Latest news with #defenseman
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3 days ago
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Willing To Help: D-Man Tyler Kleven Ready To Take Next Step On Both Ends Of Ice For Ottawa
You might not have noticed, which is odd considering the subject in question is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound defenseman, but Tyler Kleven was all over the place during the Ottawa Senators' too-short-but-still-inspiring 2025 playoff run. His shot-pass from the point was tipped to tie the score in Game 2, his poised breakout led to another tying goal in Game 3, and his sense to jump up into the play and gain the zone led to the Senators' overtime goal in Game 4.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Willing To Help: D-Man Tyler Kleven Ready To Take Next Step On Both Ends Of Ice For Ottawa
You might not have noticed, which is odd considering the subject in question is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound defenseman, but Tyler Kleven was all over the place during the Ottawa Senators' too-short-but-still-inspiring 2025 playoff run. His shot-pass from the point was tipped to tie the score in Game 2, his poised breakout led to another tying goal in Game 3, and his sense to jump up into the play and gain the zone led to the Senators' overtime goal in Game 4. And it should have come as no surprise to anyone who watched Kleven closely during his first full NHL season. The 23-year-old from Fargo, N.D., improved and had more of an impact as the season went on, and it's a trajectory both he and the Senators count on continuing after Kleven signed a two-year deal in June that carries a cap hit of $1.6 million. Considering the fact Kleven played only 53 games in the minors – all of which came in 2023-24 – he hasn't exactly been a slow burn. The Senators have brought him along at a good pace, both at the AHL and NHL levels. But with almost 100 big-league contests and one playoff round now to his credit, Kleven feels at home as a third-pair defenseman with the potential to move up to the second pair down the road. 'I felt like I definitely took some steps this season,' Kleven said. 'In the playoffs, I got to play in different scenarios a little more than I did at the start of the year.' There is a sense Kleven hasn't even come close to reaching his potential as an NHL blueliner yet. As is the case with all young players, he spent most of the season gaining the trust of the coaching staff and making low-risk plays that would not lead to mistakes. But he gained confidence as the season progressed, and that was evident in Game 3 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the Senators trailing 2-1, without a single third-period shot and from a defensive-zone faceoff, Kleven gathered up the puck and tried to move it up ice, but the pass was deflected by Max Domi. Kleven then calmly gathered the puck back up and skated a few strides before making a pass that helped set up Brady Tkachuk's tying goal. "With the caliber of player you're playing against, it's hard to go out and have an ESPN highlight-reel hit every night." - Tyler Kleven Both the Senators and Kleven are confident he has more in his arsenal. He had almost no ice time on special teams in the regular season or the playoffs, and there's certainly an element to his game that lends itself to him being an effective penalty-killer. Even though he registered a respectable 105 hits this season, his college game suggests he's a much more physically robust player. And while he can shoot it a ton, getting the puck on net has been an issue. He registered 78 shots on goal, but he also took another 75 that were blocked. 'With the caliber of player you're playing against, it's hard to go out and have an ESPN highlight-reel hit every night,' Kleven said. 'It just doesn't happen like that. You wait for your moment, and once that moment comes, you take advantage of it. I thought there were times during the season that I showed I was a physical player, and in the playoffs, I was way more physical.' Kleven spent much of the first half of the season playing alongside veteran Travis Hamonic on the third pair, then teamed with Nikolas Matinpalo once the latter was called up just after Christmas. Coincidentally, that was when Kleven's game started to take off. That familiarity helped Kleven, who played much of last season with Matinpalo on the Senators' AHL affiliate in Belleville. With Nick Jensen expected to be out for some of next season after undergoing off-season hip surgery, there might be a chance for Kleven to move up in the lineup, depending on what the Senators do in terms of trades or signings over the summer. One thing working in Kleven's favor is that, even though he shoots left, he's comfortable playing the right side as well. In fact, with the Senators' system, he often ends up there as the play develops. And because he has such a long reach and stick, he's adept at breaking up plays in the defensive zone. 'On the right side, if they ever need someone to help out there, I got more looks toward the end of the season,' Kleven said. 'My last 20 games, I got more looks there. In the offensive zone, I get to use my one-timer more, and I didn't get to use that a ton. It takes a little time to learn, but I certainly don't mind playing the right side.' This article appeared in our 2025 Champions issue. Our cover story focuses on the 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, specifically the elite play of defenseman Seth Jones, along with a recap of each game of the Cup final. We also include features on Sharks center Will Smith and Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans. In addition, we give our list of the top 10 moments from the 2024-25 NHL season. You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.
Yahoo
4 days ago
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Henderson Silver Knights Re-Sign Artur Cholach To One-Year Deal
The Henderson Silver Knights have re-signed defenseman Artur Cholach to a one-year deal, it was announced earlier this week.
Yahoo
4 days ago
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Bruins Have Decision To Make With Big Defenseman
At the 2024 NHL trade deadline, the Boston Bruins upgraded their blueline by acquiring defenseman Andrew Peeke from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick. Since then, Peeke has been a mainstay on the Bruins' blueline, primarily playing on their bottom pairing. During this past season with the Bruins, Peeke scored one goal and recorded new career highs with 16 assists and 17 points. He also had 105 hits and 126 blocks on the year, so he certainly did his job as a shutdown defenseman for the Bruins in 2024-25. The 2025-26 season is a significant one for Peeke, as he is entering the campaign as a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA). With this, the Bruins will need to decide if the 6-foot-3 defenseman is somebody that they will look to sign to a contract extension. With the Bruins not having the strongest depth on the right side of their blueline, they could very well look to a proven NHL-caliber defenseman like Peeke beyond next season. However, if they find themselves out of a playoff spot again nearing the trade deadline, and he is still not extended by then, he could end up being a solid trade chip. Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see what the Bruins decide to do with Peeke moving forward. He is easily one of their most notable pending UFAs for the 2025-26 campaign. Bruins' 3 Best Roster Moves From This Off-Season It has been an incredibly busy off-season for the Boston Bruins, as they have made several moves. The Original Six club brought in several new additions through free agency and also re-signed a good number of their players from last season to new deals. Photo Credit: © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Yahoo
4 days ago
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Former Kraken Defenseman Signs With KHL Team
Former Seattle Kraken and Coachella Valley Firebirds defenseman Maxime Lajoie has signed with KHL team Avangard Omsk. The 27-year-old spent just one season with the Kraken organization, skating in 70 games with the Firebirds, scoring four goals and 38 points. Prior to joining the Kraken, Lajoie was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round (133rd overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft. Lajoie went on to play 62 NHL games with the Senators before spending the next three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. He then signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs before joining the Kraken. He played 77 career NHL games, notching seven goals and 16 points. In his eight seasons, he played 378 AHL games, scoring 34 goals and 194 points. Lajoie will be joining an Omsk team that features several NHL prospects, including Colorado Avalanche's Mikhail Gulyayev, Nashville Predators' Semyon Chistyakov, Pittsburgh Penguins' Vasili Ponomaryov and Winnipeg Jets' Dmitri Rashevsky. The team also features former NHLers Nail Yakupov, Vyacheslav Voynov, Alexander Volkov, and Nikolai Prokhorin. Lajoie will also play under coach Guy Boucher, whom he previously played for in Ottawa and Toronto. 'Many teams have wanted to sign Maxim for several seasons, and we're glad that he's chosen Avangard,' said Omsk GM Alexei Sopin. 'He is a versatile defenseman with excellent skating and a great shot, he's mobile, and works equally well defensively and offensively. He also successfully connects partners and makes reliable decisions. We believe that Maxim will help achieve the serious goals set for Avangard.' Former Sen, Cane, Leaf Signs In KHL Canadian defenseman Maxime Lajoie, 27, has signed a one-year contract with Avangard Omsk, the KHL club announced on Tuesday. Two-Time Former Kraken Forward Signs With KHL Team Former Seattle Kraken forward Daniel Sprong has signed a contract with KHL club CSKA Moscow.
