Prior to the offseason officially getting underway with the draft and free agency, the Ottawa Senators made a pair of signings out of Europe that many seem to be forgetting. Jiri Smejkal and Nikolas Matinpalo signed one-year entry-level contracts with the club and will push for a roster spot in training camp.
After the departure of Alex DeBrincat, there is a bit more clarity on what the roster may look like on opening night, but there are still questions to be answered. Dominik Kubalik, the roster asset brought back in the DeBrincat deal, is likely to fill in on the second line in replacement of DeBrincat, so it doesn’t help one of Ottawa’s biggest issues that needed to be solved this offseason, which is the bottom-six and the addition of depth scoring.
With all of the mock lineups floating around the internet, there only seem to be two players you can lock into the bottom-six. Shane Pinto, who at this time is still unsigned, and Mark Kastelic.
Kastelic played in the NHL all season outside of a seven-game stint in the American Hockey League (AHL) after the All-Star break. He is now on a one-way contract and will require waivers to be sent to the AHL again, meaning he is likely to stay as the fourth-line center for this season.
That is the bottom-six center positions accounted for, now the left and right-wing’s. Ridly Greig is the team’s top prospect and has a good chance at making the team, but the Senators may also start him in the AHL to develop some strength at the faster-paced level, as he only has 59 pro games played. Mathieu Joseph, who struggled last year, makes too much money to be sitting in the press box, and while many hope for a bounce-back season, the Senators may still look to move him for some cap relief.
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Zack MacEwen was recently signed to a three-year deal and could play in place of Austin Watson on the fourth line, while Parker Kelly will also be battling for a fourth-line role. That is Pinto, Kastelic, Greig, Joseph, MacEwen and Kelly as the six at the bottom of the forward group, but don’t count out some youngsters trying to make the jump too.
Angus Crookshank, Roby Jarventie and Egor Sokolov are all on the verge of jumping to the NHL level and playing for Ottawa. Sokolov, the only one with any NHL experience, remains without a contract, but the trio will be fighting in training camp to take a spot from somebody listed above. There is one more name to keep a close eye on for a bottom-six role.
Smejkal Could Surprise Everybody
Smejkal was signed out of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), one of Europe’s top leagues, and nobody really knows what to expect of him on a North American ice surface as he hasn’t played here since his time in Junior with the Kamloops Blazers and Moose Jaw Warriors. He is a big winger, listed at 6-foot-3 and 222 pounds, and has enough skill to keep up with the top players in the SHL.
Recording 23 goals and 43 points in 49 games, Smejkal finished third on his team in scoring. The 26-year-old has a lot to prove to make the NHL team but could be a huge wildcard in adding some much-needed depth scoring to this club.
Head coach Martin Filander of IK Oskarshamn, where Smejkal spent last season in the SHL, joined The Senstennial Podcast to chat about one of his top players and how he may fair out with the Senators.
Filander talked about Smejkal’s size and how effective he is in using it, stating, “he had a direct impact offensively. He could make something happen and score or create stuff just on his own with his brute force”…really good around the net and around the boards” and added that he is a very good player around the perimeter and in front of the net. He mentions Smejkal’s skating and says that he doesn’t have to smoothest strides but is fast for a big player.
When asked about where Smejkal could make an impact for the Senators, Filander states that “he needs to start in the bottom-six…he could be a supporting guy to two more skilled guys too, I mean, he’s that smart of a player.”
Hearing this kind of praise from a former coach is good news. Commenting on Smejkal’s IQ as a player with the size that he has is telling. Smejkal could come in and play a skilled, physical game, which is exactly what Senators head coach DJ Smith likes to have his team playing. Don’t count him out on making a push to challenge for a spot on the Senators.
Matinpalo May Add Depth to the Right Side of Defense
Right-handed defensemen are always tough to acquire, and when you have the chance, they seem to always cost more than their left-side counterpart. The last time the Senators signed a defenseman out of a European league was Artem Zub, and that has turned out very well for the team, and he has become a fan favorite.
Not every signing will end up that well, but signing Matinpalo is worth taking a chance on.
Matinpalo comes from the top Finnish league, the Liiga, and played a big role for Ässät. He is 6-foot-3, like Smajkal, but comes in just a bit lighter at 207 pounds. A big knock against the Senators’ defense is size and physicality, but Matinpalo could change some of that if he makes the team.
The Senators’ top four is already set, but there are questions to be had about the bottom pair. Erik Brannstrom has a fresh $2 million contract for this year, so he is likely a piece of that, but they have Jacob Bernard-Docker and Travis Hamonic battling it out for the right side. It is not impossible to pass those two on the depth chart with a strong camp, but both are worthy of an NHL spot.
Matinpalo has been playing in the Liiga since 18 years old, and with him only being 24 years old now, that is an impressive amount of hockey played in the top league for his nation. It is hard to track down any formal scouting reports on Matinpalo, but following the signing, he was given a shot on the Finnish roster for the World Hockey Championship. He wasn’t given much ice time, ranking seventh among Finnish defenders, but the most interesting stat was that he had the hardest recorded shot during the tournament at 164.6 kilometres per hour (102.3 miles per hour).
Both Matinpalo and Smejkal will be interesting names to watch during training camp. Both have an opportunity to challenge for a spot, while Smajkal’s may be a better one, but adding this kind of depth can be forgotten quickly amidst the draft and free agency.
