Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion announced Wednesday that the team signed Tim Stützle to an eight-year extension worth $8.35 million annually.

In just his second season in the NHL in 2021-22, Stützle had 22 goals and 36 assists in 79 games.

"Reaching a long-term agreement with Tim represents another significant step forward for this organization," Dorian said. "Tim is a dynamic offensive player who utilizes an exceptional blend of speed and skill to be a consistent difference-maker. He's electrifying and has quickly become a fan favorite for good reason."

After the Senators finished next to last in the Atlantic Division last year, the GM has been aggressive in making sure Ottawa not only makes the playoffs in 2022-23 but also is set up for the long term.

The team acquired Alex DeBrincat, who turns just 24 in December, from the Chicago Blackhawks and added more veteran experience by trading for Cam Talbot and signing Claude Giroux.

The deal for Stützle also follows fellow forwards Brady Tkachuk (seven years, $57.5 million), Josh Norris (eight years, $63.6 million) and Drake Batherson (six years, $29.9 million) getting long-term deals within roughly the last calendar year. Defenseman Thomas Chabot is tied down with an eight-year, $64 million contract as well.

The Senators are already seeing Dorion's aggressive approach pay some dividends.

"I can tell you that the season-ticket membership is the highest it's been in years," team president Anthony LeBlanc told Sportsnet's Wayne Scanlan. "We've seen a significant, significant increase—and it all started, really, around the time when Pierre started making some trades."

LeBlanc said Wednesday season-ticket sales have climbed 60 percent.

The Senators still need to see all of their young talent make a breakthrough together, but it's impossible not to get excited about the future of the franchise.

Former Florida Panthers center Claude Giroux and the Ottawa Senators have agreed to a three-year, $19.5 million contract.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic initially reported the news.

Giroux had played 1,000 games and spent the first 15 seasons of his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers before being traded to the Panthers on March 19. Florida sent winger Owen Tippett, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 first-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for Giroux.

A seven-time All-Star, Giroux has shown no signs of slowing down. Between his time with the Flyers and Panthers, he totaled 65 points in the 2021-22 season with 21 goals and 44 assists. Florida greatly benefitted from his presence on the ice, going 16-4-0 after acquiring him.

The Panthers finished with the best record in the league last season at 58-18-6. Florida was swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Giroux ranked second on the team with eight points (3 G, 5 A) in the postseason.

Giroux is one of the best players of his generation. He led the league with 68 assists in 2018 and his 102 points were second only to Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid. In 1,018 games, he's recorded 294 goals and 629 assists for a total of 923 points. He's also well-respected, having spent his last 10 seasons with the Flyers as team captain.

The Senators missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season after finishing 33-42-7. Adding Giroux gives Ottawa a proven scorer who provides a veteran presence to a team looking to make a postseason run next year.

The Ottawa Senators announced Monday that they traded goaltender Matt Murray, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Senators receive future considerations in return and retain 25 percent of Murray's outstanding salary. The 28-year-old is due to earn $6.3 million annually over the next two seasons.

It appears getting off Murray's contract—or at least the bulk of it—was the primary concern for Ottawa.

This brings an end to his dreadful two-year spell in Ottawa. He had a .899 save percentage and a 3.23 goals-against average in 47 games.

Murray also disclosed in May he suffered a concussion midway through the 2021-22 season. His last appearance was an 8-5 defeat to the Arizona Coyotes on March 5. Going forward, that raises obvious concerns considering he had multiple concussions during his Pittsburgh Penguins run.

Despite the fact that they're getting Murray at a slight discount and collecting two draft picks for their trouble, the downside risk of this swap for the Maple Leafs might not be worth it.

Fans are likely to be frustrated if this is the succession plan for Jack Campbell, too. Campbell, who boasted a .914 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average this year, is an unrestricted free agent.

Maybe the 30-year-old is paid handsomely elsewhere, but plenty will argue re-signing him instead of acquiring Murray was the more sensible route.

Per TSN's Pierre LeBrun, Toronto's search for a goaltender won't stop with Murray. The Leafs "will look at what's out there."

Perhaps general manager Kyle Dubas has something up his sleeve that will put Monday's transaction into a different context. For now, the Dubas will have to work overtime to win over the skeptics.

Heading into Wednesday's start to NHL free agency, one of the biggest unanswered questions revolves around the Toronto Maple Leafs and whether or not they will re-sign All-Star goalie Jack Campbell.

If Campbell isn't re-signed, he will become one of the most notable names on the unrestricted free agent market. As of Saturday, Campbell and general manager Kyle Dubas were still discussing a new deal but had not reached an agreement, according to TSN's Darren Dreger:

There are several moving pieces involved in Toronto's negotiations with Campbell, one of them being the fact that the Leafs have some cap flexibility and trade options on the table.

"The Leafs got rid of Petr Mrazek’s contract and increased their flexibility under the cap. Teams with an available goalie were all reaching out in the immediate aftermath to gauge the Leafs' interest," The Athletic's Jonas Siegel wrote.

Campbell isn't the only goalie option the Leafs can consider this offseason. And, in many ways, moving on from him and exploring other avenues actually makes a lot of sense.

Coming off a strong statistical season (a 31-9-6 record and .914 save percentage), Campbell is eying a substantial pay raise from his $1.65 million 2021-22 salary. He should also be looking for a long-term commitment, possibly something in the four-to-five-year range.

The length of Campbell's next contract could be a sticking point for Dubas.

Toronto has made the playoffs in six straight campaigns but has not gotten past the first round. The Maple Leafs are not exactly in win-now mode and could be staring down a rebuild in the not-too-distant future.

Committing to Campbell on a long-term deal would limit Toronto's options for multiple future offseasons. That wouldn't be an issue if Campbell was a proven perennial All-Star, but he is not.

The 30-year-old has only emerged as a reliable starter over the last two years—69 of his 135 career starts came over the past two seasons—and as Colton Pankiw of The Hockey Writers recently pointed out, Campbell wasn't as reliable this year as raw numbers might suggest:

"Post-All-Star break, Campbell battled injury but also struggled immensely when healthy, recording an ugly 3.28 GAA [goals against average] along with a .894 SV% in 17 games. On top of that, he wasn’t particularly strong in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning, with a 3.15 GAA and a .897 SV%. So, the question is, which goaltender is the real Campbell? Is it the guy who looked like a Vezina candidate early on in the 2021-22 season, or one, who over the second half, looked like a journeyman NHLer at best?"

The reality is that Toronto doesn't know exactly where Campbell's floor rests, which makes a long-term deal risky—again, if the Leafs were ready to push for the Stanley Cup right now, the risk would be easier to swallow.

This is why Dubas has at least considered alternatives, like trading for Ottawa Senators goalie Matt Murray:

On its surface, trading for Murray instead of retaining Campbell might not make a ton of sense. Murray was limited to 20 games this past season and is set to carry a cap hit of $6.25 million in each of the next two.

This is assuming, though, that Ottawa cannot be convinced to take on some of Murray's salary in retention. If that's the case, Murray is unlikely to cost more on a per-year basis than Campbell does on his next deal.

Murray is also two years younger than Campbell, has more starting experience (246 starts vs. 125) and has only two years remaining on his contract. This means Toronto would have the ability to his future sooner than it would Campbell's.

With coach Sheldon Keefe potentially entering a make-or-break season, this is an important factor to consider. Toronto simply can't know what its roster or front office will look like several years down the road. How would a 32- or 33-year-old Campbell fit with the Leafs? That's a total unknown.

Of course, the biggest reason why the Maple Leafs have to consider moving on from Campbell is the fact that they're not sold on his long-term upside. They like him, but according to Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, the Leafs don't love Campbell as a long-term option.

"The Leafs and most of their supporters loved Campbell the person, but the club isn’t 100% sold on committing to the longer term he seeks. At 30, he’s two years older than Murray and can be high maintenance when in ultra-competitive overdrive, blaming himself for team failures. He has also lost two straight Game 7s in the opening round."

If the Leafs are going to commit to Campbell for multiple years and millions of dollars, they have to be 100 percent sold on both his floor and his ceiling. They reportedly are not, and they're not backed into a corner when it comes to addressing the goalie position either—this is not a Campbell-or-bust situation.

The Leafs have a lot to consider when it comes to Campbell's future, and it goes beyond what he may provide over the next season or two.

Toronto has other options, and they're worth exploring as free agency approaches. The last thing the Maple Leafs should want to do is end up stuck with a player in whom they don't fully believe on a deal they cannot get out of.

Ahead of the 2022 NHL draft on Thursday night, the Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators shook things up in the top 10.

The Senators announced they have acquired forward Alex DeBrincat from the Blackhawks in exchange for three draft selections, including picks No. 7 and 39 in the 2022 draft.

The Blackhawks tried to toe the line between being a playoff contender and rebuilding their roster going into the 2021-22 season. Things didn't go well, as they finished seventh in the Central Division with 68 points and missed the playoffs for the fourth time in the past five years.

It was going to be difficult for Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson to go all-in on a rebuild without making a drastic move. The team didn't have any major contracts come off their books prior to the start of free agency to clear significant cap space.

Patrick Kane told reporters in April he was hopeful for a quick turnaround going into 2022-23.

"You can win and still be in a rebuild," Kane said. "I think there are teams that have accelerated that too, right? You look at L.A., they had some young guys that probably came in and maybe exceeded some of maybe their front-office expectations and all of a sudden, they're in a spot where they can sign guys like [forward Phillip] Danault and trade for [forward Viktor] Arvidsson, and they're a better team."

Rather than add more money to the payroll with the hopes of getting back to contention, though, it seems Davidson and his staff are emphasizing a long-term approach this offseason.

DeBrincat is an odd player for a rebuilding franchise to trade. He's only 24 years old, just set a career-high with 78 points last season and is under contract for $6.4 million next season before hitting restricted free agency.

Trading DeBrincat does move the Blackhawks back into the first round of Thursday's draft. They dealt their top pick in the 2022 draft last year in a package to acquire Seth Jones from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Jones was given an eight-year, $76 million extension by Chicago after the trade. The pick traded by the Blackhawks wound up being at No. 6 overall. They will be able to get a high-end prospect with the pick they are receiving from the Senators.

Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters prior to the start of the 2021-22 season that his team's rebuild "is done" and they were "stepping into another zone."

Instead, the Senators limped their way to a 33-42-7 record and seventh-place finish in the Atlantic Division. They finished in the bottom 10 in the NHL in goals scored (227) and goals allowed (266).

Adding a young, talented player like DeBrincat to the mix should greatly improve Ottawa's scoring output as the franchise looks to end its six-year playoff drought.

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk died Monday from an unspecified illness, the franchise announced. He was 62. 

"It is with great sadness that the family of Eugene Melnyk and the Ottawa Senators hockey organization announce his passing on March 28, 2022, after an illness he faced with determination and courage," the team said in a statement. 

Melnyk purchased the Senators in August 2003, and the team achieved some success under his ownership, including an appearance in the 2007 Stanley Cup Final. He also served as the governor and chairman of the Senators and was the owner of the team's AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement on Monday:

“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk. The words ‘passion’ and ‘commitment’ define the man who has owned the Ottawa Senators since 2003. Whether it was in the boardroom with his fellow governors, at the rink with his beloved Senators or in the community with his philanthropy, he cared deeply about the game, about his team and about bettering the lives of those in need, particularly underserved children, organ donation and, most recently, with his commitment to his parents’ home country of Ukraine.

“While successful in business, it was our game and his Senators that he was most passionate about. Eugene was often outspoken but he maintained an unwavering commitment to the game and his roots and he loved nothing more than donning a Senators sweater and cheering on his beloved team.

“On behalf of the entire National Hockey League, I extend my deepest sympathies to Eugene’s daughters, Anna and Olivia, his extended family, and all those who benefited from his generosity.”

In addition, one of Ottawa's best players, Brady Tkachuk, mourned the death of Melnyk in a tweet on Monday. 

The Senators have not found much success over the last several years, last making the playoffs during the 2016-17 campaign. Despite a lack of success on the ice and financially, Melnyk was unwilling to sell the franchise and said in 2017 that he was open to relocation if the team's situation worsened. 

The NHL has postponed three more games this week because of COVID-19, the league announced Sunday. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators are the teams impacted.

The NHL and NHL Players Association also agreed to the reintroduction of taxi squads in order to provide teams with players who can be recalled to avoid having games postponed in the future. 

Each team will be allowed to have a taxi squad of up to six players. In addition, teams are allowed to make emergency recalls from the minors if COVID-19 were to prevent them from playing with a full lineup. 

Taxi squads will be in effect until at least the All-Star break in February. Players on the taxi squad will count as being in the for the salary cap and can be there for a minimum of 20 days. 

The NHL also had taxi squads during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season. 

Several players have entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols since returning from the holiday break, including Bruins forward Charlie Coyle, Maple Leafs forward Williams Nylander and Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues. 

The NHL began its holiday break earlier than expected this year because of a rise in positive COVID-19 cases across the league. Every team was shut down beginning Dec. 22, though most were on pause before that point. 

Several teams are set to return to action on Tuesday, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes and San Jose Sharks.

Because of postponements across the league and rise in COVID-19 cases, the NHL and NHLPA also recently decided that players would not attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing. The league needs the two-week break in the February schedule to make up more than 50 postponed games.  

The Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will limit home games to a 50 percent crowd capacity amid Ontario's new rules to combat the COVID-19 surge, per Sportsnet.

"This measure is being taken to reduce opportunities for close contact in high-risk indoor settings with large crowds and when masks are not always worn," the province wrote in a press release.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford offered more explanation for the decision in a press conference.

"Let's be very clear, you've got to target the largest venues," Ford said.

He also added: "Sports games, large concerts—people aren't masking as much as (organizers) implore them to mask. They all aren't masking. You're sitting side by side for hours. Compared to a restaurant, that's comparing apples and bananas as far as I'm concerned, not even apples and oranges."

The province unveiled the new rules Wednesday, and they will go into effect Saturday. They are in effect for all indoor venues that can hold 1,000 or more people.

COVID-19 cases have steadily been on the rise since Oct. 11, per the World Health Organization Coronavirus Dashboard. The week of Oct. 11 saw 2,822,302 confirmed cases worldwide, while the week of Dec. 6 had 4,253,897 confirmed cases.

The situation in Ontario mirrors the COVID-19 picture worldwide. Per the province's official website, there were 269 new cases on Oct. 26. That number has since jumped to 1,808 reported new cases on Dec. 15.

The Raptors were scheduled to host the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, but that game has been postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the Bulls roster. Therefore, the limited capacity mandate will begin to take effect on Saturday when the Golden State Warriors visit Scotiabank Arena.

Ottawa is out of town until Sunday, when the Sens host the Boston Bruins. The Maple Leafs' next home game is Dec. 23 against the St. Louis Blues.