Onward and upward.
As a fan base, we have been through some low points. Whether it’s off-ice drama or on-ice heartbreak, being a fan of the Ottawa Senators has never been easy. And it’s clear that the departure of Erik Karlsson has pushed many fans to the brink.
Instead of talking about line combinations and a preseason opener, the discussion among Sens fans continues to focus on our dearly departed Captain and whether or not people plan on buying tickets anymore.
It’s unfortunate that the trade has taken away from what should be the best time of year for a hockey fan. But you know…it’s time to move on. Not to forgive, not to forget. Just…to move on. Not sure about the rest of you but this whole hockey watching thing is a hobby for me. And if it stops being fun, well then maybe it’s time to find a new hobby.
So with that in mind, a Karlsson-free edition of Monday News and Notes. Which is better than the FREE KARLSSON or KARLSSON FOR FREE approach the Senators took last week.
Sorry, got a little distracted there…
-For those that may not have noticed, Training Camp is in full swing in Ottawa. The Senators have been on the ice the last three days and yesterday, participated in the Red and White scrimmage at Fan Fest. Didn’t have a chance to make it down there myself but it sounds like there were a handful of players that put on a show. One of the interesting storylines from the early part of Camp has been the duo of Mark Stone and Brady Tkachuk. They were on the ice for a couple goals together yesterday and really seem to be having fun out there early on. Regardless of who plays centre on that line, a duo of Stone and Tkachuk is going to be a nightmare to play against.
-Safe to say Thomas Chabot will be taking on a much bigger role this season. That was probably going to happen anyway but it’s only magnified with the departure of Erik what’s his name. Chabot has spent the early days of Camp paired with Cody Ceci in what appears to be Ottawa’s top defence pairing. Eeep. It’s early but Chabot seems to have taken strides in his game during the off-season and looks like a player on the verge of a breakout season. It even looks like he’s growing out his hair a little bit to help fans cope with Karlsson’s departure.
-The Senators have made it clear that at this point, there plan is to start the season without a Captain. The approach is pretty common around the league these days but it is a little unusual in Ottawa. Mark Stone would obviously be the first choice in that discussion but with just one year left on his deal, they obviously want to wait and see how things play out before stitching that letter on his jersey. Even though he may not be wearing the C, it’s clear in his comments to the media that Stone plans on taking a leadership role with the team this year. Add in a contract year and I think we could see a monster year from Stone.
-Pierre Dorion is making the rounds on Ottawa radio this morning in an effort to clarify the timelines on the decision to trade Erik Karlsson. He did something similar in the moments after his press conference on the day the deal happened but it was clear that the message wasn’t getting through. So another attempt is underway today. You can catch his first appearance on CBC Radio here. Honestly, it’s sort of interesting that even feel the need at this point but it’s worth a shot. Based on the anger a large portion of the fan base is feeling right now, I suspect this won’t go well. In fact, it will probably go about as well as my attempt to not talk about Erik Karlsson in this edition of Monday News and Notes. Damn it.
-Preseason opens tomorrow with the Hockeyville Game in Lucan, Ontario as the Senators taken on the Toronto something or others. They take on that same awful team the following night back at the Canadian Tire Centre. You can see the roster for those two games here and here. Ottawa will play a total of six preseason games before things start for real at the Canadian Tire Centre on October 4th.
