FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-Not a bad way to make a first impression. With the reports of a Dion Phaneuf goal making the rounds, Marian Gaborik answered with his first in an Ottawa uniform, deflecting an Erik Karlsson point shot home early in the third period. And then with the Senators down a goal late in the game, Gaborik made a nifty feed to Derick Brassard for the game-tying goal. Gaborik looked more than comfortable in his Ottawa debut and he seemed to have some instant chemistry on a line with Mike Hoffman and Matt Duchene. This has to be a difficult situation for Gaborik but he’s saying all the right things and he certainly showed up last night. The 18:12 he played was his second highest total of the season. His performance last night, combined with comments Bob McKenzie made during the pregame show, made me wonder if a healthy Gab0rik could actually provide the Senators with a little bit of depth scoring next year.
-With his three point night, Matt Duchene now has an impressive 19 points in his last 18 games, including 7 goals and 12 assists. And for those who are still keeping track, which appears to be way less than during the first few weeks after the trade by the way, Duchene now has 25 pts with the Senators compared to the 22 Turris has with the Predators. All the focus is on Karlsson heading into the deadline and the summer but Ottawa is going to have to make a tough decision on Matt Duchene too. He’s a UFA at the end of next season and he’ll be looking to cash-in with a long-term deal. Despite how poorly the team results have been, Duchene really has enjoyed his time in Ottawa to this point and apparently, would absolutely consider an extension with the Senators.
-During his nightly Question Period segment, Bruce Garrioch touched on the idea of Zack Smith and the Vegas Golden Knights. If you’ve been following the pre-game scouting lists, you’ll know that the Golden Knights have sort of been following Ottawa around the last little while and they were in the rink again last night. Smith is definitely one of the guys they are interested in. Worth noting that they have a whole boatload of picks in next year’s draft including three 2nd rounders and three in the 3rd round. Meanwhile Ottawa is facing a situation where they might be without a 1st rounder next year and they’re already without their 3rd round pick. Could be something to keep in mind leading up to the deadline.
-Just before the puck drop, Pierre Dorion pulled off another trade, this time sending Chris DiDomenico to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Finnish defenceman Ville Pokka. DiDomenico had just cleared waivers and been assigned to Belleville earlier in the day. In Polka, the Senators are getting a skilled 23 year old defenceman, that has been sort of stuck in the American Hockey League the last few years. But by all accounts, he’s looked good down there, putting up points at an impressive rate. Chicago fans have been clamoring for him to get a real opportunity at the NHL level. Pokka, a 2nd round pick, was part of the deal that sent Nick Leddy from Chicago to Long Island. Trading a player that has cleared waivers twice for a young defenceman with potential seems like a win for Dorion. Two in a row!
-For the second time in less than a week, an Ottawa writer has hinted at the possibility of John Ruddy (of Trinity Development and key partner in the Rendezvous LeBreton bid) being actively involved in the search for a new Team President. This time it was Don Brennan suggesting that Ruddy was pulling together a short-list of candidates for the positions. Earlier in the week, Ken Warren suggested the same, speculating that would Ruddy would have a significant say in who takes over as President and that he may “take on a bigger and bigger role as time goes on”. Given the rumours that were swirling leading up to the Outdoor Game and the momentum behind the #MelnykOut cries from the fan base, these comments strike me as uhh worthy of further explanation. Melnyk has never been one to voluntarily give up decision-making power with the Senators so it’s fascinating to hear that he might be doing that in a search for a new Team President. Either way, it seems like a story worth expanding on a little bit.
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