Only 21 years old, defenseman Tyler Kleven has already made a solid impression on the Ottawa Senators’ blue line.
Upon completing his third season at the University of North Dakota, Kleven signed a three-year entry-level contract with the club, on March 23rd, joining three of his former Fighting Hawks teammates (Jacob Bernard-Docker, Shane Pinto, Jake Sanderson) as members of the Senators’ organization.
An injury to d-man Jakob Chychrun permitted the Senators’ 2020 44th overall selection to make his NHL debut one week later. Kleven held his own, seamlessly accumulating 17:33 of ice time while adding an assist on a Claude Giroux goal in his team’s 5-4 extra-time victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Fargo, ND resident appeared in eight games in total, registering two assists, but more impressive was his 62.5 % Corsi analytic at even strength – the best among all Senators’ players, but obviously a small sample size.
What does this mean? Since Corsi is a measure of total shot attempts, including shots blocked and misses divided by the opposition’s totals, meaning the puck was in the opponent’s zone more often than not when Kleven was on the ice.
Kleven’s 2022-23 campaign was capped off by a seven-game appearance at the IIHF World Championship for Team USA – an experience that he hopes will launch him into next season.
“I knew I had an opportunity to play there. But I took a couple of weeks off and then I got the nod that I was going to go over there (Lativa/Finland). So I had to get back into game shape really fast and fly over there – get adjusted to playing over there. And it was a really good experience playing against high level players. So I just think this experience is a big factor when it comes to trying to make it to the next level.” Kleven told Full Press Hockey while participating at Senators Development Camp in early July.
Earning the Jonathan Pitre Award for being deemed the hardest worker at the Camp, Kleven realizes he still has plenty of work to do to earn a full-time position with the Senators.
“I think, playing over in Europe and getting those eight games. I tried to show my ability, and I know what I can do. Now it’s just about training this summer and getting bigger and stronger, coming into main camp knowing my spot is not there yet,” Kleven explained.
The youngster recognizes his physical attribute is key in becoming an NHL stalwart, At six-foot-four, 201 pounds and still gaining muscle mass, Kleven offers a physical presence that only Chychrun may be on par with among the Senators’ d-core, not to mention possessing an accurate booming shot, posting 20 goals in 92 NCAA games.
“I know what I can bring to the table. I think it’s pretty high-end that I can come in, be physical. I know that I can bring an asset that not many guys have and I know that the Senators can really benefit off that. And if you look at the Stanley Cup playoffs rosters, there was zero defensemen that were under six foot. So I think I can bring that physicality and bring it every single game. Hopefully, I make my way on the roster.”
It remains to be seen if Kleven opens the 2023-24 season in Belleville or Ottawa.
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Realistically, with the re-signing of unrestricted free agent Travis Hamonic, this leaves the Senators’ roster as it currently appears with eight defensemen seeking seven spots, and this doesn’t include the offseason acquisition of Donovan Sebrango in the Alex DeBrincat swap with Detroit, nor the addition of d-man Nikolas Matinpalo who played last season for Assat in the Finnish Liiga.
Of the “core eight,” only Kleven and Sanderson do not require waivers to be sent to the club’s American League affiliate, and Sanderson isn’t going anywhere.
There are still slightly less than two months remaining until training camp opens, and plenty of time if Senators general manager Pierre Dorion opts to make a move to the back end.
However, allowing Kleven to hone his game, and getting 20 minutes of ice time in the AHL can only benefit his development.
Regardless, it’s only a matter of time before Tyler Kleven becomes a raucous regular toSp the Senators’ roster.
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