NHL Rumor Mill – April 6, 2024
The latest on the Senators and Kraken in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
UPDATE ON THE SENATORS
OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch doubted the Senators’ recent five-game win streak will give general manager Steve Staios pause from making the necessary offseason changes for his club to take the next step toward playoff contention.
Garrioch believes the Senators’ top priorities are finding the right head coach and addressing their goaltending. Buying out the final four seasons of starter Joonas Korpisalo’s contract “seems far-fetched at best.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Agreed, and it’s also unlikely they’ll be able to trade Korpisalo’s contract. They’ll keep him and have him work on improving his game in the offseason.
It’s expected the Senators will attempt to trade backup Anton Forberg, who has a year left on his deal.
Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg’s struggles and his $2.75 million cap hit next season means Staios might have to package him with a sweetener like a draft pick or retain part of his cap hit to find a suitor.
A decision must be made regarding defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season. The Senators also need better depth on their third and fourth forward line.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chychrun wants to stay partly because of his family ties to Ottawa. However, I can see Staios shopping him for a top-four right-shot defenseman.
THE ATHLETIC: Ian Mendes is interested in what Shane Pinto receives on his next contract. The 23-year-old center signed a one-year, $775K deal shortly before returning from his 41-game suspension for violating the NHL’s sports wagering rules.
Since Pinto’s return, he’s scored eight goals and 25 points in 34 games, putting him on a prorated pace of 20 goals and 68 points. He’ll be a restricted free agent without arbitration rights as he needed one more season to become arbitration-eligible. Mendes suspects a bridge deal could be the outcome.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A two-year deal worth around $5 million annually should get it done. What say you, Senators fans? Let me know in the comments section.
COULD THE KRAKEN MAKE A COACHING CHANGE?
THE SEATTLE TIMES: Geoff Baker believes some big offseason decisions are coming for the Kraken. After reaching the playoffs last season in just their second year of existence, they’ve been eliminated from contention this season.
Baker believes there will be an evaluation of head coach Dave Hakstol’s performance. If they intend to keep him beyond this month, they must retain him through next season and more or risk wasting time they don’t have. He believes the Kraken must convince their fans that they’re heading in a positive direction.
The Kraken could make one or two key additions this summer that won’t be cheap. Before making that commitment, they must ensure they have the right man behind the bench. They must also figure out why their offense bottomed out this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be interesting to see how Kraken GM Ron Francis handles this situation.
Baker wondered if the scoring drought was due to Hakstol’s system or other factors. He pointed out that they let their high-scoring fourth-liners depart last summer via free agency to make room for incoming youth. They may have also put too much faith in Andre Burakovsky and Matty Beniers scoring at a 25-goal pace.
Pretty much alluded to the same sentiment, Lyle, back on March 31 when I posted
“The cry has been pretty consistent in these pages throughout this past disappointing season for the Senators that one of their primary needs in the off-season is to shore up the goaltending by somehow dumping Korpisalo at least – and I have been among those taking that position.
But lately I have to say I have started to take another view as his “game” has begun to take on the consistently good performances that led to GAA of 2.60, 2.88 and 2.95 and save % of 0.920, 0.905, 0.911 in the better years of his stint with Columbus and 2.13 and 0.921 in his brief stop in L.A. before coming to Ottawa. At $4 mil off the cap for 4 more years, and turning just 30 in April, maybe the focus should be on acquiring a better veteran back-up which, combined with improvements in overall team defense structure, would allow Staios to focus on solidifying the D corps and improving the ranks of the 3rd and 4th lines with the approximately $21 mil in cap space he’ll have this summer.
One thing IS certain – Staios better get it right because the wheels falling off starting around November won’t be met well by the fan base.”
I wonder how much change either of us can hope for for our teams next year, George.
There are a lot of teams who will seek to improve by trade or signing UFAs in the off season, and there is only so much meaningful talent to be had, and not a dramatic improvement in cap space. It will be a seller’s market, so I doubt fans of non playoff teams are going to be excited next November.
You’re right, LJ. But both do need to improve at key positions – as reflected below – and this is where the respective GMs (and scouting staff) will either earn their pay this summer – or blow it. Right now the teams are, in many respects, like 2 peas in a pod statistically
Ottawa 75gp 33 38 4 70 .467 238 282 -24
Montreal 75gp 29 34 12 70 .467 209 259 – 50
In terms of production
the top 10 F and 6 D for Mtl are:
Suzuki 32 40 72
Caufield 22 35 57
Slafkovsky 16 28 44
Newhook 12 17 29
Evans 7 18 25
Gallagher 11 12 23
Armia 16 6 22
Anderson 8 10 18
Pearson 5 7 12
Pazzetta 3 9 12
Totals 132 182 314 – cap cost $40,737.500
Matheson 10 43 53
Guhle 6 16 22
Savard 6 12 18
Xkeka 3 7 10
Harris 2 8 10
Struble 3 5 8
Totals 30 91 121 – cap cost $12,343,166
The top 10 F and 6 D for Ott are:
Stutzle 18 52 70
Tkachuk 33 33 66
Giroux 20 40 60
Batherson 27 33 60
Joseph 11 24 35
Norris 16 14 30
Pinto 8 17 25 (34 gp)
Greig 12 12 24
Kelly 8 9 17
Kibalik 11 4 15
Totals 164 238 422 – cap cost $43,831,547
Chychrun 13 25 38
Sanderson 8 24 32
Chabot 8 20 28
Zub 4 20 24
Brannstrom 3 15 18
Bernard-Docker 4 10 14
Totals 49 114 154 – cap cost $20.930,000
Goalies
Mtl
Montembeault $1,000,000 37gp 3.03 – 0.906
Primeau $890,000 19gp 2.93 0.908
Ott
Korpisalo $4,000,000 50gp 3.33 0.889
Forsberg $2,750,000 27gp 3.28 0.888
Hey George,
Staios 100% has his work cut out for him, i think this is going to take 2 season’s to fix and trade out players to fix this whole mess SS was left.
Maybe Korpisalo will have a better season next year? if not they will have to trade him with a sweetener Or a Buy out….🤔 they need to get young 23 yr old Goaltender Mads Sogaard up to play back up and get him trained in the 2024/25
A New Coach’s would love to see a list Lyle..❓
and who everone thinks could be the New Coach.
I think 2 or maybe 3 of the curret d/men will be gone, like Brännström traded, Hamonic will be the 7th d/man call up from bellville
and one of the LD/men Chabott or Chychrun will get traded at the Draft or before for a top 4 RD/man,
Big physical 22 yr old LD Tyler Kleven should be in the 3rd paring d with RD Bernard-Docker
up front Claude Giroux needs help with all the Sen’s young kids a older 2nd or 3rd line forward maybe X team mate 29 yr old Scott Laughton..?👌
Sen’s look like they will pick #6,th 7th, or 8th in the NHL draft they should get a really good player
not sure if they go for a offencive RD to pair up with Sanderson
Or A Scoring Winger like Eiseman, Helenius Or
Ignla …🤔
Ottawa needs a change in culture and possibly a trade of one of their treasured assets! Batherson could be part of a trade that brings in the goalie they need! I thought a veteran like Giroux might help the cause! But in all honesty what has he accomplished in the game? Does Fla. regret trading Tippett for him ?
Staios, with expiring buyouts/cap withhold, expiring UFAs who won’t be back, and an increase of $4.5 mil in the cap, will have just over $21 mil to help shore up the roster.
There could also be a trade or two coming – but I seriously doubt it will be that of THE bargain contract they currently have in Batherson – $4,975,000 per for 3 more years for a winger with 27g 33a 60 pts.
One thing he needs to improve upon is his defensive game (and he’s not alone there), being a career -70!
Spot on re: Batherson George. When he is on he is dynamic, when he is not he seems to be standing still watching the game. I noticed when Martin took over the team that he was coaching Batherson on the bench during games and it was paying off. I am going to date myself but he reminds of Frank Mahovlich .