Latest news with #Senators'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Towering Utah Defenceman Would Be Ideal Senators Trade Target
Injuries to Artem Zub and Nick Jensen highlighted the Ottawa Senators' need for greater quality of depth on the right side throughout the 2024-25 season. Their absences created opportunity, and to his credit, Nik Matinpalo parlayed his emergence as a credible depth option into a two-year, one-way extension carrying an average annual value of $875,000. Despite the 26-year-old Finn's arrival, the reluctance of the coaching staff to move Matinpalo off the third pairing when faced with injuries underscores the necessity of finding better quality of depth. It is essential with the uncertainty of Jensen's recovery and timetable from his undisclosed lower-body injury and the impact it may have on his offseason. Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more. General manager Steve Staios discussed Jensen's injury at his end-of-the-season media availability before acknowledging that it could influence his decision to address the right defence position this offseason. "I can tell you that just about every one of our players was dealing with something when you play as hard as they did," the general manager stated. "The commitment they've shown, they played through a lot, including Nick. He's an absolute warrior to continue to perform at a level with what he was dealing with. "It's the character of the individual Nick, but all of them. I'm not going to come out with any list and speak specifically to injuries. But, he will get re-evaluated, and if it is something significant, that's definitely an area to to look at. We have some players coming up, but that'll be an area to look at for sure." Should the Senators' front office look to add another quality defenceman, the free agent options will be limited. The Florida Panthers' Aaron Ekblad headlines the class, but the relatively weak crop of free agents means his combination of age (29) and championship pedigree will make him highly sought after. The demand for him will drive his cost, likely pricing him out of the Senators' range, assuming he would be interested in coming to this market in the first place. Another unrestricted free agent who will likely command some decent money coming off a strong season in Columbus is Dante Fabbro. The 26-year-old rearguard had his best season in the NHL, recording nine goals and 26 points in 62 games for the Blue Jackets. As one of the youngest players on the free agent market, that consideration alone will afford Fabbro a real opportunity to earn a significant raise on this season's $2.5 million salary. Regarding the Senators, I do not see a fit for Fabbro. Most of his value is tied to his puck-moving and offensive abilities, and with the presence of Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Nick Jensen, the Senators already have several of these types. Adding size, physicality, and defensive aptitude to their top four should be the preferred route. A free agent like Nick Perbix could make more sense, but the risk is that he predominantly played a third-pairing role on an excellent Lightning team. HockeyViz's data show that his minor isolated impacts suggest he's closer to a league-average player than not, so the risk is overpaying for a defenceman who could be worse playing an elevated role on a weaker team. The rest of the unrestricted free agent options are underwhelming, which will pressure the Senators to make a trade and fill that void. Local talent Mackenzie Weegar would be a pipe dream if the Senators could pry him out of Calgary, but a Flames defenceman they should avoid is Rasmus Andersson. The 28-year-old Swede will enter the 2025-26 season in the final year of his six-year contract, carrying a $4.55 million cap hit. Calgary is known for its 'Sea of Red', but a close inspection of Andersson's underlying metrics reveals its own sea of red. Andersson played with a broken fibula down the stretch last season, which would have explained his horrendous metrics, but Andersson's defensive metrics have cratered in recent seasons. Evolving-Hockey's 'total defence' metric (DEF) combines all of a player's defensive contributions at five-on-five and shorthanded into a single value. This proprietary metric shows that Andersson has not created positive defensive value since the 2021-22 season. His performance while playing hurt could help the Senators buy low, but if Andersson's defensive metrics continue to suffer, it would put the team in a difficult position. The Senators already have one of the thinnest farm systems in the league, so they can ill afford to trade prospect capital or valuable draft currency for a player who will not address a need. If the Senators are going to move that capital, they would be better suited moving picks for more predictable veterans like Connor Murphy or Andrew Peeke. Alternatively, they could target younger options who could grow with this core, like Simon Nemec or a Jordan Spence (who, admittedly, is a smaller puck-moving type who relies on skating and his stick to defend well). While researching prospective defencemen to target, one of the things that struck me was how many organizations are willing to use defencemen on their off-side. One solution for the Senators could be to use Tyler Kleven in this capacity, freeing them from using resources to bring in a top-four defenceman. Kleven has experience playing his off-side from his time at the University of North Dakota. The maturation and growth that he displayed down the stretch and into the postseason was remarkable. He was already one of the team's best defenders, but watching his poise and play with the puck improve markedly leaves me wondering whether or not he could thrive in this role if given the opportunity. The Senators could elevate Kleven and sign an excellent defender like Jon Merrill, giving the Senators three strong pairings. If the Senators elect to acquire a right-shot defenceman, however, there is an option that they should consider pursuing. Why 2024-25 Was The Best Season Yet For Senators Centre Tim Stützle Ottawa Senators centre Tim Stützle just enjoyed the best season of his NHL career. If you are a regular viewer of the 'Coming in Hot Podcast' and saw yesterday's episode, you will have seen me mention the name of Michael Kesselring. The 25-year-old right-shot defenceman stands at 6'5" and 216 lbs. He registered seven goals and 29 points in 82 games while averaging 17:41 of ice time per game. Kesselring finished tied for 32nd amongst NHL defencemen in blocked shots with 124 while tying for 69th in hits with 87. His most iconic NHL moment occurred during a tilt in which the Maple Leafs' Simon Benoit attempted a Superman punch, but Kesselring possesses a nice mix of traditional hockey stats and analytics. Although he played almost exclusively with noted analytics darling and legendary Senators defenceman Ian Cole, Kesselring's defensive numbers were strong. When Kesselring was on the ice at five-on-five, Utah generated 53.91 percent of shots (CF%), 53.79 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 56.47 percent of the goals (GF%), and 54.05 percent of the expected goals (xGF%) per NaturalStatTrick. According to HockeyViz's data, Utah was a stronger defensive team with Kesselring on the ice than off it. Evolving-Hockey's data substantiate Kesselring's defensive gains. According to their DEF metric, Kesselring posted his first positive season of defensive value, accumulating the second-highest DEF among Utah's regular defencemen behind Olli Maata. Advanced Hockey Stats also recognized his defensive improvements. Kesselring is entering the last year of his two-year contract, worth a real and average annual value of $1.4 million. He has one year left of restricted free agent status before he can become an unrestricted free agent, meaning, he should have some negotiating leverage on his next deal. It may also represent the last opportunity to acquire Kesselring before his value and price tag go up significantly. If the belief is that his offensive value can be preserved while his defensive aptitude continues to trend up, he could be an interesting target for consideration. Given the alternatives, it may not be a bad bet. Graeme NicholsThe Hockey News Ottawa Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more.
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Could the Senators tender an offer sheet this summer? Mailbag, part 2
We are back with more of your questions from the Senators mailbag. If you missed the first batch of responses, here's part one from Monday morning. This one has insights on the Senators' offer-sheet situation, potential selections for the Sens at No. 21 in next month's draft and what it's like covering the Senators compared to previous beats. (Note: Questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.) Advertisement St. Louis showed how to properly do an offer sheet. You can make your team better by making another team worse off; that's a win. So, can you look at some offer sheet options for the Sens? I kind of like Matthew Knies. Great player, and Toronto has to think about Marner, Tavares and some other players. Why not offer-sheet him? Who else? — Norm M. I'd keep my expectations low on a potential offer sheet, Norm. The Senators are likely to keep their 2025 first-round pick, meaning they'll have to give up the 2026 first-round pick as a penalty for the Evgenii Dadonov trade mishap. The Senators also don't own their 2026 second-round pick (unless they swing a deal with Utah to get it back). So they're ineligible to make an offer sheet beyond the lowest two compensation thresholds as shown below. But while offer-sheeting players like Matthew Knies or J.J. Peterka seems pretty unlikely, it doesn't mean there aren't restricted free agents worth looking at. Remember, the Blues took advantage of the Oilers being pressed against the salary cap limit last summer and managed to get two RFAs. Dylan Holloway, who scored 63 points last year, only cost a third-round pick with a $2,290,457 cap hit through 2026. Defenceman Philip Broberg, their other capture, cost a second-round pick. If the Senators want to replicate this, they must look at competitive teams that won't have much room to maneuver despite the rising salary cap. The Dallas Stars are a prime example. They are projected to have under $6 million of cap space this summer, according to PuckPedia, with a handful of pending UFAs on their docket, including Jamie Benn, Mikael Granlund, Matt Duchene and, ironically, Dadonov. If I'm the Senators, I consider tendering an offer sheet to right-shot forward Mavrik Bourque, who's coming off an 11-goal, 25-point season. He plays with pace and can be a playmaker, and could benefit from increased responsibilities on a different team. Advertisement The Buffalo Sabres, on the other hand, will have over $21 million in cap space this summer to sign pending RFAs, including forwards J.J. Peterka, Ryan McLeod, and Jack Quinn, plus defencemen Bowen Byram and Jacob Bernard-Docker. My Buffalo colleague Matt Fairburn did an excellent job breaking down the Sabres' RFA situation earlier this month. Depending on how much the Sabres will dole out to their players (particularly Peterka and Byram), the Sens should monitor the situation. Quinn is due for a raise after a 15-goal, 39-point season, for example. The New York Rangers will have slightly over $8.4 million in cap space this summer and most of their attention will go towards defenceman K'Andre Miller. But what about forward Will Cuylle, a 23-year-old scoring winger who hit the 20-goal mark for the first time this season? He might be a bit out of Ottawa's price range, however. He's projected for a three-year, $3,438,000 AAV bridge deal according to AFP Analytics. If the Sens want to involve themselves in the projected offer-sheet rat race to come, the Blues' model is one to follow. But their options may be limited depending on how other teams handle their own free agents, and how other free-spending teams pounce on the available names out there. One more thing: the team offers the contract, but the player decides if he wants to sign or not. So, provided they're keeping their 21st overall this draft, who's their likely pick? Who might slide that far? What are the odds they trade down/out of the first round? Basically, your idea of their first round and possible candidates. — Andrey I. The Senators are currently going through their scouting meetings, so they're actively considering their possibilities as you read this. I'll work at getting a better sense of what the Senators might want soon. If I'm in the room, I'm pounding the table and consistently chanting, 'Best. Player. Available.' Advertisement The Senators' draft pipeline is still among the league's worst, according to colleague Scott Wheeler's annual rankings. Considering the Senators are still at risk of not having a first-round pick in 2026 — and have ambitions of that 2026 pick being lower than their 2025 first — this pick has to hit. I'm not particularly choosy about who the Sens should take at 21st overall as long as their talent is sufficient enough to vault them to the top of Ottawa's prospect pipeline. The Sens could use some more centres in their pipeline, but it's quite alright if their top two prospects end up being two right-shot defencemen (Carter Yakemchuk and someone else). Ottawa needs to accumulate good young players when they can get them, at a point where their contention window is forming and they don't aspire to be picking in the top half of the draft for the foreseeable future. If the best player available is the high-scoring, playmaking Ben Kindel out of the Calgary Hitmen, so be it. A two-way, right-shot centre who can generate points should be right up the Sens' alley. When Wheeler did his mock draft after the lottery, he projected the Senators would take the bigger Jack Nesbitt, who could also fit the bill, with Kindel going one spot later. Corey Pronman's mock draft has the Sens taking right-shot defenceman Blake Fiddler out of the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings. Among other prospects who could be available at No. 21: forwards Malcolm Spence, Milton Gastrin, Lynden Lakovic and Justin Carbonneau and defencemen Henry Brzustewicz and Logan Hensler. If I'm the Senators, unless I'm getting a trade offer that nets me a quality player in return, I'm choosing a surefire first-round talent. How can we realistically afford adding a third star forward to Brady and Stu? — Matt R. If GM Steve Staios is serious about adding a star for the Senators, I think it would have to come via trade. The biggest star likely to test free agency this summer, Mitch Marner, might not want to join forces with his current team's rival. The Senators will have over $17 million in cap space this summer, but they need to tender contracts to restricted free agents Fabian Zetterlund and Tyler Kleven and handle the UFA dossiers of Claude Giroux, Adam Gaudette and others. Advertisement And even through trade, potential pieces are somewhat limited. The Sens have their 2025 first-round pick and Yakemchuk among their biggest pieces. In Monday's mailbag, I debated the merit of trading scoring winger Drake Batherson, who has a team-friendly deal. But unless the Sens get scoring or some other kind of star player in return, it doesn't make much sense — but it's not impossible. So, yeah, Staios would have to be creative this summer if that's what he wants, but it's not like he is averse to making trades. He landed Zetterlund and Dylan Cozens at the deadline this season and acquired Linus Ullmark last summer. Julian, anything unique about covering the Sens as a reporter? What's it like in the room at these press conferences? Where do you get to watch the home games from? What is the quickest and slowest you've ever left the parking lot after the game? Or are you taking the 404? — James S. Ottawa is the third NHL team I've been around since I started writing about the Canadiens back in 2018 for a ton of places before joining The Athletic in 2021. Every media corps is unique, but Ottawa has tons of great quirks. It features voices I've grown up watching or listening to, whether it be Brent Wallace or Dean Brown (oh, and that Mendes guy). The francophone media contingent isn't as large as Montreal's, but they're well represented. And because I can speak English and French, I can hang around in their scrums and ask questions as well. I learned French in school growing up, but I only felt comfortable speaking the language when I hung around francophone colleagues in Montreal and Ottawa. And the friends I've made are plenty, including familiar names to The Athletic subscribers in Chris Stevenson and Graeme Nichols. (Small story on Nichols: In 2017, I was a play-by-play guy for McGill University's baseball team that won a championship in New Brunswick. McGill beat Carleton in the final that year, the latter of which featured Nichols as a bench coach.) Anyway, everybody's been pretty friendly and professional across the Sens' mediaverse, whether they be writers, TV people, radio people, podcasters, former players, current players, the coach, PR people or even Bruce Garrioch! This entire experience has been great. At games, I'm seated right below the visiting team's play-by-play booth, so I get commentary right above me as I watch. My favourite seat in the house. I usually leave games pretty late. I love writing off games and media availabilities at the arena, so I rarely get traffic on my way home. Advertisement So yes, Ottawa's been pretty great! But for those rushing to the comment section: No, I won't rank Ottawa, Montreal and Calgary. All three of these cities mean a lot to me for very different reasons and have helped me become the person I am today. (Top photo of Mavrik Bourque: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Vancouver Sun
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Senators' playoff series was defenceman Tyler Kleven's proving ground
The Stanley Cup playoffs have consistently served as a proving ground for players who fly under the radar during the National Hockey League regular season. One who couldn't be missed (literally) in this year's first round was Tyler Kleven, the Ottawa Senators' towering defenceman. The Senators' playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs was Kleven's coming-out party, as the University of North Dakota product took the NHL by surprise with his physically imposing play, in a bottom-pairing role with Nikolas Matinpalo no less. When the Senators made Kleven the 44th-overall pick in the 2020 draft, it was a divisive selection. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Senators saw a 6-5 blueliner blessed with size that he used to punish opponents, a hard shot and excellent mobility. They even traded up with the Toronto Maple Leafs to get that 44th pick, exchanging the 59th and 64th overall selections. Meanwhile, critics saw a defenceman lacking skill and puck-moving instinct to succeed at the NHL level. What both sides could agree on was that Kleven was a long-term project. Nearly five years later, as Kleven set up Jake Sanderson's Game 4 overtime winner against the Maple Leafs, it was safe to declare that the Senators' second-round gamble had paid off (and their 2020 draft crop, for that matter). Kleven has become the mean, bruising defenceman they envisioned and more. After three years at North Dakota, a season in the American Hockey League with the Belleville Senators and a handful of NHL games, Kleven earned his spot on Ottawa's blueline to start this past season. From there, there were growing pains, inevitably, as there are for any rookie NHL defenceman, teammate Thomas Chabot said. 'It's tough to play that many games in a year against the best players in the world every night,' Chabot said. 'But the more this season went on, the more you saw (Kleven) getting comfortable.' Senators head coach Travis Green admitted during the playoffs that he gave Kleven some 'tough love' this season, demanding more focus from the young defenceman in team meetings and more accountability on the ice. Kleven was a player that, Green said, he 'probably treated differently' than a longtime stalwart like Chabot as he acclimated to his first full NHL season. 'They give you a leash at times,' Kleven said. 'Sometimes, being a younger player, your leash can be shortened at times. I go out there and try to make the right plays. But at times I don't always make the right play, and (Green) has to get on me for that.' By the time the playoffs came around, Kleven was in his element, though. 'It's almost easier because it's so simple,' Kleven said of post-season hockey. 'In the regular season, there's 82 games. You've gotta maintain your body a little bit, you can't go all out every single game. But in the playoffs it's a little bit shorter and you can express yourself on the ice a little bit more at times.' The hulking 23-year-old expressed himself against Toronto to the tune of 16 hits, eight blocked shots and a bevy of intelligent plays with the puck while averaging 15 minutes 47 seconds of ice time per game as the Senators' No. 5 defender. The highlight of his physical prowess was a massive reverse hit on the Leafs' Steven Lorentz in Game 3. 'For him to bring (consistency) in his first Stanley Cup playoff series, and play the role that he did, I was so impressed,' said Senators centre Shane Pinto, also a former North Dakota teammate. 'I think he was one of our best players.' Kleven also formed a formidable pair with Matinpalo, a natural adjustment considering the chemistry they built in Belleville last season. Although they were sheltered from Toronto's top offensive weapons, they fared well in their minutes. Kleven credited veteran defenceman Travis Hamonic, who was a healthy scratch for the playoffs, for working on small details with him between games, including how to pick up pucks off of rim shots around the boards and timing his hits. 'It's stuff like that that not many people can really teach because they haven't played 900 games in the NHL,' Kleven said. 'It was awesome to have him around.' Hamonic said that, similar to Sanderson's rise to notoriety in the NHL, Kleven is another long-term rearguard for the Senators who can 'impact the game in like four different manners.' Already, Hamonic said, there's a limit to how much wisdom he can impart on a player who has come into the NHL 'dialled in' after a rigorous and detail-oriented college career. 'I don't know what they're doing at the University of North Dakota, pumping out D-men, if someone had a phone line into that program with our team, but Kleven is a heck of a player,' he said. 'You talk about raw talent or scratching the surface, I think that's what you're seeing with him.' Part of that unsurfaced potential, Hamonic said, is in Kleven's offensive game. His booming shot has become well-known among teammates, and there's a reason he scored more goals than assists over his three seasons with North Dakota. There's certainly room to improve upon his 10 points this past season, but against the Leafs Kleven teased yet another layer to his play in displaying poise with the puck, not forcing plays or getting caught sleeping, either. As surprising to see as it was for many, Kleven has always possessed the skill; it was just a matter of unlocking his confidence. It seemingly happened in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and part of that was simply the result of accumulating a critical mass of puck touches throughout the regular season. With nearly a full NHL season to his name, it's easier to slow the game down now. 'I can see how some players play, and I can understand my teammates a little bit more, so my confidence has grown over the course of the season,' Kleven said. 'You can see my different styles come out.' It's something that has caught the eye of Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark, who admitted his early-season struggles were due in part to not knowing his defenders' tendencies. By the end of the season, Kleven became someone Ullmark could trust. In Game 4 against Toronto, Kleven batted the puck out of midair to bail out his goaltender on a Max Pacioretty rebound, helping that game reach overtime. 'He looked a lot more comfortable,' Ullmark said of Kleven's growth in the playoffs. 'He had a lot more poise out there, which I feel, and it's something that I strive to be part of. 'I just wish he would hit as hard as he does more times,' he added, smiling. 'It's so fun seeing it from where I'm standing, seeing how the forwards line up for him to go out there and hit.' The potential to be a blueliner who can skate, hit, score and make poised plays with the puck will surely factor into contract negotiations between the Senators and Kleven this summer, when his entry-level deal expires. After his standout post-season, there's reason to believe the rangy defender has a top-four role in his future. With Nick Jensen's health and future effectiveness in question, as well as Hamonic's possible retirement, the Senators will need other defenders to continue pushing for minutes. A hopeful comparable for Kleven might be the Tampa Bay Lightning's Erik Cernak, a 6-4 giant who has settled in as their No. 3 defenceman. Cernak posted better underlying numbers in his rookie season on a Stanley Cup contender, but his physical makeup and shutdown ability are things Kleven can mirror. Also in his favour is the league-wide trend of locking up key defenders to long-term deals. After his breakout playoff performance, Kleven finds himself in line for a solid raise — not only did he validate the Senators' long-term bet on his development, but he also seemingly reached a turning point in his confidence and potential — setting the stage, as Pinto put it, for what comes next: 'This playoff series was always going to be a big stepping stone for his confidence,' Kleven said. 'I'm excited to see what he's going to do next year.'
Ottawa Citizen
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Senators' playoff series was defenceman Tyler Kleven's proving ground
Article content The Stanley Cup playoffs have consistently served as a proving ground for players who fly under the radar during the National Hockey League regular season. One who couldn't be missed (literally) in this year's first round was Tyler Kleven, the Ottawa Senators' towering defenceman. Article content Article content The Senators' playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs was Kleven's coming-out party, as the University of North Dakota product took the NHL by surprise with his physically imposing play, in a bottom-pairing role with Nikolas Matinpalo no less. Article content Article content When the Senators made Kleven the 44th-overall pick in the 2020 draft, it was a divisive selection. Article content Article content The Senators saw a 6-5 blueliner blessed with size that he used to punish opponents, a hard shot and excellent mobility. They even traded up with the Toronto Maple Leafs to get that 44th pick, exchanging the 59th and 64th overall selections. Article content Meanwhile, critics saw a defenceman lacking skill and puck-moving instinct to succeed at the NHL level. Article content What both sides could agree on was that Kleven was a long-term project. Article content Nearly five years later, as Kleven set up Jake Sanderson's Game 4 overtime winner against the Maple Leafs, it was safe to declare that the Senators' second-round gamble had paid off (and their 2020 draft crop, for that matter). Kleven has become the mean, bruising defenceman they envisioned and more. Article content After three years at North Dakota, a season in the American Hockey League with the Belleville Senators and a handful of NHL games, Kleven earned his spot on Ottawa's blueline to start this past season. From there, there were growing pains, inevitably, as there are for any rookie NHL defenceman, teammate Thomas Chabot said. Article content Article content 'It's tough to play that many games in a year against the best players in the world every night,' Chabot said. 'But the more this season went on, the more you saw (Kleven) getting comfortable.' Article content Senators head coach Travis Green admitted during the playoffs that he gave Kleven some 'tough love' this season, demanding more focus from the young defenceman in team meetings and more accountability on the ice. Kleven was a player that, Green said, he 'probably treated differently' than a longtime stalwart like Chabot as he acclimated to his first full NHL season. Article content 'They give you a leash at times,' Kleven said. 'Sometimes, being a younger player, your leash can be shortened at times. I go out there and try to make the right plays. But at times I don't always make the right play, and (Green) has to get on me for that.' Article content By the time the playoffs came around, Kleven was in his element, though. Article content 'It's almost easier because it's so simple,' Kleven said of post-season hockey. 'In the regular season, there's 82 games. You've gotta maintain your body a little bit, you can't go all out every single game. But in the playoffs it's a little bit shorter and you can express yourself on the ice a little bit more at times.'
Calgary Herald
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Senators' playoff series was defenceman Tyler Kleven's proving ground
The Stanley Cup playoffs have consistently served as a proving ground for players who fly under the radar during the National Hockey League regular season. One who couldn't be missed (literally) in this year's first round was Tyler Kleven, the Ottawa Senators' towering defenceman. Article content Article content The Senators' playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs was Kleven's coming-out party, as the University of North Dakota product took the NHL by surprise with his physically imposing play, in a bottom-pairing role with Nikolas Matinpalo no less. Article content Article content When the Senators made Kleven the 44th-overall pick in the 2020 draft, it was a divisive selection. Article content Article content The Senators saw a 6-5 blueliner blessed with size that he used to punish opponents, a hard shot and excellent mobility. They even traded up with the Toronto Maple Leafs to get that 44th pick, exchanging the 59th and 64th overall selections. Article content Meanwhile, critics saw a defenceman lacking skill and puck-moving instinct to succeed at the NHL level. Article content What both sides could agree on was that Kleven was a long-term project. Nearly five years later, as Kleven set up Jake Sanderson's Game 4 overtime winner against the Maple Leafs, it was safe to declare that the Senators' second-round gamble had paid off (and their 2020 draft crop, for that matter). Kleven has become the mean, bruising defenceman they envisioned and more. Article content After three years at North Dakota, a season in the American Hockey League with the Belleville Senators and a handful of NHL games, Kleven earned his spot on Ottawa's blueline to start this past season. From there, there were growing pains, inevitably, as there are for any rookie NHL defenceman, teammate Thomas Chabot said. Article content Article content 'It's tough to play that many games in a year against the best players in the world every night,' Chabot said. 'But the more this season went on, the more you saw (Kleven) getting comfortable.' Article content Senators head coach Travis Green admitted during the playoffs that he gave Kleven some 'tough love' this season, demanding more focus from the young defenceman in team meetings and more accountability on the ice. Kleven was a player that, Green said, he 'probably treated differently' than a longtime stalwart like Chabot as he acclimated to his first full NHL season. Article content 'They give you a leash at times,' Kleven said. 'Sometimes, being a younger player, your leash can be shortened at times. I go out there and try to make the right plays. But at times I don't always make the right play, and (Green) has to get on me for that.' Article content By the time the playoffs came around, Kleven was in his element, though. Article content 'It's almost easier because it's so simple,' Kleven said of post-season hockey. 'In the regular season, there's 82 games. You've gotta maintain your body a little bit, you can't go all out every single game. But in the playoffs it's a little bit shorter and you can express yourself on the ice a little bit more at times.'
