Ottawa Senators Sign Dal Colle, Brassard to PTOs
They will battle for roster spots in training camp.
The Ottawa Senators announced Thursday that they are bringing in two forwards on Professional Tryouts for training camp. Michael Dal Colle and Derick Brassard will arrive in Ottawa and take part in the training camp along with the rest of the organization this month.
Michael Dal Colle was a fifth overall pick by the New York Islanders in the 2014 NHL Draft. He hasn’t established himself in the NHL as a 26-year-old fringe roster player. Over the last five seasons, he has played a total of 112 games in the NHL, scoring eight goals and 21 points.
While he hasn’t made his mark in the NHL yet, Dal Colle has established himself as a solid American Hockey League offensive weapon. He made his AHL debut in the 2015-16 season, playing three games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
The following year he scored 41 points in 75 games. Dal Colle has played in 211 AHL games in his career so far, scoring 49 goals and 121 points in that span.
Dal Colle has a Sens connection as he was coached by D.J. Smith in his first three seasons in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals from 2012-15. The Senators are hoping they can “rebuild” the player into an everyday NHLer. At the very least, he will be a good top-six talent to play in Belleville.
While Dal Colle has a Sens connection, Derick Brassard has a lot more history with the Senators organization.
Brassard was first acquired by the Senators following the 2015-16 season, as the main return in the trade that sent Mika Zibanejad to the New York Rangers. He played the next two seasons in Ottawa, including as a memorable part of the 2016-17 Conference Finals run.
During his stint in Ottawa, he scored 77 points in 139 games. He was a big part of the team’s secondary scoring in an era of low scoring for the team. He was then traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins where he played much of the next 1.5 years.
Since then, he bounced around from team to team, never quite finding his groove anywhere in the NHL. Throughout Brassard’s career, he has played for an astonishing ten different NHL teams, including the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, and Edmonton Oilers.
The Ottawa Senators’ move to sign Brassard and Dal Colle to PTOs and recently Tyler Motte to a one-year contract is a sign that they are serious about competing this year. They are taking no chances this season, with injuries likely to cause problems again.
It is unlikely either of these players will get the chance to play many NHL games but it’s good to have them around the organization as competition for the younger players.
What do you think?
Was it a good idea to sign Derick Brassard and Michael Dal Colle to PTOs?