He has produced and manufactured offence for his linemates while being a sorely needed puck carrier and physical presence. For Fabian Zetterlund, however, the integration and transition has been slower.
Thanks to the play and effectiveness that David Perron and Ridly Greig have had over the past few weeks, the opportunity for Zetterlund to play regularly toward the top of the lineup just has not occurred. Since being acquired, Zetterlund has played predominantly on the Senators' fourth line, where the results have not been impactful.
He has been held pointless in six games while averaging 10:47 of ice time. The majority of his minutes have been spent playing alongside Adam Gaudette and Matthew Highmore. When this trio has been on the ice at five-on-five per Evolving-Hockey, the Senators have generated 38.65 percent of the shots (CF%), 37.19 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), zero percent of the goals (GF%), and 45.88 percent of the expected goals (xGF%).
There have been opportunities for Zetterlund, however.
Travis Green and his coaching staff use those post-special team minutes to slide players up and down the lineup to afford them more opportunities while their penalty-killing forwards rest. Zetterlund is one of the players who has had opportunities to play up in the lineup to give players like Claude Giroux an extended rest.
If there was a silver lining to Thursday night's four-goal deficit after the first period against the Colorado Avalanche, the score allowed the coaches to experiment and juggle their lines, with Zetterlund receiving several shifts on the Senators' first and second lines.
Now, after the Senators have dropped two consecutive games, Zetterlund will get to start tonight's game on the team's top line after skating with Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk at Friday morning's practice.
"Just haven't liked our game," Travis Green said while explaining the rationale for giving Zetterlund an opportunity. "I guess that's a big part of it. When you don't win, you look for new answers, and we'll see if it's a good fit or not."
Zetterlund has been patient since his arrival, and his voice is sincere when he talks with excitement about how he enjoys playing with a group that is winning games.
"To get here, (I'm) just excited," Zetterlund exclaimed. "And, then get to win some games, it's fun. We're going to continue to get back to that.
"I'll do everything it takes to win a hockey game, so I don't care where I play in the lineup as long as I'm winning. That's my goal, so that's why I'm here too."
Giroux will vacate his customary right wing spot on the Senators' top line to create room for Zetterlund. Although Giroux has been the Senators' sixth-best point producer at five-on-five this season, he only has two five-on-five goals in his last 35 games.
With a playmaker in Stützle and a dominant down-low puck-carrying entity in Tkachuk, Zetterlund may be able to exploit their strengths and look for soft coverage in the offensive zone.
"Yeah, I can say both of those guys are top guys in the league," the winger stated. "They (both are) good to hold on to the puck and create some space out there in the (offensive) zone and be strong on pucks."
Although Zetterlund is still looking for his first point as a Senator, he is trying not to put any additional pressure on himself now that he is playing on a higher-profile line.
"I'm taking it day by day and trying to get better, working on some small things. I look at video clips and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, we're here to turn this around."
The patient approach with Zetterlund's integration may actually help him now that he is playing on the first line.
"I still figure out more and more," he said while admitting that he is still learning coach Green's systems. "Of course, it's different. We play a different system (than San Jose). But, at the end of the day, it's just hockey.
"I play my best when I don't think out there. I just kind of go out there and have fun."
By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa
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Nicked Up: Ottawa Senators Thrilled To See Nick Jensen Return To Practice on Friday
We caught up with Sens defenceman Nick Jensen after Friday's practice. He's missed the past three games due to injury and the club's defensive numbers in his absence haven't been stellar.
There was never a question of what the Senators' Achilles heel was entering the 2024-25 season. The organization's defensive depth quality was widely recognized as a potential shortcoming.
Back-to-back losses to the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche have helped shine a light on how reliant the Senators are on having a healthy top-four on their back end.
While it is only a tiny two-game sample, the metrics have been abysmal.
According to NaturalStatTrick's data, here is how the Senators' three pairings have performed at even strength:
- Jake Sanderson/Artem Zub: 29:25 TOI, 45.90 CF%, 36.67 SF%, 1 goal for, 2 goals against (33.33 GF%), 43.00 xGF%
- Thomas Chabot/Travis Hamonic: 25:14 TOI, 37.74 CF%, 46.43 SF%, 1 goal for, 3 goals against (25.00 GF%), 34.08 xGF%
- Tyler Kleven/Nick Matinpalo: 22:26 TOI, 44.83 CF%, 50.00 SF%, 0 goal for, 1 goal against (0.00 GF%), 47.54 xGF%
It will be difficult to win when the Senators spend that much time in their end with those two top pairings on the ice.
Travis Hamonic often takes a lot of heat on social media, but it is not his fault he is being thrust into a role he is ill-suited for.
For this reason, Senators fans could rejoice at the sight of Nick Jensen's presence and participation in Friday morning's practice at the Bell Sensplex.
The defenceman has sat out the last three games with an undisclosed lower-body injury.
"(The injury) is a very day-to-day process right now," Jensen explained. "It's a little better than yesterday. So, that's pretty much where I'm leaving it right now."
The Senators are fortunate enough in the sense that because they built up a small points cushion on their Eastern Conference peers in the wild card race, they have some flexibility when deciding on Jensen's availability.
Rather than continue to play an injured asset, they can afford him enough time to rest and receive treatment now, hoping it will pay dividends when the team gets closer to realizing its postseason aspirations.
It is a balancing act.
"I don't want to put myself in a position that's going to set me up, or put me out longer than I expected," the defenceman stated. "I want to come back and be able to help this team and be a part of what we're trying to do here.
"At the same time, I want longevity in that, too. If we push into the playoffs, I want to be effective throughout that whole process rather than come back for two games and then be out again."
Nick Jensen's health needs to be prioritized because, as much as everyone understands that this team's short-term success will be undermined by playing Travis Hamonic in a top-four role, the Thomas Chabot and Jensen pairing has not been playing particularly well lately.
The pairing was statistically the team's best through the first three months of the season, so their performance in March has offered a stark contrast.
October 10, 2024 - December 31, 2024:
- 36 games
- 534:45 TOI
- 53.86 CF%
- 54.01 SF%
- 61.82 GF%
- 53.82 xGF%
March 1, 2025 - March 21, 2025:
- 7 games
- 105:59 TOI
- 44.89 CF%
- 35.29 SF%
- 60.00 GF%
- 42.19 xGF%
The Senators' percentage of total shots and goals has dropped, but it is the rate at which the Senators have allowed shots and goals that really distinguishes the drop in performance.
October 10, 2024 - December 31, 2024:
- 65.74 CF/60
- 56.33 CA/60
- 31.75 SF/60
- 27.04 SA/60
- 3.81 GF/60
- 2.36 GA/60
- 2.82 xGF/60
- 2.42 xGA/60
March 1, 2025 - March 21, 2025:
- 57.18 CF/60
- 70.20 CA/60
- 20.38 SF/60
- 37.36 SA/60
- 1.70 GF/60
- 1.13 GA/60
- 2.42 xGF/60
- 3.31 xGA/60
The rate of shots for (CF/60) per 60, and shots on goal per 60 (SF/60) that the Senators generate have dropped precipitously while the shots allowed (CA/60, SA/60) rates have skyrocketed. Although the rate of goals allowed has miraculously not been negatively impacted, the expected goals rate has jumped by almost an entire goal from the first half of the season - suggesting that the pairing has been quite lucky to escape their poorly underlying numbers.
Beyond the Chabot and Jensen pairing, the Senators, like any team, play more effectively when they can execute clean breakouts.
The Colorado Avalanche did an exceptional job of using its speed last night to pressure the Senators' defence, taking away precious time and space.
The Senators need to do a better job of puck retrieval and offering supporting options to their defensive corps, but Jensen was not too worried about what he saw.
"I don't think we have to look too far into it," he explained. "I mean, that was one game. I understand that was a good team we played, and maybe we didn't play our best hockey, but I think from games prior to that, I think we've been playing some good hockey.
"This league is tough for a reason. You can't just come in every day and just dominate every team you play. You are going to have some setbacks every once in a while, so we try to keep those to a minimum. But as far as breaking the puck out, I don't think we've been struggling with that in enough games where (we should be too concerned). They played a good game against us yesterday, making it tough for us to break out. But overall, the plan has been good, so we just have to make sure we get back to that. And, especially in these times when we're dropping two in a row, this is the time to have that urgency and get back to everything that has been making us successful."
Having a healthy and efficient Jensen will undoubtedly help in that regard.
Update: Head coach Travis Green indicated that he would check with the trainers after practice, but the hope is that he would travel and play with the Senators on Saturday in New Jersey.
By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa
Stay updated with the most interesting Ottawa Senators stories, analysis, breaking news and more at The Hockey News Ottawa. Tap the star here at Google News to add us to your favourites and never miss a thing.
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Masterpieces on Ice: DaveArt Takes Ottawa Senator Goalie Mask Design To New Levels
Unless you arrive at the Canadian Tire Centre from the south end of the city limits, it is impossible not to notice the massive advertisement adorning the northeast side of the arena.
Linus Ullmark's mask is predominantly featured in the ad, highlighting the fact its design was produced on Apple's iPad product. The mask designer, Dave Gunnarsson, or @daveart as he is recognized on Instagram, has been using the technology to help his business thrive.
Based out of Sävsjö, the 48-year-old Swedish artist estimates that he has easily made over 5,000 masks in his career.
"Drawing has been my biggest interest since I was a little boy," Gunnarson explained, describing his childhood. "I've been drawing and painting as long as I can remember.
"I knew I wanted to be an artist when I grew up. I saw the cool goalie masks in the NHL because I'm a big hockey fan. This was at the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s, so I saw the masks, and I thought they were cool. I started to do masks locally here in Sweden for friends."
Word of Gunnarson's work spread as these friends played, and more eyes inevitably landed on his designs. He had so many clients that he was able to start his own professional business after graduating from high school in 1996.
Eventually, Gunnarson was approached to design masks for his local biggest professional team, the Elitserien's HV71. His first client was Boo Ahl. If his last name sounds familiar, it is likely because you recall the Senators drafting his son, Filip Ahl, in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft.
Once Gunnarsson's masks appeared at the game's highest level in Sweden, Gunnarson's phone blew up with interest. Next year will be his 30th year in the industry, and he admits he never could have envisioned how successful his business would become.
"I could never, ever dream that I could work this (job) full-time for 30 years and work with the best of the best goalies. I could not even dream it when I started.
"It's a dream. When I watch NHL hockey in the evenings and on TV, I see my paintings. It's a wonderful feeling."
For those interested, a mask design begins when a client or prospective client reaches out to Dave. He and a goaltender will talk and brainstorm ideas before Gunnarsson arrives at a design solution. Depending on whether a player has many ideas or very few, it can impact the timeline.
Once he has a theme, Gunnarsson does a sketch on his iPad.
When it is completed, he sends it to the goaltender for feedback. That process repeats until the client is satisfied, and once the design is locked, it is presented to the NHL and the player's organization for approval. Since the NHL clubs are the ones who pay for the mask, the team's equipment manager is the one who signs off on it.
After the two approvals are given, Gunnarsson begins to paint.
He often paints four or five masks simultaneously because his products take time to dry, creating a more efficient process. Gunnarsson takes a video of the mask when it is complete and sends it to his client for approval before applying a clear coat and finish.
If it is a notable project, Gunnarsson can have a mask finished and shipped in days. It typically takes him two to four weeks to have a product finished and in his client's hands.
It is an impressive operation, and his work has culminated with the artist working with some of the preeminent goaltenders of the modern generation, like Henrik Lundqvist. His impressive list of clients includes a trio of Senators goaltenders: Linus Ullmark, Anton Forsberg and Leevi Merilainen.
EA Sports recently added one of Ullmark's masks to its NHL 25 videogame.
Gunnarsson describes the Senators' goaltenders as low-maintenance and easy to work with. His relationship with Ullmark and Forsberg goes back 14 years.
"Linus and Anton, I started to work with them at the same time because they played on the same team here in Sweden with MODO," Gunnarsson recalled. "I have done a lot of work with them since then, and I remember Linus Ullmark told me many years ago that he (wanted to pay homage to) Stefan Liv."
Liv was born in Gdynia, Poland, and given to an orphanage where a Swedish family adopted him when he was two. His family brought him back to Sweden, where he eventually played hockey and flourished as a goaltender. The third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2000 NHL Draft never played a game in the NHL, but he spent many years in the Eliteserien playing for Gunnarsson's hometown HV71.
On September 7, 2011, the goaltender was one of the 44 who perished in the tragic Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash.
"Stefan and I were very good friends," stated Gunnarsson. "He was one of my first clients and lived near me. I remember when Linus told me he (wanted to pay homage to) Stefan. I remember that when we started working together, we talked about Stefan."
Their relationship grew from that point, and Gunnarsson has worked extensively on Ullmark's masks as the goaltender transitioned from the Swedish league to a thriving NHL career. Ullmark's two most prominent masks this season -- the Patrick Lalime-inspired Martian design and the Senators logo and vertical stripe design featured on the aforementioned Apple iPad advertisement -- were designed by Gunnarsson.
"I've had a good relationship with Dave ever since I started my pro career as well in Sweden," Ullmark told the Senators' digital team. "We've come up with some pretty nifty ones.
"Which is good in a way, because we can be very honest with each other. I tell him right away if I don't like it. I will get something else going. This one came out really good. He was the go-to guy. He was the best one, obviously, back in the day, as well. Especially for a young Swede. My dream was always to have a mask painted by him after seeing guys like Henrik Lundqvist and those guys and their masks. To look back at it now, 14 years later, it's pretty special. Whenever I go into my little room with all the masks, I go through the memories and see the things I've done throughout my career."
Gunnarsson praised Ullmark for his diligence and passion for collaborating to create good designs. He enjoys their brainstorming sessions and Ullmark's attention to perfecting the finer Swedish motif details like the Viking helmet on the Martian, runes, Viking ships and splashing water. He also enjoyed the distinction in Ullmark's Apple advertisement mask because of the design's 3-D complexities and contrasts.
Anton Forsberg was a longtime client, but Gunnarsson fondly recalls the goaltender's fun nature.
"His requests had fun ideas," the designer recalled. "He really likes to have his dog on the masks, so it is always fun to paint (lighthearted material). I really enjoy paintings with humour, cartooning, and other funny stuff."
Forsberg has pivoted to Dave Fried's Friedesigns in recent years. That decision speaks to how Gunnarsson may be a victim of his success. When every goaltender seemingly comes to you for a design, some may be tempted to look for alternatives to differentiate themselves.
Leevi Merilainen, the Senators' young Finnish upstart who established himself as a viable goaltending prospect earlier this season, received a new Gunnarsson design (mask pictured below, on right) during his impressive January run with the Senators.
"We've been working for three years now," Merilainen stated. "It's been going great. I like his style and how he does it. He has a great hand, and you can tell he's done a lot of masks.
"They might have been pretty simple so far. I don't know if I'll do something a little crazier, but so far, so good."
In his current mask, Leevi afforded the artist some creative liberty.
"I let him do his thing," the goaltender clarified. "I wanted a fighting Senator thing with an old-school vibe. Same thing in the background. I didn't have my number on the last mask when I didn't know my number here yet.
"(Ullmark's mask) came and (had the) 35. That's (the concept) I wanted, with just the basic logos and a lot of color. I like that. There is nothing crazy (on the back), just the Finnish lion and the flag. Other than that, it's pretty basic, but I gave him a lot of options on what to do himself."
Gunnarsson referred to Merilainen's mask as featuring a storybook style.
"Leevi had an idea that he wanted a cool Senator soldier with an army behind him going for attacks, so I created it," he said. "It is like a storybook style with a lot of colours.
"The (warrior) was on one side, and on the other side, he wanted the team's logo. (The mask) has a lot of 3D effects, like the waving flag on the chin. It has a lot of stuff, so it feels like it tells a story."
"It tells a story" perfectly describes the truly fascinating part of Gunnarsson's job.
Every mask is a living piece of art that documents the NHL's history and becomes part of the game's fabric. To impact this league from thousands of miles away is remarkable and a testament to his work.
By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa
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Ridly Greig: Ottawa Senators Agitator Thrives In Big Moments
Monday night's game against the Red Wings had its fill of noteworthy moments.
Linus Ullmark was the star, making a season-high 48 saves - many of them being of the highlight-reel variety, snuffing out high-danger chances. The Swedish goaltender singlehandedly stole two critical regulation points in the Senators' push for the postseason against a division rival competing for one of the Conference's wild card seeds. His efforts earned him several standing ovations, and pervasive "Ull-mark, Ull-mark" chants filled the air at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The magical night was capped off by a game-winning goal by the organization's shiniest new toy. The newly acquired Dylan Cozens seamlessly transitioned into the lineup and hearts of Senators fans by blasting a one-timer past Cam Talbot in the waning minutes of the third period. Everything from the newcomer's first goal with the Senators to the delivery of Jake Sanderson's crisp cross-ice pass generated buzz, but Ridly Greig deserves more attention for his role in the game-deciding goal.
After drawing a boarding penalty earlier in the third period, Greig initiated contact with Red Wings defenceman Moritz Seider at the Senators' blue line with just over five minutes left in the third period. Greig skated into Seider, and the two became entangled. The Senators' pest doled out a shove before Seider responded with one of his own that the Riddler sold well, drawing a roughing call.
Twelve seconds later, the Senators gained the lead and never looked back.
The ability to make the opposing players lose their cool at critical junctures of a game is unique and valuable.
Moritz Seider is a calm and collected character. Entering Monday's game, he had only taken 16 minor penalties through 60 games.
Greig got the best of him.
On Thursday, Greig humbly chalked up the events to luck.
"(I was) probably a little bit luckier with the timing of the game to draw a penalty," Greig explained. "But, whenever you play the game hard and play the right way, certain things can work out in your favour."
Greig acknowledged that he does get under the skin of his opponents, but he does not want to overthink it. He credits his simple game and willingness to finish checks as reasons for success.
Greig's linemate, Shane Pinto, is impressed with his ability to do it at such an early point in his career.
"He's still a young kid in the league," Pinto said admiringly. "He's only 22 or 23, and to do what he's doing, just his all-around game, and obviously getting under guys' skin.
Greig may only be 22, but he first realized he had a gift in high school.
"When I was 16, in junior, he said. "It was when I mostly started to play that way. I was a little bit undersized when I was 16. I was on the fourth line. So, I tried to start hitting guys and make a difference in the game."
He has carried that style with him from junior to the game's highest level and his teammates love him for it.
"I love playing with him," said Pinto. "I get a kick out of it, watching him scrumming it up. It's just super impressive to watch his all-around game and be able to affect the game like that.
"It's hard to do, and those players are hard to find. It makes him so good. His demeanour is pretty chill. You wouldn't think he could get under your skin, but he does it in a sneaky way that works for him. It's pretty funny to watch."
Pinto is correct to characterize Greig as being more than just a pest. He has provided decent scoring depth, recording 11 goals and 23 points through 62 games. Injuries have impacted Greig's role and position throughout the season. According to Evolving-Hockey's line combinations tool, Greig has logged over 30 minutes of ice time this season playing on seven different line combinations.
He is a utility knife player who can move up and down the lineup because the coaching staff trusts him. They know he can be effective irrespective of who or where he plays. Greig is currently a key cog on the team's third line with Shane Pinto and Michael Amadio. The trio is often tasked with the responsibility of matching up against the opposition's top lines.
Greig plays on the penalty kill, and his strength in the faceoff circle has improved markedly since his arrival as an NHL regular. In 20 appearances during the 2022-23 season, Greig posted a 39.4 percent success rate. That number improved to 43.9 percent last season but sits at an impressive 52.2 percent mark in 2024-25.
He has become an essential part of the roster, but his pest nature has become a hallmark characteristic of this team.
Drake Batherson believes Greig's agitating ways are simply a product of his competitiveness.
"It is the way he competes, night in and night out," the skilled winger said. " He doesn't care what night or what game it is in the season. He plays the same way every single night. He finishes checks, hits really hard, and just flat-out competes."
Tim Stützle echoed Batherson's comments.
"(Greig) just finishes every hit," Stützle stated. "Even if it is three or four seconds late, he still goes through a guy. He plays hard on the top guys."
The added wrinkle, Stützle explained, is that when Greig does something on the ice, he dons the earmuffs and tunes out the opposition.
"That riles them too because they're chirping, and he doesn't even say anything back."
Off the ice, Greig's described by his teammates as a terrible card player and a quiet guy who is beginning to come out of his shell and open up more.
"He's a really quiet kid," said Batherson. "His first few years, he didn't say much. He's getting out there now. The new contract, I think, helped too.
"He plays cards with us on the plane, at the table. He's an awesome guy and a guy you want to have around and then hang out with."
The Senators have not clinched a playoff spot, but after securing five wins in a row, they have created a points cushion on some of their Eastern Conference rivals vying for a wild card seed.
HockeyViz's playoff projection model gave the Senators an 88.2 percent chance of reaching the postseason before Friday's slate of games.
With that possibility looking more and more likely, it is easy to acknowledge Greig's game and realize how miserable he will make things for the opposition. This notion is not lost on his teammates.
"I just think about guys on Florida, like (Sam) Bennett, obviously, (Brad) Marchand," said Shane Pinto. "Now it's like that is the type of player you need to win and that's exactly what Ridly is going to do.
"He's just going to get in a guy's face for a seven-game series. I can't imagine what he will do, but I'm excited to see it. Hopefully, we get there, but it will be fun to watch."
Drake Batherson agreed.
"You usually play a team once in a row (during the regular season), and he seems to get under their skin," Batherson said excitedly. "You think about a seven-game series, and he'd be fun to watch. You want those guys on your side in a series like that."
Greig believes his style is perfect for the postseason.
"My style of game is a playoff style of hockey," Ridly stated. "We're mostly thinking about (taking things) day by day, but hopefully we can get in the playoffs. When the time comes, I won't change my game too much. I'll keep playing the same way."
Personally, I cannot wait. It should be electric.
By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa
Be sure to bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa for great Sens coverage all year around.
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Ottawa Senators: Diving Into The Analytics Of Josh Norris Versus Dylan Cozens
Despite having his name circulated in the rumour mill, it always felt like any trade involving Josh Norris would have to wait for the offseason. Considering the time of the season and the generally conservative nature of the industry, it would have been easy for Staios to stand pat given the circumstances.
Many expected it.
General manager Steve Staios spun that possibility on its axis, striking an unexpectedly massive deal trading Norris and defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker to the division rival Buffalo Sabres for Dylan Cozens, a 2026 second-round pick and left-shot defenceman Dennis Gilbert.
With all due respect to Gilbert, an impending unrestricted free agent who will serve as a depth option once Tyler Kleven returns from his injury, Cozens is the obvious centrepiece of the return for the Senators. The young centre turned 24 in February, meaning he is almost two calendar years younger than Norris, who turns 26 in May.
Cozens has played parts of five seasons with the Sabres. In 341 career games, the centre has recorded 77 goals and 197 points. His best season was his 2022-23 campaign when he tallied 31 goals and 68 points.
Cozens has failed to replicate that production level over his last two seasons. In 79 games last season, Cozens only tallied 18 goals and 47 points. His production has dropped to 11 goals and 31 points in 61 games this season.
The Senators hope that the change of scenery will provide the offensive spark Cozens needs. (And yes, it does feel weird to write that, given the Senators' struggles to score at five-on-five.)
Interestingly, Cozens' five-on-five production rates are historically much higher than those of Norris, according to NaturalStatTrick's data.
Cozens:
- 2021-22: 0.64 goals/60, 1.46 points/60
- 2022-23: 1.33 goals/60, 2.47 points/60
- 2023-24: 0.48 goals/60, 1.57 points/60
- 2024-25: 0.68 goals/60, 1.88 points/60
Norris:
- 2020-21: 0.82 goals/60, 1.56 points/60
- 2021-22: 1.07 goals/60, 1.87 points/60
- 2023-24: 0.94 goals/60, 1.40 points/60
- 2024-25: 0.85 goals/60, 1.14 points/60
Norris has been a more consistent goal producer, but Cozens has outproduced his point production.
Another essential component to this deal is how much Josh Norris has fallen off analytically. His isolated impacts this season have been mediocre.
Despite Norris' finishing ability, the opportunity to add a player who can help the transition game and move pucks may, and stop me if you have heard this before, be a better fit for the direction of this team.
It may be concerning to some that the Senators, a team that has struggled to finish plays at five-on-five, just traded the player with the team's second-highest scoring rate.
The Senators also get out from the risks associated with Norris' surgically repaired shoulder. Injuries often rely on good fortune and genetics, but replacing the uncertainty surrounding Norris with a centre who has only missed four games over the past three seasons is an advantage.
One of the only wrinkles from the Senators' perspective is that they are banking on Cozens growing his game defensively as Jack Eichel's game evolved outside of Buffalo.
Corey Sznajder's 'All Three Zones' project highlights where the Senators can be optimistic about Cozen's growth - he historically does a much better job of getting the puck successfully from zone exit to zone entry.
Ideally, Cozens can resemble the player from two years ago.
The seventh overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft has the pedigree and some untapped potential. The Senators hope he's the latest in a series of players who have left Buffalo and thrived elsewhere.
Contractually, both players have the same term left on their respective deals. Cozens is currently in the second year of the seven-year contract that runs through the 2029-30 season, carrying an average annual value (AAV) of $7.1 million. Unlike Norris, whose $7.95 million cap hit will not match his base salary through the next five seasons, Cozens' base salary matches his $7.1 million cap hit.
Norris' base salary fluctuates as follows:
- 2025-26: $9.5 million
- 2026-27: $9.5 million
- 2027-28: $8.75 million
- 2028-29: $7.85 million
- 2029-30: $7.0 million
By exchanging the two players, the Senators will actually save $7.1 million over the lifespans of their deals. It may be an unintended consequence of the deal, but saving money is a bonus given the uncertain economic landscape.
The way both players are trending, this deal could be characterized by the Senators selling high on Norris while simultaneously buying low on Cozens.
Although Norris' physicality and penalty-killing proficiency were valuable, most of his value lies in his goal-scoring talent. By trading him at his healthiest peak when he eclipsed the 20-goal mark, the Senators acquired a younger alternative and a better fit - one with a reasonable chance of providing more all-around value. Adding a 2026 second-round pick that could potentially be near the top of the round and approach first-round pick value, is just gravy.
The timing of this deal is interesting because it arguably comes at one of the most critical junctures of the season. The Senators take on the New York Rangers in a matinee tilt tomorrow. They currently hold the Eastern Conference's second wild card seed but are tied with the Rangers in points. The winner of tomorrow's game will take ownership of the last playoff spot.
Listening to Brady Tkachuk speak following practice and hearing his voice waver, it was apparent how much Norris meant to the captain and his teammates. They are professionals who understand the business of the game, but there is a human element involved, and it will be interesting to see how the group responds once the games resume Saturday.
By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa
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Ottawa Senators GM May Be Hamstrung At The Trade Deadline But Still Has Options
When Steve Staios assumed the general manager role on November 1, 2023, he inherited a mess.
Despite the Senators not appearing in a postseason game for almost eight years, the organization's rebuilding efforts left something to be desired. The presence of essential young core pieces like Tim Stützle, Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson were invaluable assets that any organization would be thrilled to have. However, its flawed roster was flirting with the salary cap ceiling, and the farm system thinned out faster than Auston Matthew's hairline.
The opportunity to support the group as it currently exists under the thresholds of the current cap structure is challenging.
Most Senators fans are cognizant of the fact Staios' predecessor, Pierre Dorion, left the cupboards bare through some poor drafts and by moving significant opportunity costs for poor fits who offered the organization little in the way of controllable term.
The depleted farm system is something one would see from a Cup contender near the end of their window of contention after years of making trade deadline deals or drafting at the back half of the first round. It is not typical of an organization that has missed the playoffs for seven consecutive years.
There should be more draft capital and prospects within the system to move to insulate this group. Without them, it could give management pause to ship more valuable draft capital out the door if the market becomes too expensive.
Even if Staios can find a deal he likes, an obstacle the organization will need to overcome is the cap space. Heading into today's deadline, the Senators only have $850,000 in cap space per PuckPedia.
Chris Johnston alluded to this predicament during Wedneday's edition of 'The Insiders' on TSN.
"There's still time (for the Sens to make a move)," explained Johnston, referring to what he had been hearing in the rumour mill. "If there's going to be a surprise, it would be if anything big happened in either Ottawa or Calgary.
"(With) the Sens, some of the younger names have been out there, like Josh Norris, a bit during this year. I don't get the feeling that anything like that is brewing. They'd like to add some depth to their roster, but because of cap constraints, I don't expect them to be too active.
It would be easy for Staios and his group to take a conservative approach and roll with the status quo. On the other hand, Staios was a player in this league, and he recognizes what it can mean for the players to have their efforts rewarded and bolster a roster.
If the Senators want to get creative and pivot to create cap space, the most obvious avenues for Staios to explore to create that space would be to waive or trade Jacob Bernard-Docker and find a place for Anton Forsberg's cap hit.
The veteran backup carries a $2.75 million cap hit and is an impending unrestricted free agent. Leevi Merilainen's emergence as a viable and credible alternative may afford Staios the courage to roll the dice on a Linus Ullmark and Merilainen tandem.
If the Anaheim Ducks are willing to absorb Ville Husso's entire $3.6 million cap hit for future considerations, there may be a similar path for the Senators to follow. Replacing Forsberg's cap hit with Merilainen's would save the organization $1.93 million. Dumping Bernard-Docker's salary would save the team an additional $805,000. With the $850,000 the Senators already have in cap space, Staios can create $3.585 million in cap room to upgrade the parent roster.
Making those decisions would obviously come with risk, but for me personally, the opportunity to address other holes on the roster outweighs preserving some quality of depth (and if you're worried about the quality of depth in losing a JBD, he's playing behind Travis Hamonic).
When the organization vies for a wild card seed, the Senators will be underdogs in any potential playoff matchup. As such, I'd be less inclined to worry about the implications of an injury to Ullmark or any quality player on the front or back end.
The opportunity to create flexibility and address areas of need should be there for Staios. And, as easy as it is to blame his predecessor's ineptitude for complicating the situation Staios finds himself in now, there are paths he can navigate to help his team now.
He just needs the boldness to do it.
By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa
This article is from The Hockey News Ottawa. For more Sens coverage all season long, be sure to bookmark THN Ottawa.
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Ottawa Senators Reportedly Exploring Trade Options For Josh Norris Ahead of NHL Deadline
The Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli was on the Coming in Hot Podcast on Monday morning to discuss the NHL trade deadline and the implications that it could have on the Ottawa Senators.
When co-host and Senators alumni Jason York asked who the Senators could be willing to move, Seravalli did not hesitate to answer.
"Would Josh Norris count as a big move?" Seravalli asked. "That's the guy that they want to move. That's the guy that they've been in conversation with teams to move.
"They've gauged the interest level. Everyone has a clear understanding of the risk that would present with his injury. The cap hit and term have been significant deterrents. So, if you're talking pieces to pry off of this team to move, that's the guy that I would circle by a wide margin."
Hearing Norris' name be mentioned is not surprising.
The centre is in the third year of the eight-year contract he signed during the 2022 offseason. His average annual value of $7.95 million is costly but was awarded after the centre's career season in which he scored 35 goals and 55 points in 66 points during the 2021-22 campaign.
Unfortunately, because of two additional surgical procedures on his left shoulder that had already been operated on after the 2019 World Junior Championship, he has struggled to live up to the expectations of his contract.
None of that is any fault of his own, but Norris has maintained some productivity. In his last 101 games across the past two seasons, he has tallied 35 goals and 28 assists. Over an 82-game regular season, that production extrapolates to a 28-goal and 51-point pace - which is not significantly different from his 2021-22 numbers.
Thanks to the escalating cap system, next season's cap ceiling will go up $4 million to $95.5 million. By the 2027-28 season, that figure will be $113.5 million. Like many of the other pieces of the Senators' young core, who were locked up to long-term extensions, the money and the Senators' cap situation may be tight now, but their salaries will inevitably continue to look better as the years go by.
The risk with a player who has endured several surgeries to a specific part of the body will always be present, but when it comes to Norris and his ability to impact the game in a top-six capacity, almost all of his value comes from his ability to finish.
From HockeyViz:
He does do other things well. He has been a solid penalty killer, and his faceoff prowess has continued post-surgery. His physicality, willingness to deliver hits, and aggressiveness on the forecheck are transparent, but he is not a play-driving centre who can reliably tilt the ice in his team's favour. He also has a 10-team no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1, 2025.
My concern regarding Norris is that, despite his skill set potentially profiling better at the wing position, the Senators may move on from the player without affording him an opportunity to showcase as the goal-scoring winger they desperately need in the top-six.
When the Senators play Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle and Claude Giroux together, they load up the top line and put two of their biggest play drivers on the same line - leaving the others thin. If Norris centres Brady or plays alongside Stützle as a winger, it would help stagger the depth and diversity through the Senators' lines.
Another consideration that could get overlooked in a prospective deal is the relationships within that room. The move would be a significant blow to a tight-knit American core that has bonded over the past several years.
A quality return can soften any trade, but ignoring the human element and risking the disruption of chemistry and friendships within that room could potentially bear some unintended consequences. It may be a risk worth avoiding, especially when certain players have referenced a belief in this young group as being a central reason for choosing to continue playing here.
If the Senators do decide to move on, it is a move that may have to wait until the offseason.
By Graeme Nichols The Hockey News Ottawa
This article is from The Hockey News Ottawa. For more Sens coverage all season long, be sure to bookmark THN Ottawa.
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Can Linus Ullmark Regain His Early-Season Form In Time To Lead The Senators Into The playoffs?
It is fitting that Andrew Hammond will arrive in Ottawa ahead of the Senators' pivotal tilt against the San Jose Sharks.
It has been 10 years since his historically unprecedented 'Hamburglar' run swept the collective imagination of this city while single-handedly slingshotting the Senators into the postseason.
Key injuries to Brady Tkachuk and centres Josh Norris and Shane Pinto have unquestionably impacted the roster and its quality of depth. Still, injuries are something every organization has to experience and adjust to throughout the course of an NHL season.
When the opposition has a power play, teams need their goaltender to be their best penalty killer, and it is no different when a team's roster is shorthanded. Strong goaltending is one of the best ways to counteract the absence of key players.
Whether you believe it is correlation or causation, the Senators have struggled since Linus Ullmark returned from injury. Their best statistical goaltender, Leevi Merilainen, was sent down to Belleville to preserve the organization's goaltending depth and avoid making a difficult decision on Anton Forsberg's future. Rather than keep the hot hand and take on some risk by trading or waiving the veteran Forsberg, the organization took the easier path, relying on Merilainen's entry-level contract's flexibility to keep its three goaltenders.
Unfortunately, similar to how ineffective he was when he returned from an undisclosed strain earlier in the season, Ullmark has played poorly since his return on February 4th.
"Alright, but alright doesn't really cut it in this league," Ullmark answered frankly while responding to a question asking him to evaluate his game following last night's 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. "I would say the frustrating part is that I'm still looking for that first win since coming back, but it's going to come sooner or later, hopefully as soon as Saturday."
It has been a frustrating season for the goaltender. Given the opportunity cost used to acquire him and the money the organization has invested in him through his four-year contract extension, the expectations placed on Ullmark are understandably high.
He has played fewer than 50 percent of the team's 58 games, making 27 appearances. Except for his brilliant nine-game stretch from late November to the Christmas break, his performance has left something to be desired. According to NaturalStatTrick's game logs, in these remaining 18 appearances, Ullmark has posted an .886 five-on-five save percentage while averaging 3.20 goals allowed per 60 minutes of five-on-five ice time. His -3.72 goals saved above average during these games is not flattering either. He surely would want back Mason Appleton's goal-mouth tap-in after he failed to contain an innocuous Nino Niederreiter backhand shot.
In fairness to Ullmark, his preseason was incredibly strong, and he looked like a world-beater during the team's home opener against the defending Stanley Cup champions.
His season numbers still look strong thanks to that incredible nine-game stretch when he went 8-0-1 with a .960 five-on-five save percentage. His 7.59 goals saved above expected per Evolving-Hockey is the 25th-highest mark in the league.
Was his hot stretch sustainable?
No, eventually, his numbers would have normalized, even if he had never sustained an injury. No one can carry that level of performance over an entire season, but I do not believe he is as bad as his recent performances suggest. If anything, they are reminiscent of how he played upon his return from the injury he suffered during the team's second game of the season in Montreal.
This may be an instance where it is reasonable to assume he needs time to recuperate and get his timing and comfort levels back.
Many hoped his rust would be shaken off during the Four Nations Faceoff, but Ullmark played sparingly. He only played 41 minutes of Sweden's second tournament game after the flu-like symptoms shelved Filip Gustavsson.
Unfortunately, like many of the injuries that are afflicting the Senators' talent level, the only remedy for Ullmark's play is time. And, the Senators have to hope they do not dig themselves too big of a hole to climb out of. With the team being two points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Eastern Conference's second wild card, and four points back of the Detroit Red Wings and the first wild card, they desperately need to pick up points to stay in the race.
Fortunately, several head-to-head matchups with opponents jockeying for playoff spots are on the horizon. The Senators have an opportunity and should be in the driver's seat with their favourable schedule. In saying that, they still need to go out and win those games.
Linus Ullmark needs to be a big part of it. It is what the Senators acquired him for.
By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa
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The Defensive Evolution Of Ottawa Senators Star Centre Tim Stützle
If the Ottawa Senators were ever going to take a marked step forward in their rebuild, the improvements would have to come from within.
Management obviously felt obligated to address the goaltending position in the offseason by acquiring Linus Ullmark, but the majority of the offseason was spent focusing on identifying and acquiring players who were better fits.
Michael Amadio, David Perron and Nick Jensen are fine players, but any evolution in becoming a sustainable winner within the Eastern Conference was predicated on the defensive growth of its youngest and most talented players.
At the forefront of this evolution was Tim Stützle.
The 23-year-old, German-born centre is unquestionably the team's most dynamic player. Every time he steps on the ice, his ability to skate and process the game at extremely high speeds allows him to take over shifts and tilt the ice in the Senators' favour.
He may not wear a letter within the Senators' publicly displayed leadership structure, but there is no mistaking how essential it was to get Stützle's buy-in. Even without a letter, his ability to influence the actions and behaviours of his teammates speaks to how powerful of a position he is in.
He recognizes his situation.
"Our leadership group goes far beyond this group," Stützle said. "A lot of guys we have here, not just wearing letters, but also the guys behind this group.
"We have done a great job, with everybody sticking together, whether it's good or bad. I always try to be a leader. I try to show it on the ice. Sometimes, I say things in the room, but obviously not as much. I bring my energy on the ice. I have worked a lot on my body language, too."
It is a responsibility he does not take lightly.
Stützle met with Travis Green several times over the offseason. The newly appointed head coach outlined his expectations for his franchise centre.
"He told me what he expects from me," Stützle recalled while describing those conversations. "(His expectations) were a lot, but I expect a lot from myself, too. I want to get better every day and listen to what the (coaches) say."
Throughout the offseason, Stützle's conversations with the well-decorated and respected veteran Claude Giroux resonated with him.
"I talked to (Giroux) about it last year," Stützle said. "It doesn't really matter what system you play defensively or offensively. If everybody buys in and everybody's on the same page, you have a chance to win every night.
"I really thought about that a lot because it makes a lot of sense. Whatever coach you have, maybe you disagree with (the staff's philosophies), but as long as everybody buys in with it and everybody does the same thing, you're not always on the winning side (every night), but most nights (you can win)."
That buy-in was paramount and noticed immediately by the aforementioned Giroux.
"When your top guys are doing the right things, other guys don't have a choice but to do so, too," explained Giroux. "It starts with him and Brady (Tkachuk).
"He has bought into what we're trying to do. He's also one of our best players, and offensively, he's dynamic. He's fun to watch, but you can see (the defensive growth). He has taken a big step defensively, and he's a kid who wants to win. (His defensive effort and numbers) reflect that."
The work began during the first week of training camp.
"It is something we have harped on since Travis (Green) and the new staff (arrived)," Drake Batherson said while reflecting on the team's defensive improvements. "It came right from the first week or so of training camp. We did not do much offensive stuff. It was a lot of detailed defensive work."
With Stützle, that work has continued on and off the ice. He acknowledged that a lot of time is spent watching and breaking down videos to identify areas or moments where he can improve. That video work is done with the coaching staff, but he is also quick to credit his teammates for developing a hardened mindset.
"It's not just the coaches, it's the players," he said. "We push each other every day in practice. It's a lot of video, for sure, but (we spend time learning) how to win stick battles and puck battles. There's a lot of mindset involved in that, too. But the willingness to do it is the biggest part."
There is a maturity in the way that Stützle speaks about his and his team's commitment to defence.
"It obviously helps when everybody's on the same page, and everybody's doing things like backchecking," Stützle remarked. "It makes it easier for our defencemen and for our goalies.
"They know where the puck is going if we all track the same way or come back together. As a centre, everybody looks at him as a defensive kind of guy, but when the wingers do a great job coming back, it makes everything easier. We have it this year that everybody's actually coming back; everybody's blocking shots. So, it's been a fun experience and really shows how our group has matured over the years."
From a qualitative standpoint, it is impossible to watch the Senators play without noticing Stützle's efforts on the defensive end. There is a commitment to creating backpressure on the opposing puck carriers and working deep in the defensive zone to create turnovers and transition the puck out of harm.
The numbers also reflect that this is Stützle's best defensive season.
Using Evolving-Hockey's proprietary data and modelling, their 'Total Defence' statistic that captures a player's defensive contributions at five-on-five and while on the penalty kill and puts it into one value, the 2024-25 campaign has been Stützle's best defensive season. Looking at its 'Wins Above Replacement' (WAR) metric, Evolving-Hockey's data also believes the 2024-25 season is where he has accrued the most value - which is more impressive, considering the Senators still have 25 games left for him to add to his numbers.
HockeyViz.com provides even more compelling visuals of how the Senators fare with Stützle on and off the ice.
When Stützle is on the ice, the Senators produce offence at an above-average clip (+4%). They generate offence at a below-average rate (-6%) when he is off it. On the defensive side of the puck, the Senators are a relatively decent defensive team (-2%) when Stützle is off the ice, but they fare exceptionally well when he is on the ice (-13%).
His teammates' 'With or Without You' (WOWY) numbers also reflect this phenomenon. When they play with Stützle, they benefit from the experience.
Even looking at the Senators' five-on-five rate stats when Stützle is on the ice, NaturalStatTrick's data shows that the team is giving up far fewer shots (CA/60), shots on goal (SA/60), goals (GA/60) and expected goals (xGA/60) when the centre is on the ice.
2020-21: 60.06 CA/60, 34.95 SA/60, 3.59 GA/60, 2.70 xGA/60
2021-22: 56.05 CA/60, 30.87 SA/60, 2.79 GA/60, 2.60 xGA/60
2022-23: 56.29 CA/60, 30.63 SA/60, 3.32 GA/60, 2.74 xGA/60
2023-24: 59.73 CA/60, 31.39 SA/60, 3.40 GA/60, 2.82 xGA/60
2024-25: 53.68 CA/60, 25.71 SA/60, 2.54 GA/60, 2.12 xGA/60
Stützle's efforts are notable because his improved play has come while facing tough competition.
"With Timmy, he's going to play either against the checking line or one of the top lines," Batherson described. "He is going to obviously be forced to play in our (defensive) zone for a bit, and he has done a great job of it - going head-to-head against some top lines and being able to shut those guys down while still producing (offensively). I know it has been a huge growth, and it has been fun to watch."
The work is paying off.
"I put a lot of time in it every day working on (defence)," Stützle admitted. "I just try and get better every day in practice. There's still a lot to improve, especially my defensive game, but in the end, I would rather play good defensively and try and (help the team) get as far as we can and hopefully make the playoffs.
"As a group, if we all have 90 points and don't make the playoffs, (it sucks). It's fun scoring goals, but it's even better winning. We've competed really hard this year so far. Hopefully, we can keep it going."
By Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa
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Underrated Senators Defenceman Nikolas Matinpalo Doesn't Deserve To Have His Role Diminished In Ottawa
Matinpalo had a solid 4 Nations Face-Off tournament defending against the very best players in the world.
The inclusion of Nikolas Matinpalo for Finland's Four Nations Faceoff entry raised some eyebrows around this city.
That is not because of his performance as a Senator.
Since entering Ottawa's lineup, the 6'3", 213 lb Finn has not looked out of place on the team's third pairing playing alongside Tyler Kleven. Following Nick Jensen's return from injury on Feb. 4, however, Matinpalo's role has diminished.
The Finnish defender was a scratch for that Feb. 4 game against the Lightning. When they elected to dress seven defencemen and 11 forwards in their final two games before the Four Nations Faceoff break, Matinpalo played the fewest minutes amongst the defencemen.
That reduced role feels undeserved because of Matinpalo's play. Granted, Senators fans have historically tended to overvalue the performances of defencemen who did not immediately look out of place. To Matinpalo's credit, however, he has looked like an NHL regular through his combination of size and skating.
Ahead of last Wednesday's AHL game at the Canadian Tire Centre, David Bell, the Belleville Senators' head coach, lavished Matinpalo with praise when asked about the start of his career in Ottawa.
"He's been the best-kept secret for about 10-12 months," said an obviously excited and proud Bell. "The first time I saw him, you see guys and (know) that's an NHL defenceman. His body, the way he skates, the way he carries himself, it was just a matter of time (before he got a chance).
"He does everything hard. He does everything assertively. Coming over here for the first time at that age to play on the smaller ice, he's just gotten better and more comfortable. (I) knew once he got here and got comfortable with his feet under him that (he would make it). I've been around the game and guys in the American (Hockey) League a long time. (I) knew that with the way he plays, he was going to get up here and have success. He keeps it simple, but he's skilled enough to make some skilled plays. He knows what he is. He's a hard to play against guy that does everything hard. He is also low maintenance for the trainers and the coaches. Those guys usually make it."
Having spent the entire 2023-24 AHL season partnered with Matinpalo, Tyler Kleven believes the two are building on the chemistry that they developed last season.
"We've picked up where we were last year where our job was to shut down top lines in the AHL," Kleven explained. "I thought we were playing really well down there towards the end of the last year, and now this year like we've spent like I don't know like 10 and 15 games together.
"I feel like we've done a pretty good job at locking some lines down and trying to be good defensively. I enjoy playing with him. He's just so simple and he gets the puck out. He's a great defender, so that's that's my job right now, too. Play a lot of good minutes and be good defensively."
Like David Bell, Kleven is a believer in Matinpalo's size and ability to take away space.
"He's big and rangy. It makes it hard on the other team. They don't have a lot of time and space. We work well together and shift around the ice pretty (effectively). He makes good reads, so he's a good (partner) to play with."
Without delving too deep into his well-documented struggles, the reluctance of the coaching staff to slide Travis Hamonic down the depth chart has also contributed to the public discourse. There is a reasonable argument for it. If Matinpalo can average 13:54 of ice time while being asked to play against the best players in the world, how can he continue to lose playing time to someone who profiles as one of the worst statistical defencemen this season?
Since several people have asked over the Four Nations Faceoff break, here is a statistical breakdown of Tyler Kleven's third pairing partners during the 2024-25 season.
Thanks to Evolving-Hockey's data, it is easy to isolate how the Senators have played while Kleven and his different defensive partners have been on the ice at five-on-five.
- Kleven and Matinpalo: 159.5 TOI, 49.90 CF%, 45.38 SF%, 40.39 GF%, 40.27 xGF%
- Kleven and Bernard-Docker: 259.9 TOI, 48.73 CF%, 49.89 SF%, 55.94 GF%, 42.70 xGF%
- Kleven and Hamonic: 151.9 TOI, 43.86 CF%, 40.84 SF%, 19.56 GF%, 51.77 xGF%
Purely from an on-ice goal and shot impact point of view, the Senators generate a greater share of the shots (CF%), shots on goal (SF%) and goals (GF%) when Kleven has played with Bernard-Docker. The data when Matinpalo is on the ice is not that dissimilar from Bernard-Docker, but they are slightly worse. The most interesting wrinkle is that while the Senators tend to give up more shots with Kleven and Hamonic on the ice, they are the only pairing featuring an expected goal rate greater than 50 percent.
The rate stats shed more light on the pairings have fared :
- Kleven and Matinpalo: 1.54 GF/60, 2.28 GA/60, 23.51 SF/60, 28.29 SA/60, 1.70 xGF/60, 2.53 xGA/60
- Kleven and Bernard-Docker: 2.35 GF/60, 1.85 GA/60, 22.57 SF/60, 22.67 SA/60, 1.70 xGF/60, 2.28 xGA/60
- Kleven and Hamonic: 0.77 GF/60, 3.17 GA/60, 20.48 SF/60, 29.66 SA/60, 2.08 xGF/60, 1.94 xGA/60
When Hamonic and Kleven are on the ice together, the Senators do give up a higher rate of shots (SA/60) and goals (GA/60), but they do have the lowest expected goals allowed rate (xGA/60). Based on the statistical modelling, that would indicate that the duo is being credited with allowing fewer chances. Given the disparity in the shot volume and how the Senators barely generate any quality chances while that pairing is out there, it would not be unreasonable to suggest that this metric could regress over time.
Travis Green has often referred to expected goal data during his media availabilities, so more emphasis may be placed on that metric than others to explain why he has continued to dress Hamonic.
This article is from The Hockey News-Ottawa. For more great Ottawa Senators coverage, check out THN.com/Ottawa or leave a comment below at Senators Roundtable.
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Ottawa Senators Community Foundation Teams Up With Local Firefighters For 'Poppy's Path' Gala To Support Research For Rare Disorder
Inspired by Poppy Roy-Smith, a three-year-old girl from Ottawa, the Senators Community Foundation is lending a hand with a local fundraising gala, one of the NHL club's nicest assists of the season.
Meet Poppy Roy-Smith.
When Poppy was born on June 5, 2021, she was healthy and happy like any other baby. Looking back, there were signs that something was different as early as eight weeks, but parents Kaitlin and Peter never wanted to measure Poppy's development against her older sister, Daphne, because every child's growth is unique. It was not until the one-year mark, when Poppy began missing expected developmental milestones that their concern grew.
The Roy-Smiths booked an appointment with their family doctor, who referred Poppy to a developmental pediatrician. After a battery of tests, the pediatrician gave Poppy an initial diagnosis of a global developmental delay - a term used to describe children who experience delays in more than one area of development. While Poppy excelled in social development testing, she lagged in motor skills, speech, cognitive and emotional development.
The question was, why?
In an effort to find the answer, Poppy's pediatrician enlisted her for every test imaginable, including an appointment with a geneticist who advised getting Poppy into a genome sequencing program. The problem with the program is that space is limited because of its associated costs, making it widely inaccessible. It also features a lengthy waiting period to not only get admitted but also get results. To expedite the process, the geneticist filled out forms describing Poppy's facial features, muscle tone and distinctive rigidity. Once everything was submitted, the Roy-Smiths were encouraged to get more blood testing while waiting six to 12 months for their genetic results.
On cue, the Roy-Smith family received a phone call from CHEO in January to schedule a virtual appointment for February 22. It was a day the family will never forget.
"Initially, we thought they wanted to do a virtual one because there were no significant findings," Kaitlin recalled. "(We believed) whatever they found was going to be very minimal."
The tone changed immediately when their geneticist appeared on the screen.
"She just said, 'I have no idea how to tell you guys this. I've never even heard of this,' Kaitlin detailed. "She wasn't a geneticist who was on the job for two years. She was older, experienced and had seen things.
"She said, 'I've never even heard of this. I did find there's one other person in Ottawa who got diagnosed with it, but other than that, it's very rare."
Poppy was diagnosed with a beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN) disorder - an extremely rare type of neurodegeneration brain iron accumulation (NBIA) that has an estimated 500 to 2,500 cases worldwide.
Children with BPAN typically experience developmental delay, speech impairment, seizures, and make slow cognitive gains. As a progressive disease that damages the nervous system, when these children reach early adulthood, they are faced with a devastating sudden onset of regression. These individuals often develop progressive Parkinsonism, cognitive decline, and dementia - causing them to lose many of the gains they experienced through therapy in their childhood.
"(The geneticist) gave us the diagnosis and gave us the information that she had," Kaitlin explained. "There were only two papers about it; that was the only information there. It was harsh."
BPAN was placed under the NBIA umbrella in 2012, making it a rare disease in its relative infancy of discovery. These factors combine to make any BPAN diagnosis heartbreakingly straightforward: very little funding and research have occurred to work towards a solution. There is no cure.
The Roy-Smiths had a follow-up appointment two weeks later. They spent that time grieving.
"We cried," Peter said, describing the process. "Yeah, there was a lot of that. There was a lot of grieving for a future that we expected to have. Every parent would have these notions of, 'My kids gonna grow up, and they are going go to school, and (eventually move out).'"
"Daphne was already skiing at the time," Kaitlin added. "We want (Poppy) to learn how to ski like Daphne. We want her to do this so Daddy and the girls can go skiing and little things like that.
"And then, in the bigger picture of what our retirement would be and all the places that we wanted to go, and just very quickly realizing, 'Oh wow, we might not be able to do those things.'"
That realization and the news that their daughter's health would deteriorate at some undisclosed point in the future was devastating and hard to process. The family began doing their own research on the disease and joined the 'BPAN family' Facebook group, but it was not until the family travelled to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in January of 2024 that the family's outlook began to improve.
The CHOP has a specialized program within its Neuroscience Centre that specializes in BPAN and NBIA-related disorders, and its doctors were the ones who authored the research paper that the family's geneticist referenced when providing the family with Poppy's original diagnosis.
There, the Roy-Smiths met other families affected by the disease and received encouraging news. The specialists acknowledged that their research paper focused on severe cases of BPAN and that, over time, more cases emerged that were not as harsh. There was a larger spectrum of cases than was initially realized, with some individuals living into their 40s.
"Hearing there was more of a spectrum was when it became less scary and less like dark and cloudy," explained Kaitlin. "You saw that there are kids who can grow older and have wonderful (experiences) participating in things like the Special Olympics."
An unanticipated challenge was for the family to manage their expectations.
"It is probably the hardest part," Peter admitted. "We want to raise her as best as possible and (give) equal (time) between Poppy and Daphne.
"We do have to spend a lot more time with Poppy, taking her to therapy or an activity. We do want to share our time with Daphne, too. Having an expectation of, 'Yeah, we can (share our time) 50-50,' is hard. It's very, very, very difficult to do that."
Over the last year, the family's life has evolved. Their eldest daughter, Daphne, is five years old and currently enrolled in senior kindergarten at a public school in the city's west end. Poppy attends daycare in Carp, where she regularly receives visits from her CHEO therapist to assist her development and learning. Kaitlin has continued her work as a dental hygienist, while Peter is a full-time firefighter with the City of Ottawa.
Poppy's therapy varies from week to week, but it is common for her to see specialists twice a week. She requires Botox bi-annually to help with her saliva management, but one of the challenges the family has faced is that Poppy's speech development is delayed. For example, when Poppy has an optometry appointment, she cannot communicate messages like, "Mom, I can't see the words or letters in this book," or, "Mom, the picture on the television is blurry."
Peter estimates that Poppy has two or three words that outsiders can identify but believes there are closer to 10 to 20 words that he and Kaitlin can identify. Poppy is seeing a speech pathologist, but the family also relies on sign language and an 'augmented accessible communication' (AAC) app on their iPad called 'TouchChat' to communicate with their daughter. Compounding the problem is that rare diseases, like BPAN, receive very little funding for research and treatment. Similarly, the insurance coverage is not as extensive.
"There are always conversations with insurance companies trying to get stuff covered that you know might not be covered regularly for a little kid," Peter said while describing the common hurdles they face. "Or, it is not a standing coverage thing because we're not using it like an older medical thing. Those are always fun battles with insurance."
With more common diseases, there is also more government monetary support, which for families in the Roy-Smith's situation, puts almost all the financial pressure on the directly impacted families themselves.
It adds an extra layer of stress that no family needs or deserves. From the escalating fuel costs associated with driving Poppy to therapy to weighing whether to invest in more therapy sessions or specialized equipment to help her progress, constant financial considerations must be made. Even regarding extracurricular activities, there is a realization that Poppy often cannot participate in classes with regular children. Activities for children with disabilities require more supervision and, with it, increased costs.
There have been instances of support.
Peter also works for an arborist company. One day, the company and its employees donated all their revenue and salaries from a day's work to help cover some of Poppy's treatment and expenses.
His colleagues within Ottawa Fire Services have organized the inaugural Poppy's Path Gala, which will be held on Saturday, February 22, at the Brookstreet Hotel in Kanata. The evening's events will feature live music, a 50/50 raffle, and a silent auction. All proceeds from the event will donated to NBIADisorders to support research for BPAN and to help support families impacted by the disease.
"The best way to look at firefighters is we're used to fixing things," Peter said with a smile. "Everyone wants to help and do something, and when something is challenging to fix, what better group of people to come up with a solution?
"The (Gala) was first thought about at this time last year, but the turnaround time was too short to make it work, so we shelved it for a year. When picking a date, I looked at the 22nd for a few different reasons. It's the anniversary date of Poppy's diagnosis, and it also puts it about a week before Rare Disease Day.
"The whole fire department has really jumped on board to help them make this work. It's just people want to do something to help. That's the way the fire department works."
Ottawa Fire Services is not the only organization that jumped on board to offer support. After learning of Poppy's story during the Christmas holidays, Ottawa Senators team president Cyril Leeder immediately contacted Senators Community Foundation (SCF) president Jacqueline Belsito and its director of events and fundraising, Jennifer Cameron.
Within two weeks, the Poppy's Path Gala organizers and the Roy-Smith family met Belsito and Cameron privately before the Senators' January 16th game against the Washington Capitals to discuss what the SCF could do to amplify Poppy's story.
The decision to get involved with Poppy's Path was easy for Belsito.
"When you meet kids like Poppy and (Daphne), they steal your heart, right?" Belsito acknowledged. "I'm personally very privileged to be in a role where I can advocate for people.
"I can help raise money, I can help give money, but I'm just an ambassador. It's the whole organization that cares. When you meet kids like Poppy, they stick with you. You meet the parents and better understand what people are unfathomably going through, how resilient they are and how joyful their life is despite the obstacles."
While the SCF cannot give money to the Roy-Smith family directly for their personal use, the organization wants to use its platform to amplify the family's story.
"We can shine a light on the importance of what a family is going through, or the health struggles that Poppy is going through, or the financial struggles, so that people can pay attention because somebody's suffering in the community, and that's like, where our heart is is, how do we do good in the community?"
"It is about helping hockey fans, for sure, but also opening up our eyes to the incredible challenges of families with kids with rare diseases.
"That is so complex, and the care model is so complex that if we can help others, in any way, to understand the complexity of that (it is our duty). If you haven't gone through it, you have no idea. And that's one of the beautiful things about our community. If more people know about (BPAN), then people are willing to put up their hand and help. So, if we can help in that small way to rally the community, then that's something that's really motivating for us."
In the past several days, the SCF has used social media to raise awareness of Poppy's story.
One of the motivating factors towards working with the Senators is the work that the 'Don't Forget Morgan' foundation has done with the Detroit Lions and the NFL.
"From our first email conversation with Jacqueline (Belsito) and Jennifer (Cameron), they've provided us with a lot of support," said Peter appreciatively. "They have provided us with a lot of support. It's the best way to start it, basically saying we can do this, and they're there (as an extensive resource) for us.
"They've hooked us up with great silent auction items and were awesome with our girls at our first in-person meeting. They hooked them up with some Spartacat VIP swag, including some signed photos. They've got two Sens fans for life out of those girls.
"When it comes to the future of our next event, (the SCF is) going to be on board very early, and we'll be able to build (next year's gala) up even more. In the week leading up (to the event), they've got more stuff planned, and it will get the message out about BPAN."
Beyond the SCF's contributions, the hockey community's response has been fantastic. The Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs generously donated autographed merchandise for silent auction -- including an autographed Alex Ovechkin jersey.
The response has been overwhelming, but it is not a surprise the hockey community and the Ottawa Senators have stepped up to help.
"Poppy is now part of our extended family," said Belsito. "We know how involved the firefighters are, and firefighters are part of our frontline supporters and part of our family. They help us, and now, we are helping one of them. We don't know where it's gonna go, but we're family now."
Public donations can be made to Poppy's Path following this link. You can follow Poppy's Path on Instagram at instagram.com/poppyspath2021/
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Trade Rumor Roundup: Will the Ottawa Senators Add the Right Piece for a Strong Finish?
Senators centre Josh Norris recently told The Hockey News-Ottawa that "it would be nice to add a piece, for sure."
The Ottawa Senators found themselves in unfamiliar territory heading into the Four Nations Faceoff break.
Their 29-23-4 record has given the team 62 points and sole possession of the Eastern Conference's first wild card seed. With 16 of their remaining 26 games being played at home, the Senators should be in the driver's seat and have control of their playoff destiny.
That does not mean it will be easy, however.
In a tightly contested Eastern Conference, there are a log jam of teams surrounding the Senators. The Senators are six points back the Atlantic Division's second-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs, but the six teams below them in the standings are all within five points.
In the past few weeks, two significant trades were made that could have lasting implications on the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Carolina Hurricanes have historically been characterized as a team that struggles to finish despite the fact the team defends and creates chances well. Their addition of Mikko Rantanen was an effort to remedy that shortcoming. Conversely, the struggling New York Rangers reacquired J.T. Miller to bring a veteran tenacity to flat group.
Like any other group of sports fans, the Senators' players certainly paid attention to the moves.
"Yeah, of course," Josh Norris explained. "It's just normally banter, right? You talk about it, who won the deal, who didn't win. (Those were) a couple pretty big trades. It's been pretty crazy."
Norris and his teammates cannot worry about the implications of the moves. They are too focused on their game and elements within their control, but Norris admitted that the group is excited about their placement in the standings and the opportunity before them.
"Definitely a different feel coming this time of the year for sure," Norris said. "This is not something that we've had before. Credit to the guys, we've battled all year.
"It hasn't been easy up to this point, but I think we've scratched and clawed and just a different mindset this year for sure."
Holding that wild card seed puts the team in a position where general manager Steve Staios could finally be a buyer towards the NHL deadline. His Senators have begun being connected to several trade rumours.
Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch has linked the Senators to forwards Brandon Tanev, Gustav Nyquist and perhaps most interestingly, Ryan Donato. The inclusion of Donato certainly fits with other reports that Canadian franchises have shown interest in the winger.
The Blackhawks forward is a six-time double-digit goal scorer who is enjoying a breakout campaign at 28 years of age. Through 53 games this season, Donato has recorded an impressive 19 goals and 37 points.
This uptick in offence represents a marked jump from his career norms. Donato's previous career high was 16 goals in 74 games during the 2021-22 season with Seattle. His 2024-25 season looks like the classic pump-and-dump case. Evolving-Hockey's combos tool shows the winger has spent the majority of his five-on-five minutes alongside Connor Bedard.
HockeyViz's data shows that Donato's offensive impacts have historically been league-average until this season while his defensive impacts are below average.
Not surprisingly, his offensive output this season coincides with his improved isolated impact.
Evolving-Hockey's data supports Donato's historical statistical profile on HockeyViz. Their proprietary 'goals above replacement' value (GAR) and 'wins above replacement' value (WAR) are almost career highs for Donato, despite the fact he can still accrue more value across the remaining 25-plus games left in his 2024-25, barring injury.
The risk for a team like the Senators is that demand for Donato should be high based on his production this season and the fact that he does bring physical elements to the ice. His 89 hits this season would be the fourth-highest total on the Senators behind Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, and Ridly Greig.
Interestingly, the Senators' Adam Gaudette (1.1 WAR), who has played stretches in Ottawa's top six, has accrued more value than Donata (1.0 WAR) per Evolving-Hockey. The concern is that Donato's production relies heavily on the uber-talented Bedard and benefits from an elevated role on a less talented team.
Thanks to the Senators' shallow pool of quality prospects and the likelihood that the organization will forfeit its first-round pick in one of the next two drafts, there may not be an appetite to trade valuable draft currency for an impending unrestricted free agent.
Considering the Senators are pressed up against the cap ceiling, barring a trade that moves significant money off the parent roster, it would make more sense for them to work the margins to improve their roster. The easiest way to free up some room would be for the organization to move Anton Forsberg's $2.75 million cap hit and promote Leevi Merilainen. That kind of move would not be without risk. It would necessitate a separate move to acquire a veteran option with NHL experience that they plug into Belleville as insurance.
Whatever the case, the Senators are in an exciting spot. They have some easily identifiable spots on the roster that they could upgrade, but the pressure will be on management to continue to find the right fits.
Acquiring some talent to help move this season forward would be such an encouraging move to reward a group that has held up their end of the bargain.
It is a possibility, the players recognize and relish.
"(Making a trade) is a little above my pay grade, but I think the guys have done a really good job," Norris stated. "Obviously, it's a tight race, but we've put ourselves in a really good spot coming down the stretch here to play a lot of meaningful games.
"It would be nice to add a piece for sure, but like I said, it's a little above my pay grade. It would definitely be nice."
This article is from The Hockey News-Ottawa. For more Ottawa Senators coverage, check out THN.com/Ottawa or join the Senators Roundtable by leaving a comment below.
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David Perron's Resilience: Can He Find His Game and Help Push the Ottawa Senators to the Playoffs?
After a tough start to the season, the points are starting to come for Ottawa Senator veteran David Perron. Can he bounce back and help lead them to the playoffs?
Coming off a season in which he tallied 17 goals and 47 points in 76 games while playing predominantly with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, this was not what David Perron envisioned when he inked a two-year, $8-million deal with the Ottawa Senators.
It is always a challenge when a player arrives in a new city with new teammates, a new coach, and a new system. This storm of on and off-ice adjustments requires some demanding manoeuvring at the best of times, but what the Perron family endured is something you hope no family ever has to go through.
The veteran forward played five games before taking a leave of absence to be with his family for the birth of his fourth child, Elizabeth, who was born with a mass on her right lung that required removal.
Perron returned to the Senators lineup on November 16th in Carolina once doctors had his daughter's health issues under control. He would play four games before an undisclosed back injury forced him to miss the team's next 27 games.
Perron playing nine of the team's first 47 games was an issue. The Senators were relying on the player to bring secondary depth scoring to their lineup. And Perron desperately wanted to integrate into the lineup and perform at the level he was accustomed to.
"I played four or five games here, four or five games (there)," Perron said, acknowledging his frustrations before the team left on its road trip. "Now you pile it all up together, and it doesn't look great, but at the same time, it's just a weird feeling for sure. I've never had that."
Compounding the problem is that Perron was held pointless in games he did play.
"You want to make a difference," he said. "You do. You want to produce offensively, too."
What must make the season more frustrating is that Perron's line with Shane Pinto and Michael Amadio was arguably the Senators' best line when they did play together. The goals and production may not have been there, but the trio was impactful, tilting the ice in the Senators' favour every time they were on the ice.
"I thought so, too," Perron admitted. "I thought we were solid.
"I'm not like an overly complicated player. I play a pretty simple game. I go out there. I do my job. I need to play with structure because I'm not the fastest, but I've got to get greasy, be hard in the corner, and hang on to pucks. Anytime I can be hard to play against, whether it's a face-off or winning a battle - an edge battle.
"We talk about edge battles all the time. The puck comes 50-50, right in the middle of us all the time. You have got to win those. Those are the things that I absolutely have to do and be hard and hang on to pucks."
The veteran is not living in the past, though. He looks at the Senators' position in the standings and recognizes the opportunity this team has.
"No, it's tough, but it's not about me," Perron admitted. "I like where the team's at. It's a great spot we're in, and the guys have done a fantastic job to be in a position where we're in a playoff spot right now.
"We're pushing for more. We have a chance to push for more. So, it's irrelevant what happened (to me). I've got to find my ground and find a way to provide more for the team and increase my role as we go here by playing solid hockey and hopefully getting more trust from Travis (Green).
Perron scored in the first game of the Senators' road trip in Nashville, banking a shot off Adam Wilsby's head.
It may have been the first Senators' goal scored off a head since Colin White's disallowed goal five years ago.
Perron would add an assist in the Senators' Tuesday night loss in Tampa Bay.
The points are finally starting to come, and if Perron can sustain that production down the stretch for the Senators, that added level of depth scoring for a team that has struggled to produce at five-on-five will be massive.
Although he has only been living in the city for a few short months, Perron has already noticed the growing interest and buzz surrounding the team's push for the postseason.
"It's cool to see a little bit of the vibe already going on around town," he admitted. "I go around the minor hockey ranks, and kids are fired up.
"I'm sure there's always been a lot of Ottawa gear and all that stuff, but it's pretty cool. Everyone's talking about it. (The young fans) know the players. They know what position we're in right now.
"We can do something special by finally turning the corner, and there's a lot of runway to go here. It's exciting to be part of it. I hope that I start building my game again from that."
Senators management will embrace that, too. If Perron can be an agitating presence who contributes offensively, it will improve their depth and help take some of the pressure off the front office to move assets to acquire another scorer.
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Ottawa Senators Star Jake Sanderson Talks About Recent Success And The Teammate Who 'Makes It Easy' For Him
We caught up with Jake Sanderson last week, just before he grabbed seven points in three games and NHL Third Star of the Week honours.
When Artem Zub returned to the Ottawa Senators lineup in early January, the prevailing thought was, "Okay, now that the Senators have two quality defensive pairings, how much will the needle move?"
Despite dropping their first four games (0-3-1), the Senators have put together a 10-5-2 record in the 17 games since the Russian defender returned from a fractured foot.
Interestingly, the team has only been able to keep Thomas Chabot and Nick Jensen together for 10 of those games. The latter has remained sidelined with an undisclosed lower-body injury, believed to be the knee, since January 24.
The Senators have still managed to win games, but Chabot's minutes have been spread out almost equally between the injured Jensen and Travis Hamonic. Irrespective of who his partner was, the underlying metrics have not been good.
After a one-game reintroduction to the lineup, Artem Zub was reunited with Jake Sanderson on January 3, 2025, for the Senators' game against the St. Louis Blues.
According to NaturalStatTrick, here is how the Senators performed at five-on-five with Thomas Chabot on the ice with his different partners since January 3:
- With Nick Jensen: 10 GP, 49.82 CF%, 44.44 SF%, 33.33 GF%, 40.16 xGF%
- With Travis Hamonic: 6 GP, 45.10 CF%, 48.68 SF%, 100.0 GF%, 43.41 xGF%
Jensen has been dealing with the injury without impacting his performance, but seeing these metrics, it is not surprising that he went on the shelf shortly thereafter. The team's performance with Chabot and Hamonic on the ice is understandable, given the latter's history of being an anchor dragging any partner he plays with.
Coupled with the fact that the Tyler Kleven and Nik Matinpalo pairing have generated some porous numbers during this stretch, it is incredible that the Senators have been as successful as they have been.
The Senators have generated 47.27 percent of the shots (CF%), 42.97 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 40.00 percent of the goals (GF%), and 36.56 percent of the expected goals (xGF) with the Kleven/Matinpalo pairing on the ice.
The Senators have overcome these performances on the strength of their goaltending, but what has helped immensely is the play of the Sanderson/Zub pairing.
Since reuniting on January 3, the duo have been paired for 15 games, logging 218:47 of ice time. They have been one of the best pairings in the league at five-on-five, generating 56.54 percent of the shots (CF%, 5th in NHL), 58.64 percent of the shots (SF%, 2nd in NHL), and 64.76 expected goals (xGF%, 1st in NHL).
This duo has been incredibly effective, but the NHL Network's Mike Kelly helps explain as to why Jake Sanderson has been so good.
Sanderson's ability to find another level has been one of those inflection points that fans were banking on. Well, it is here.
The young defenceman has taken his game to the level he showed glimpses of during the preseason. It could not have come at a better time.
Speaking to Sanderson last week ahead of his team's road trip, he believed his chemistry with Zub was simple.
"We keep it simple in the (defensive) zone," he explained. "Try not to do too much on the breakouts. Just get up to our forwards, let them make a play, and we can jump up after that. We're communicating a little bit better now, and it's showing it helps."
Sanderson's Russian has not made marked improvements, so it is Zub's English that has been improving. The young defenceman believes that spending time and talking away from the rink has benefited their partnership.
What is interesting is that Sanderson pointed to an offensive moment during the team's January 19th game in New Jersey in which Zub scored a goal as a turning point.
"I honestly think when he first scored in New Jersey, I believe that boosted his confidence," Sanderson explained. "(Since then) he has done such a good job shutting down plays on the rush. He's so strong in the (defensive) zone. It makes it easy for me.
"It's really nice finding consistency with one player, but at the same time, like, whether it's Travis or (Zub), we all have chemistry together, so it doesn't really matter. Once you find chemistry with the player, and, you know, just keep growing both your games, it helps you a lot."
All that matters is that Sanderson's game has found a level commensurate with his talent. It could not have arrived at a better time.
"Yeah, at the start of season, I wasn't feeling myself. Right now I feel, I feel pretty good. My energy is really good on the ice. I haven't scored in a while, but I'm getting a lot of chances, and that's all I can ask for. So, you know, they're gonna go in eventually."
Since the interview, Sanderson has scored three goals and tallied seven points in his last three games, looking every bit the dynamic and dangerous defenceman that he can be.
The Senators already look like a viable threat in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, but if this team can eventually have the Chabot and Sanderson pairings clicking at the same time, look out.
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Despite His Fantastic Numbers, Ottawa Senators Send Leevi Merilainen Down To Belleville
Merilainen spoke to The Hockey News Ottawa this week about this very possibility, along with his appreciation for Ottawa's fan support.
If there is one welcoming recurrence for the Ottawa Senators over the past several weeks, it has been their goaltenders' performance. Whenever one was beset by an injury or faltered, another stepped up.
It began when Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg went down. It was Leevi Merilainen who ascended the organization's depth chart and emerged as a prospective candidate to be the team's goaltender of the future.
Through 12 appearances, Merilainen has recorded an 8-3-1 record, a 1.99 goals against average, three shutouts, and a .925 save percentage. The only major blip in an otherwise successful start was his January 21st start against the New York Rangers, in which he was mercifully pulled. That night in Madison Square Garden was one of the team's flattest performances of the season. After a second Rangers goal was scored and overturned because of an offside challenge, Travis Green decided to spare Merilainen from playing the rest of that game.
It did not help that the Rangers game was Merilainen's first start since the Senators' thrilling overtime win over the Boston Bruins in which he allowed five goals. These consecutive starts allowed the veteran Forsberg to reclaim the net.
Forsberg allowed three goals on 80 shots for a .963 save percentage in his next three starts. These performances may have ultimately saved Forsberg his job. The 7-9-1 record, 2.87 goals against average and .893 save percentage still look relatively pedestrian, considering how strong of a defensive team the Senators have become.
Their respective performances raised questions about how the Senators will handle their goaltending situation. Those were answered on Sunday afternoon when the Senators announced that Merilainen had been optioned to Belleville.
It is a bittersweet announcement. The good news is that Linus Ullmark has worked his way back from an undisclosed back injury. After a few weeks of skating and participating in team practices, the Senators' marquee goaltender is healthy and ready to perform.
On the other hand, the Senators are demoting their best statistical goaltender, who has enjoyed the most recent success.
According to Evolving-Hockey's goals saved above expected (GSAx) data, Merilainen has stopped 5.57 more goals than expected based on their statistical modelling, trailing only Ullmark's 8.23. It is worth noting that this statistic is cumulative, so Ullmark's is higher because he has played in twice as many games as Merilainen. (For what it is worth, Forsberg's contributed a -2.32 GSAx.)
Interestingly, when looking at the site's proprietary 'wins above replacement' value (WAR), their proprietary metric believes that Merilainen (1.0 WAR) already has created slightly more value than Ullmark (0.9 WAR) while easily surpassing Forsberg's (0.1 WAR).
Obviously, more goes into the organization's decision than just performance.
The 22-year-old Merilainen is the youngest of the three with the most contract flexibility. His entry-level contract afforded the Senators the right to move him to Belleville without having to place the goaltender on waivers.
Ullmark's two injuries this season have given the organization pause to consider moving Forsberg, their veteran backup.
Admittedly, waiving Forsberg is not ideal because he would likely get claimed without returning the Senators an asset. And, if an injury felled one of Merilainen or Ullmark, it would put the team in a situation where they would have to ask Mads Sogaard to play NHL minutes. This season, his injuries and struggles at the AHL and NHL levels have compounded the Senators' goaltending depth. He cannot be relied on to play meaningful minutes.
If the Senators were to cut bait with Forsberg, they would have to go to the market to find a veteran replacement who may or may not be as good as Forsberg.
Although it carries some risk, trading Forsberg for assets would make sense if the Senators believe they can reallocate his salary to address another need. Clearing his $2.75 million cap hit off the books would allow the Senators to look at addressing more pressing needs on the roster - like another top-six winger and a third-pairing right-shot defenceman.
While it would be easy to look at Merilainen's performance this season through the lens of it being a small sample, what I find impressive about his play is that there have not been any moments where his performances feel unsustainable. His squareness and rebound control have prevented him from overly relying on his athleticism to bail him out of second, third and fourth chances.
Conversely, shouldn't similar concerns be shared for Anton Forsberg's recent stretch if we are talking about small samples? He allowed Washington four goals in the Senators' 5-4 win on Thursday in his most recent start.
Regardless, thanks to Ullmark's return, there is something to be said about playing time and the importance of having a young goaltender playing regularly. On the other hand, I wonder whether any negative impacts could be created by taking a successful young player away from this environment, facilities, teammates and coaches.
Earlier this week, I talked to Merilainen about his successful start to his Senators career.
"Just going along with it," Merilainen said, referring to his success. "I feel like all the confidence comes from practice. Having a good set of practices at the start and then playing my game and see how that goes. It's been going pretty well so far.
"It's been fun. It's been quite an experience and I'm just having fun."
When asked about the presence of Ullmark and his imminent return and what it could mean for his future, Merilainen did not show a ton of concern.
"Yeah, you have to go day by day and see what happens," the goaltender explained. "You can't really think about it too much. You've got to be ready to play when your time is to play. If there's not time to play anymore, then it's fine. We'll see. I don't know how that goes for me."
Merilainen has embraced the experience and support of the veteran goaltenders.
"Oh they're fun guys," he said. "I like them. They're Swede, (*laugh*) so it's a little (different) there. But, I like them. They're both great guys.
"They give me a lot of tips when I have some questions and stuff and they're there to support me too."
The rookie has also recognized and appreciated the fans' support whenever he is introduced at home as the starting goaltender.
"Yeah, it's been crazy. I never would have assumed that would be the case. But that's special every time standing there. That's something crazy I've never experienced before. I love that."
Merilainen's whirlwind romance with the fans may be taking a break now, but with goalie health and performance both running so hot and cold this season, he might back before anyone has time to miss him.
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Ottawa Senators Owner Michael Andlauer On Quebec City Misstep: 'I Didn't Sleep That Night'
In an informal gathering with local media on Thursday, Andlauer provided his side of the Quebec City story.
After enduring almost two decades of unpredictable volatility under its previous owner, the first 16 months of Michael Andlauer's stewardship of the Ottawa Senators were distinguished by diligence and mindfulness.
It was a necessary and welcomed change, but it only helped magnify how abnormal Monday's press conference in Quebec City was to announce the Senators will be playing two exhibition games there next fall.
If dressing Spartacat in a Frankenstein half-Senators, half-Nordiques jersey to promote the announcement represented the first misstep of the Andlauer era, the second was acknowledging that if the Senators can travel to Stockholm to play regular season games, they can play in Quebec City.
While Andlauer left Quebec City feeling good about the announcement, it was not until he listened to TSN 1200's 'The Drive' program that afternoon that he truly understood the magnitude of the day's events.
The organization had already been in damage-control mode for most of the week. Senators president Cyril Leeder appeared on TSN 1200 to assuage the fan base, while Ian Mendes, their vice president of communications, selflessly took to social media to encourage fans to reach out to him directly to express their discontent.
What Andlauer did next was unique.
The Senators owner was taken aback, losing sleep Monday night over that afternoon's sports radio discourse, and knew he needed to end any residual speculation.
To do that, Andlauer met with a small media contingency in the Canadian Tire Centre's Lexus Lounge ahead of last night's thrilling 5-4 overtime win over the Washington Capitals. To have a Senators owner sit down privately with the media and explain his side of the story was unprecedented. It certainly never would have happened under Eugene Melnyk's watch.
"I did not sleep that night because I care so much about this team," Andlauer explained. "I realized that (the media) are so very important to the success of this franchise.
"You're close and personal with our team and the conduit to our lifeblood, our fans. What you say and what you write is so important to our fans. They listen. (Knowing that), it is important that the narrative is right and that we don't start speculating."
An unintended consequence of Monday's announcement was that it coincided with reports that negotiations between the Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC) have progressed slowly. There is a pressing desire to get shovels in the ground, build the organization's future home, and grow this small market franchise's fan base.
Each day that passes without a resolution means escalating construction costs and a growing impatience with the bureaucratic red tape that inevitably arises from the negotiations with several levels of government.
Without that agreement in place, the timing of Monday's announcement could have cynically been viewed as a mechanism to create leverage in the organization's negotiations with the NCC.
According to Andlauer, the timing was, unfortunately, coincidental. After spending most of his time as owner focused on improving and developing the organization's hockey operations side, Andlauer has recently focused more on expanding its business operations.
Andlauer looked at the organization's French television rights ratings in Quebec and noticed an intriguing spike of interest in the Senators' matchups against the Colorado Avalanche. Given the Avalanche's ties to the area and recognizing the possibility that not all Quebecois hockey fans grow up cheering for the Montreal Canadiens, Andlauer saw potential in growing the franchise's marketability and presence in the province of Quebec.
The idea of playing exhibition games in Quebec City was born in the summertime.
"We're a border town," Andlauer said. "We're the only other team that is truly bilingual, even though the previous ownership really didn't pay much attention (to that market).
"I see this as a low-hanging fruit to generate more revenue for the Ottawa Senators. Look at small market teams in the NFL like the Green Bay Packers. (Their fans are) all over the place. I thought to myself, all these (small market) cities that can't have an NHL team, we have coverage over on the media side of things. All the Halifaxes and St John's Newfoundlands of the world are opportunities where we can bring in more Sens fans."
Andlauer claims to have not realized that the Quebec provincial government negotiated with the NHL, Quebecor and the Senators to host upwards of five games at the Videotron Centre during the 2022-23 season. These games never materialized, but the possibility of regular season games being played outside of Ottawa in cities openly campaigning for an NHL expansion franchise was a point of contention for Sens fans. Under Melnyk, the threat of relocation was made during his infamous tirade at the outdoor NHL 100 Classic event.
Senators fans understandably have sensitivities. Part of it stems from being wedged between two hockey-crazed markets in Montreal and Toronto. The other factor is that Senators endured having their franchise be operated by one of the most mercurial owners in North American professional sports.
At one end of the spectrum was an owner who once encouraged fans to "get their own bomb and go blow themselves up." At the other end is a genuinely embarrassed owner who acknowledges his mistake for not better understanding this organization's history.
"I heard snippets from the past, but I didn't appreciate the past," Andlauer said. "Shame on me for that."
Like the mistake with the Sens/Nordiques hybrid jersey that deservedly earned scorn, what I find intriguing is that Andlauer has surrounded himself with people familiar with that history.
Team president Cyril Leeder took full ownership of the jersey gaffe during that aforementioned TSN 1200 interview. While I understand the intent behind the jersey was to market the event and potentially create some fan service for long-suffering Nordiques fans, I am struggling to understand how Andlauer's supporting cast did not have the foresight to realize how fans in Ottawa would react and speak out to prevent an easily avoidable mistake.
(The only exemption should be Spartacat, but only because he can't talk.)
Unlike the Los Angeles Kings, who received upwards of $7 million for holding part of their training camp in Quebec City and played two exhibition games at the Videotron Centre last fall, the Senators will not receive any significant financial windfall for their involvement next fall.
The Senators will generate revenues like they would if the games were played at the Canadian Tire Centre, but revenues from the games will be split with Gestev. This Quebecor-owned subsidiary company specializes in the creation and production of events.
"(We'll receive) no government funds," the Senators owner stated. "It's a business deal that we have with Gestev. They get a profit, and we're gonna get a profit."
Profits were a priority of Gestev. Although it would have made sense for the Senators to insist that Montreal not be involved in any exhibition games to convert more Québécois fans and put more eyes on the Senators, Gestev insisted on having the Canadiens participate in driving ticket sales.
The announcement's timing was also fuelled by Gestev's desire to kick off ticket sales and capitalize on interest while the NHL season was being played. Gestev initially wanted the announcement done before Christmas, but it took longer to broker a deal with the New Jersey Devils.
Andlauer wants to treat the Senators like a business.
"(I want to be) fiscally responsible," the owner said. "From that standpoint, I don't care to make money in this, in on this team. It's not about making money.
"How do I optimize as much revenue as possible? I want to have enough revenue so we can have, you know, close to a cap team and win a championship. That's my only purpose of being the caretaker of the Ottawa Senators."
A significant avenue the Senators are looking to exploit is the neglected and untapped Gatineau market. Andlauer acknowledged that the organization is negotiating with the city to build a Sensplex. The organization also has grassroots initiatives planned, like the preseason scrimmages and player availabilities.
"We lost a whole generation in Gatineau of young kids by default because they have been neglected," said the owner. "Gatineau is still a priority."
The hope for Andlauer is that francophone hockey fans look at the team's involvement in these Quebec City games not as a one-off but as one step in an aggressive and long-term commitment to build a relationship with prospective fans across the border.
With the fans in Ottawa, there has to be some empathy and recognition of what they have gone through. At the same time, it is hard to disregard the nervous energy that can often permeate this market when it comes to things like the arena deal falling through or relocation.
Andlauer respected the fans' response to Monday's announcement, which felt genuine. He appeared contrite, but more importantly, he understood that day was a learning opportunity to improve.
For someone who took his first missteps since arriving, it represented a marked change from the past.
Andlauer wants fans to know he is all-in on Ottawa as a hockey market. Its small nature and intimacy appeal to him. He bought a house along the canal and announced his intention to retire here eventually. He wishes to placate the concerns about this team's future, but that can only come with time when his actions align with his words.
This article is from The Hockey News Ottawa website. Other recommended articles include:
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Ottawa Senators Search For A Spark To Recharge Their Power Play
The Senators are looking for solutions to a power play that has scored just twice in the past 25 opportunities
Whenever an offence struggles and is goal-starved at five-on-five, the most straightforward remedy to offset that is to maximize the power play's opportunities when they arise.
Through 50 games this season, no one can accuse the Senators of not having their chances. Only the Boston Bruins have drawn more power play opportunities than the Senators' 158.
To their credit, the Senators have won a lot of close, low-scoring affairs of late, but an effective power play would undoubtedly take some pressure off a team that is defending incredibly well but struggling to produce at five-on-five.
Unfortunately, their power play has failed to produce, clicking on only two of its last 25 opportunities. Obviously, it's a small sample size, but when John Muckler's amateur scouting staff is more efficient drafting Russians in the mid-2000s, it's never a flattering sign.
The Senators' power play has not always been an issue this season. Their 35 power-play goals are the seventh-highest total in the league, but in terms of efficiency, the organization has undoubtedly benefited from the number of penalties they have drawn. The Senators' 22.2 percent success rate ranks 13th in the league.
What is weird about the Senators' power play is that, despite its early success rate, some analytics hubs believe it has outperformed its true performance.
Underperforming their expected goals rate has been a problem for the Senators whether the team has been at even strength or has the man advantage.
Head coach Travis Green has referred to this in his media availabilities, believing that the results should improve if the expected goal rates are steady over time. I looked into the Senators' power play numbers over at NaturalStatTrick, and one of the things I noticed about their power play is that the rate of expected goals they create (7.33 xGF/60, 23rd) is in the bottom third of the league.
That rate has improved in the team's last 10 games, but Green attributed some of the team's struggles to the lack of practice time due to the team's condensed schedule.
"We haven't had a lot of practice time," the head coach explained. "So, we'll have a little bit longer practice. We'll get some power play. We can shoot the puck a little bit more, but there's no secret sauce to just getting a good power play."
The Senators can shoot more, but there is a fine line.
Generating shot quality is paramount for success, but the pursuit of perfect scoring opportunities can often lead to several chances being passed up. At the other end of the spectrum, nobody wants to see harmless muffins thrown from the perimeter at the opposing goaltender.
It is that pursuit of quality chances that Brady Tkachuk believes has worked against the team of late.
"I feel like a lot of our success at the start was just dirty off of not a turnover but out of battles," the captain explained. "Just finding that quick play. I feel like right now things aren't going well.
"We're trying to make it happen and make it a beautiful, perfect play where, I think we're in the mindset now. Let's just get a greasy one. Find a way to outnumber them at the net and just bang home or rebound and go for that."
There is so much emphasis on defending seam passes while taking away the bumper position. By limiting the chances in the slot and high slot areas, the opposition is daring the Senators to try and beat them from the outside.
Unfortunately, the guys on the flanks and top of the umbrella have been too passive - preferring to maintain possession by passing the puck around without creating consequential one-timer opportunities for guys like Claude Giroux, Josh Norris or Drake Batherson.
So, how do you exploit a system that locks down the slot and bumper areas?
"If they're taking away the bumper, that means there's more at a diamond," Tkachuk said. "There's more net front opportunities. I feel like we can produce more sifters and shots maybe from the outside and just having for our unit, me and Drake (Batherson), near the net.
"If we're 2-on-1 with that defenceman, then we have a good chance of scoring rebounds, second chances. (We need to) generate more looks from that. From that aspect, I know that, for me, sometimes everybody shifts up and plays a little bit high. We've made an emphasis on throwing sifters and we have a line."
Drake Batherson emphasized the need to take advantage of what the penalty kill unit allows.
"(The slot and high slot area) is obviously probably the most dangerous place on the ice where you can shoot a puck," Drake Batherson described. " Guys like (Sam) Reinhardt, they score a ton of goals in there. So, teams are obviously trying to take that away.
"When they're taking away that, there's usually another guy open on the backside. A flank guy with a one-timer or something, so you have to take what they give you and go from there."
Batherson believes the group must avoid forcing plays if they are not available. Structure can be beaten with efficient and smart puck management.
"Obviously, sometimes you gotta trust your instincts on a play," Batherson said. "Take what they give and ensure everything's crisp. Once you get in the zone, you have to set up for a second or two, and then try to get some shots and some volume at the net.
Just like their sound system following wins, more volume can be key.
"More volume with a good screen, it's always better for your power plays. So obviously, you want to set up and try to create good looks. But sometimes teams just sit back and don't run around. And that's when you gotta take shots and get some bodies in front."
Sometimes, all that is needed is confidence. A goal or two could spur the momentum this team needs to take a step offensively.
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How Much Does Veteran Ottawa Senator Forward Claude Giroux Have Left In The Tank?
The popular 37-year-old is in the final year of his three-year, $19.5 million contract.
In a league riddled with parity, the one opponent who remains undefeated is Father Time.
Considering how Claude Giroux has two goals in his last 22 games, one of which was an empty net insurance marker against Minnesota on December 29th, it is hard to blame fans for wondering how much gas the 37-year-old has left in the tank.
What is troubling when it relates to Giroux is how, for his first two seasons in Ottawa, he was an absolute monster who showed up in big moments or whenever the team needed a momentum swing.
It simply has not been there as often this season.
In fairness, it would be naive to hold him to the standards he set in his first season in the nation's capital when he scored 35 goals and had 79 points in 82 games. He dipped to 21 goals and 64 points last season, but Giroux's production has fallen off considerably this season.
Using NaturalStatTrick's data, Giroux has four goals and 12 assists at five-on-five. They represent a sharp decline from previous seasons, but it is magnified when looking at his rate stats at five-on-five:
- 0.39 goals per 60 (second-lowest mark of his career)
- 1.56 points per 60 (fourth-lowest mark of his career)
- 5.83 shots per 60 (worst mark of his career)
What stands out is placing these numbers in the historical context of Giroux's career. His worst statistical season was indisputably his 2016-17 campaign, in which he finished the year with 14 goals and 58 points in 82 games. Giroux spent most of that season trying to recover from a few significant surgeries to his core. In the summer of 2016, he had surgery to repair bilateral abdominal tears and a torn labrum in his right hip. By his own admission, he didn't start feeling close to one hundred percent until the latter stages of that season.
This season, it is hard to figure out what is to blame.
A glance at Giroux's NHL Edge data does not reveal much.
His top skating is down from where it was during the 2022-23 season when his 23.38 mph placed him in the 96th percentile, but his 22.22 mph this season is higher than the league average. Conversely, he has more 22 mph bursts this season than he did playing an entire season in 2022-23.
The more significant discrepancies exist in Giroux's shot data. His volume, velocity and efficiency are all down. This season, Giroux has only shot two pucks more than 80 mph; granted, one of them was 86.80, which placed him in the 64th percentile for top speed. In 2022-23, Giroux got shots with velocity off far more regularly. His top speed of 93.08 mph placed him in the 83rd percentile, but he was consistently getting shots off at higher velocities.
2022-23:
- 90 to 100 mph shots: 4
- 80 to 90 mph shots: 17
- 70 to 80 mph shots: 53
This season has been a struggle, but in fairness to the popular veteran, goals have not been easy for the Senators to come by. They have already been shut out five times this month. In the words of TSN 1200 producer Matt Hamer, "Nobody has done Dry January better than the Sens."
It is easy to look around the Ottawa Senators' dressing room and point fingers at players capable of producing more.
The captain, Brady Tkachuk, has one even strength goal in his last 16 games. Drake Batherson? One even strength goal in his last 20 games. Shane Pinto? He has not scored an even strength goal in his last 15 games. Tim Stützle is a marked improvement over these players but only has three goals and five points in his last 13 games.
The wrinkle for Giroux and the Senators is that the parties face a contractual dilemma. The veteran is in the final year of his three-year, $19.5 million contract that he signed on July 13, 2022. Giroux can test the open market this summer as an impending unrestricted free agent.
The good news for Giroux is that he still has a positive impact at both ends of the ice. HockeyViz's data shows that his isolated impacts on offence and defence are still positive.
This scoring drought may cost him money and security, however. Another productive year could have spurred another multi-year offer at a reasonably high average annual value.
Now, Giroux will need a strong finish to reaffirm that he is a player worth committing money and term to. If he can dial it in down the stretch, it is a situation the Senators will welcome. They would savour some big G-Money moments down the stretch as they make their push towards the postseason.
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