Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith isn't happy with some of his players, and he threatened to change the lineup after the Vancouver Canucks routed the club 7-1 on Monday.

"We got some guys that maybe are taken for granted positions in the NHL and we've got to find the right combination," Smith said following the team's fifth straight loss, according to TSN's Brent Wallace.

"And we've got to give some other guys some opportunity to see if they want to play a little harder than some of the guys that are playing now," he added.

The Canucks didn't need their loaded power play in the win while scoring six of the team's seven goals at even strength and one while shorthanded.

Netminder Matt Murray logged his first forgettable start of the season, allowing seven goals for just the second time in his career, and the first since his sophomore campaign in 2016-17.

Smith said he thought about pulling Murray in the second period, but the bench boss decided to let his goaltender ride out the tough loss.

"He’s got to find a way to work through it," Smith said, according to Wallace. "He certainly didn’t have a very good game but, you know what, he’s got to find a way to work through it and battle for us."

The Senators fell to 1-4-1 with the loss and are last in the North division. The two sides meet twice more this week, with back-to-back contests Wednesday and Thursday to close out the three-game set.

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In the first edition of theScore's 2021 Calder Trophy Power Rankings, we get an early look at how this season's freshmen are adapting to NHL life.

With such a small sample size - and little contributions from the 2020 draft class so far - this list is destined to change drastically.

5. Pius Suter, Blackhawks

Suter has made an impact early in his career with the Blackhawks. The 24-year-old undrafted center who spent the last five seasons in his native Switzerland is logging first-line minutes alongside future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane, and he bagged the first of his three goals this campaign during an impressive performance versus the Red Wings. Suter's analytic metrics are poor, and his monstrous shooting percentage (20%) is bound to regress, but Chicago has to be pleased with the early returns from an unheralded offseason signing.

4. Josh Norris, Senators

Norris' development has been a lengthy project for the Senators, but it's beginning to pay dividends. The 21-year-old didn't receive much attention after being included in the Erik Karlsson trade package from San Jose, and he's quickly established an important role in his first full season in Ottawa. Norris is centering the club's dangerous top line and getting first-unit power-play minutes. The forward is proving he's worthy, too, while ranking third in rookie scoring. Keep an eye on Norris, who could be a dark horse rookie of the year candidate.

3. Ty Smith, Devils

Smith has been a bright light on a surprising Devils squad. The 17th pick in the 2018 draft has frequently shown flashes of his brilliant offensive instincts, and he can become a legitimate star with some effort to improve and adapt to defending at the NHL level. If Smith puts his name on the scoresheet in his next contest, he'll become only the second blue-liner in NHL history to open their career with a six-game point streak.

2. Alexander Romanov, Canadiens

The Canadiens expected big things out of Romanov right away, and he's delivering for the red-hot Habs. Only 21, Romanov plays with poise and a hockey IQ well beyond his years. His versatile style features strong skating, quick puck movement, and physicality. He'll be in tough to win hardware this season without racking up points, but Romanov has been spectacular so far.

1. Kirill Kaprizov, Wild

Nearly six years after drafting him, Kaprizov has emerged as everything the Wild had hoped for and more. The former KHL dynamo is leading Minnesota - and all rookies - in scoring while providing a significant spark to a Wild attack that's long been starving for creativity and playmakers. Kaprizov's play during his first stretch of games indicates he may run away with the Calder Trophy after entering the season as a favorite.

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)

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The relationship between the Columbus Blue Jackets and supposed franchise star Pierre-Luc Dubois has gone sour, but general manager Jarmo Kekalainen still doesn't know exactly why the 22-year-old wanted out. However, he remains positive the reason had nothing to do with the contract negotiations between the two sides.

"There was never any problem with the negotiation of this contract, it came to a conclusion very quickly," Kekalainen said Monday on TSN Radio 1050's "Leafs Lunch."

"... Once the player and the agent wanted to engage in the talks and we agreed on the length, it was a very easy process. There was nothing about these negotiations, and I wish that Pierre-Luc would tell the truth about why he wanted out. He hasn’t even told me, he hasn’t told his teammates or anybody else. It certainly wasn’t about contract negotiations, I can assure you of that."

Shortly after both parties agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal in late December, reports revealed Dubois had requested a trade. While no specific reason was given, there was speculation the Quebec native became unhappy during the negotiations.

Dubois hasn't given a specific reason for his demand but recently divulged the move was something he had been thinking about, and his feelings strengthened during the negotiations.

"It was a process, I was thinking about a long time, it wasn't overnight. It wasn't I just woke up one morning and it was a decision to make. It was something that I thought about," Dubois said to Sportsnet's Ron MacLean.

"As negotiations were going, obviously you don't take anything personally, but as they go longer and longer, you kind of start to think about stuff and situations."

When Kekalainen was asked whether he believed the talks caused Dubois to request a trade, he vehemently denied it.

"That’s just flat out not true at all, and he knows that, so I don’t know why he would say that or even insinuate something like that because that’s not true," Kekalainen said.

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The relationship between the Columbus Blue Jackets and supposed franchise star Pierre-Luc Dubois has gone sour, but general manager Jarmo Kekalainen still doesn't know exactly why the 22-year-old wanted out. However, he remains positive the reason had nothing to do with the contract negotiations between the two sides.

"There was never any problem with the negotiation of this contract, it came to a conclusion very quickly," Kekalainen said Monday on TSN Radio 1050's "Leafs Lunch."

"... Once the player and the agent wanted to engage in the talks and we agreed on the length, it was a very easy process. There was nothing about these negotiations, and I wish that Pierre-Luc would tell the truth about why he wanted out. He hasn’t even told me, he hasn’t told his teammates or anybody else. It certainly wasn’t about contract negotiations, I can assure you of that."

Shortly after both parties agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal in late December, reports revealed Dubois had requested a trade. While no specific reason was given, there was speculation the Quebec native became unhappy during the negotiations.

Dubois hasn't given a specific reason for his demand but recently divulged the move was something he had been thinking about, and his feelings strengthened during the negotiations.

"It was a process, I was thinking about a long time, it wasn't overnight. It wasn't I just woke up one morning and it was a decision to make. It was something that I thought about," Dubois said to Sportsnet's Ron MacLean.

"As negotiations were going, obviously you don't take anything personally, but as they go longer and longer, you kind of start to think about stuff and situations."

When Kekalainen was asked whether he believed the talks caused Dubois to request a trade, he vehemently denied it.

"That’s just flat out not true at all, and he knows that, so I don’t know why he would say that or even insinuate something like that because that’s not true," Kekalainen said.

Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The relationship between the Columbus Blue Jackets and supposed franchise star Pierre-Luc Dubois has gone sour, but general manager Jarmo Kekalainen still doesn't know exactly why the 22-year-old wanted out. However, he remains positive the reason had nothing to do with the contract negotiations between the two sides.

"There was never any problem with the negotiation of this contract, it came to a conclusion very quickly," Kekalainen said Monday on TSN Radio 1050's "Leafs Lunch."

"... Once the player and the agent wanted to engage in the talks and we agreed on the length, it was a very easy process. There was nothing about these negotiations, and I wish that Pierre-Luc would tell the truth about why he wanted out. He hasn’t even told me, he hasn’t told his teammates or anybody else. It certainly wasn’t about contract negotiations, I can assure you of that."

Shortly after both parties agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal in late December, reports revealed Dubois had requested a trade. While no specific reason was given, there was speculation the Quebec native became unhappy during the negotiations.

Dubois hasn't given a specific reason for his demand but recently divulged the move was something he had been thinking about, and his feelings strengthened during the negotiations.

"It was a process, I was thinking about a long time, it wasn't overnight. It wasn't I just woke up one morning and it was a decision to make. It was something that I thought about," Dubois said to Sportsnet's Ron MacLean.

"As negotiations were going, obviously you don't take anything personally, but as they go longer and longer, you kind of start to think about stuff and situations."

When Kekalainen was asked whether he believed the talks caused Dubois to request a trade, he vehemently denied it.

"That’s just flat out not true at all, and he knows that, so I don’t know why he would say that or even insinuate something like that because that’s not true," Kekalainen said.

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Matthew Tkachuk is well-aware of his reputation around the league, but the Calgary Flames pest denied any notion he intentionally fell on netminder Jack Campbell in the dying moments of Monday's 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"It was just a battle in front ... six-on-five situation just banging away at the puck," Tkachuk told reporters Monday. "I live in that area, I live in that crease area throughout the games, and I'm just digging for a puck and I was battling with Brodes (T.J. Brodie) a little bit there and guys started coming in.

"I just got knocked over and obviously I didn't have any intention of falling into him or anything like that. That's a complete ... it's just a classic thing to try and accuse me of there."

Campbell, who had seemingly tweaked something in his lower body just minutes earlier, remained in the game and collected his second victory of the season.

Tkachuk, who leads the Flames with three goals in four games this campaign, says he has no problem tuning out the criticism.

"I get very surprised with some things that come out of other people's mouths these days, but it's a good thing I don't listen to it. I just get asked it from other people," he said. "Thank god I don't go on my phone I guess too much after games or else I'd drive myself crazy."

The Leafs and Flames meet again Tuesday for the second of nine matchups between the sides this season.

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Ottawa Senators rookie Tim Stutzle says he'll return to the lineup Monday against the Vancouver Canucks after missing the club's previous three games with an undisclosed injury, according to TSN's Brent Wallace.

Stutzle, 19, has tallied one goal in two games this season after the Senators selected him with the third pick in the 2020 draft.

The 6-foot-1 German will start the game on a line with Connor Brown and Chris Tierney, head coach D.J. Smith said, according to TSN 1020.

Ottawa has lost four straight contests and sits last in the North division entering Monday's game.

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