Tkachuk for Calder?
The last (and only) Ottawa Senator to win the Calder Trophy was Daniel Alfredsson in 1996. Could Brady Tkachuk be next? Through 14 games, he has a phenomenal 16 points and sits second in rookie scoring. The only player ahead of him is Swedish Star Elias Pettersson who has 21 points in 21 games. For the past few weeks it has seemed like the Calder is Pettersson’s to lose, but as Ian Mendes notes though, it’s far from over:
Move over Elias Pettersson. You’ve got company in the Calder Trophy race.
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) November 28, 2018
Say hello to the red-hot Brady Tkachuk - who should now be on everybody’s radar in the race for the league’s top rookie.
My TSN piece on the quiet start for Ottawa’s young star. https://t.co/NPmvymrhdj pic.twitter.com/f3zS0tjdYa
I don’t think Tkachuk will end up winning the award, but he’s kept pace with Pettersson so far. It definitely helps that he has been playing with Mark Stone, but he has still looked extremely well in individual aspects. Pettersson is almost certainly the better player moving forward, but don’t count out Brady just yet. Oh and 3rd place in rookie scoring? Colin White with 16 points in 24 games.
Take a look at Valentin Zykov
Every year there are going to be several players that go on waivers who fans think the Senators should claim. Zykov is one of those players, as the Hurricanes waived him today:
Scott Darling and Valentin Zykov have been placed on waivers by the #hurricanes.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 29, 2018
The 23-year-old only has 25 career games in the NHL, but even in that sample, he has produced well enough with 11 points. His AHL career makes him intriguing though, as he led the league with 33 goals in 63 games last year. His 2016-17 season wasn’t quite as good with 16 goals and 34 points in 66 games, but his more recent results are intriguing. It’s unlikely that the Senators would claim any player, let alone a Russian, but I think it would be a smart and worthwhile risk to see what he can do. Remember another sniper who was waived at this age? Mike Hoffman. I bet teams wish they had taken a chance on him for free.
Looking for a better fate vs. the Rangers
Ottawa has an extremely busy week with four games in six days, and tonight they face the same opponent from Monday: the New York Rangers. On Monday at MSG they lost 4-2 despite Mark Stone’s best efforts, and they’re hoping for tonight’s home game to be a different result. Craig Anderson will be back in the net after getting a must-needed game off on Tuesday, and Mark Borowiecki is not healthy enough to play, while Max McCormick will be a healthy scratch.
The Rangers have surprisingly been a playoff team so far with a 13-10-2 record, although I wouldn’t expect that to last long. Their offense took a hit after Monday’s game, as Vladislav Namestnikov was ruled out with a concussion after this hit from Thomas Chabot:
Btw – Namestnikov is in the concussion protocol after this hit from Chabot late in the third period Monday pic.twitter.com/SEnneHMpZR
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) November 28, 2018
The Senators are looking for just their third winning streak of the season tonight.
Karlsson returns on Saturday
Ottawa still has one game to go before Erik Karlsson comes home for the first time, but it’s hard not to think about it already. Karlsson was asked about his return but didn’t want to say very much just yet:
Erik Karlsson walked away from reporters when his return to Ottawa was brought up.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) November 29, 2018
I wouldn’t read too much into that, as I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more from him when he is at the CTC. It will be an incredibly emotional day for everyone, and you can bet that he will get a long standing ovation from the home crowd. It would also be a crime if the fans at the game don’t get a “Melnyk Out… chant going during the game, because that would be the perfect game to do it. Plus it would send a message to Karlsson that the fans are on his side. Along with that chant, I’d love to see a positive chant geared towards Karlsson, like something as simple as “E-K… at 6:50 left in each period. I’m sure he will be happy to be back in the city for the day, and he will receive all the love in the world from fans who never wanted to see him go.
I think the best case scenario would be to see him score his first career hat-trick, but also lose to the Senators. He probably feels like he has something to prove to the organization, and I’d love it if he sticks it to Melnyk with an amazing game. I don’t think it’ll ever feel normal that he plays with a teal jersey and not a red one.
Must-watch content
I don’t really have much to say here, but this is a must-watch video from Twitter friend Capital Gains to brighten up your day. Phenomenal work as always:
When the Sens win pic.twitter.com/4uTB7bSolP
— Capital Gains (@Capital_Gains65) November 28, 2018
Puck drop for the Senators vs. Rangers tonight is at 7:30 EST.