FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
-It’s not uncommon for even the most talented rookies to run head long into the sophomore slump in year two. It happens to a lot of players. Hell, it’s happening to Colin White right now. And that’s why it’s so encouraging to see Brady Tkachuk finishing strong in his second season in the NHL. The last ten days or so is probably the best he has looked all year. With a three-point effort last night, he now has points in five of his last six games and a total of seven points over that stretch. Four goals and nine points away from matching his totals from last season and with 23 games to go. Brady Tkachuk carried his team to a win last night.
-It is becoming painfully clear that poor Anthony Duclair is never going to score again. All players go through cold stretches. It’s just part of the game. But watching some of the chances Duclair has had recently, we are beyond a cold stretch at this point. The guy is cursed. It’s now been 21 games without a goal. He hasn’t scored in this calendar year. 51 shots without a goal. Thankfully he’s still finding ways to contribute though. That was a hell of a pass he made to Brady Tkachuk on Ottawa’s second goal of the night. With an RFA negotiation looming this summer, it’s not an exaggeration to say that this goalless stretch has cost Anthony Duclair millions of dollars.
-There are few things in hockey as entertaining as watching Thomas Chabot in a 3 on 3 setting. Back in his QMJHL days, scouts used to marvel at how easy things looked for him. There is just something about his stride that looks so effortless. Watching him in Junior, I often found myself assuming it was partly because of the quality of his opponents. Except he looks the same way in the NHL. That five minute overtime was Chabot at his best as we got to see exactly what he is capable of with a little bit of open ice and a head of steam. He covered more ground in that overtime than some players do in an entire game. Seriously, if you get the opportunity, go back and rewatch the OT. It’s worth another look.
-Back in my university days, it was tough for me to do anything without a deadline. An assignment would be given and the first thing I would do is take note of when it was due. Two weeks away? I wouldn’t even think about it again until a couple days before. I just found it tough to get things done without the deadline looming around me. Apparently that’s how the General Manager of the Ottawa Senators operates too. With just one week to go until the Trade Deadline, Pierre Dorion has left himself with a fairly hefty To Do list. A lot like last year actually. Which is why it’s pretty safe to assume that this is going to be a busy week for the Senators. If there are guys they still think they can sign, they need an answer in the next couple days. Because if those guys aren’t going to be signed, then they probably shouldn’t play in any games this week. And if there are guys on expiring contracts that they think they can move, then they need to strike before the market dries up. Tyler Ennis, Vladislav Namestnikov and Ron Hainsey fall into this category. The clock is ticking and Pierre Dorion needs to get to work.
-Pierre can look to the New Jersey Devils for inspiration. Tom Fitzgerald made a couple moves yesterday and got a pretty solid return in both cases. Blake Coleman to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a first round pick and Nolan Foote and then Andy Greene to the New York Islanders for a 2021 second round pick and a prospect. Not only do deals like this set the market for others but they also set expectations for what a Jean Gabriel Pageau or Dylan DeMelo deal might look like over the next week or so. Same thing with the Jason Zucker deal earlier in the week. Just as importantly, what these trades do is take a few potential suitors out of the mix. If Dorion could get a similar return to what the Devils and Wild got, I think Sens fans would be pretty happy. Pressure is on now though.
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