Thoughts on Formenton Signing in Switzerland, Norris Close to a Return, Other News and Notes
After the December 1st deadline to sign restricted free agent Alex Formenton came and went without a finalized offer, it was only a matter of time before the left winger’s representatives looked elsewhere to find their client a place to play.
Formenton, like many of Team Canada’s 2018 World Junior teammates, continues to be investigated for his potential involvement in a sexual assault case in London, Ontario. And without being able to reach terms on a contract by that December 1st deadline, Formenton is ineligible to play NHL games for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
Given the serious and sensitive nature of the allegations, the natural assumption was that Formenton would land somewhere where there is less inclination to give two shits about the optics of bringing in a player who could be implicated in a significant hockey scandal.
Formenton did not wind up in the KHL, however. Instead, he inked a contract with Ambrì Piotta of the Swiss league.
According to their official press release, Formenton signed a one-year contract that carries through the end of the 2022-23 season.
It is easy to get up in arms that a team would consider inking Formenton to a contract given the circumstances. It is even easier to forget that the only thing that separates Formenton from his 2018 World Junior peers is that he does not possess an NHL contract. Like it or not, there are players playing professionally from that 2018 World Junior team, including here in Ottawa, who may ultimately wind up being implicated once the Hockey Canada investigation concludes.
The interesting catch is that the official press release acknowledged the sexual assault case and contained details about the organization’s confidence in Formenton’s presumed innocence.
It is written in Italian, but here is the rough Google translation of the important passage:
“The HCAP knows that the player and some of his teammates from Canada's U20 World Cup winners in 2018 were involved in a criminal investigation which resulted in a decree of abandonment. The investigation was recently reopened following revelations about the Canadian federation's practice in similar cases. The HCAP, after discussion with the player, who fully cooperated with all authorities during the investigations carried out by the London Police (Ontario, Canada), the NHL and the Canadian Hockey Federation, and his lawyers, believes that there is no any element not to assert the presumption of innocence against him. Should the new investigation by the Canadian police reveal elements that are currently unknown, the Club and the player have reserved the right to reevaluate their contractual relationship.”
Reserving the right to re-evaluate once more information comes to light is an easy out for a franchise that is simply looking to add some NHL talent to its roster.
But, maybe Formenton will be found innocent of wrongdoing. If he is, I wonder what recourse he may have. The only reason he is not playing NHL games right now is that he does not have a contract. Had he signed an extension last year before the conclusion of his last deal, there is no doubt in my mind that he would probably be playing NHL games right now like many of his peers. Instead, he is the only player being held accountable and on the surface, it simply feels like it’s because of his contract status.
Now maybe he was involved, but if there was wrongdoing, he did not act alone. The sad reality is that it is far easier for NHL organizations to act similarly to Ambrì Piotta and allow players to play and help improve their team’s competitiveness than put those involved on the sidelines until the investigation’s findings are publicized. But holy shit, it is going to be a bad look for organizations if active players are implicated — especially a team like Ottawa that has Formenton on the sidelines and Batherson playing a prominent role. If both players wind up being involved, the organization will deservedly take its lumps for employing a double standard.
Josh Norris Close to Returning
The biggest news from this morning’s practice was that Josh Norris removed his yellow non-contact jersey and replaced it with a regular white one.
For what it’s worth, Norris took line rushes on the fifth line alongside Jake Lucchini. He may still be a ways away from a return, but today was a significant milestone in his recovery. With the team winning more games and playing a more complete two-way game, if the Senators can add Norris and Tim Stützle back to the lineup shortly, it will be a significant boost to the team’s true talent level.
Other News and Notes:
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler penned an excellent profile of Senators prospect Zack Ostapchuk’s backstory and development. It’s an exceptional read that sheds some light on what kind of a player the Senators have in their pipeline. Pieces like this are exactly what this market needs more of. With such a likable collection of young players, the organization and by extension, the local media, should be doing more to highlight the backgrounds and stories of their players. Fans crave connections to their favourite players and these types of pieces are a perfect way to help bridge that gap and allow fans to become more invested in the product.
Speaking with a Thunder Bay high school’s media club, actor and prospective Senators owner Ryan Reynolds briefly touched upon his interest in partnering to buy the Ottawa Senators. Reynolds discussed his connection to this city and how this opportunity can not only help the Senators’ brand explode locally but also globally.
If Reynolds succeeds in his efforts, he acknowledged that he will become “a frothy, rabies-infused fan the likes of which the NHL has never seen.”When Tim Stützle suffered an arm injury during Monday’s game against Anaheim. It was easy to fear the worst. The Senators’ young centres have been riddled with shoulder injuries for the better part of the last two seasons. For Stützle to immediately hunch over and skate to the bench where he went directly to the dressing room, the immediate reaction was that it could be another long-term injury. That is no longer the case. D.J. Smith indicated that Stützle avoided serious injury and only has a shoulder contusion. He is expected to be back within the next week. (Sigh of relief.)