Anaheim and Ottawa are the finalists for free agent Clarkson U. D-man Kevin Tansey. He’s a big, tough shutdown man.
— Ryan Kennedy (@THNRyanKennedy) June 7, 2015
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsAdmittedly, it’s hard to get excited about the prospective signing of a defensive defenceman whose best season at Clarkson featured statistics pale in comparison to those of Mark Borowiecki, a fellow Clarkson alumn who also carried the label of being a “tough, shutdown” guy.
At least that’s what I’ll be saying should Tansey ultimately sign with the Anaheim Ducks, but hey, if he signs with Ottawa, depth is depth – even if it may ultimately wind up being of the minor league variety.
Considering the organization could potentially lose Aaron Johnson, Patrick Mullen, Alex Grant, and Chris Wideman all to unrestricted free agency, the Senators certainly could use some warm bodies down in Binghamton.
What we know of Tansey is that he’s a 22-year old defenceman who certainly fits the label of being big. Eliteprospects.com lists him at 6’4″ and 216 lbs.
The fact that he is a Hammond, Ontario native and a graduate — for lack of a better word — from the Cumberland Grads system qualifies him as local hockey product and the quintessential Bryan Murray depth player.
Although Tansey’s pedigree and projectable upside may not be that flashy, his backstory does provide some intriguing storylines.
Tansey missed his entire 2012-13 season at Clarkson after being the victim of an assault in Ottawa on July 31, 2012.Tansey suffered a concussion, three broken ribs and a shoulder injury in the attack.
There was also a nice off-ice story in which Tansey spearheaded a fundraising game featuring local players from the OHL, NCAA, Junior A and CJHL to support the DoefStrong campaign.
Offer Sheet Vulnerability
Like every year at this time, there is a renewed interest in whether this will be the year that offer sheets become en vogue and judging by the comments being made around the league, maybe this will be the year that NHL teams stop giving two shits about offending their peers and take advantage of an opportunity that is afforded to them by the NHL’s CBA.
I love Tim Murray’s take on offer sheets: “We may tender an offer, and that may piss off another GM….but really, who cares.” — Derek Jedamski (@D_Jedamski) June 8, 2015
If it pisses off your uncle, it may be a slightly bigger deal. Given Murray’s connection to Ottawa and the Senators’ financial limitations — especially when considering how difficult it will be for the organization to move some of their veteran contracts — RFAs like Mika Zibanejad, Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman could all qualify as targets for an offer sheet (note: Hoffman could elect to go to arbitration, making him ineligible to sign an offer sheet).
The whole process isn’t as easy as another organization tabling the highest offer and having the player sign it. Considerations by the player have to be made for loyalty and how they intend to bridge their relations when the team that owns their rights matches their deal. But this process could offer these players some contractual leverage in the event that the Senators insist upon some team friendly deals that fall well below market value.
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