The Ottawa Senators (or at least a version of them anyway) are going to play a competitive hockey game this week.
I’ll let that sink in for a moment…
After an unfortunately long summer in the Nation’s Capital, we finally have actual hockey to look forward to. And while it’s just the first game of the yearly rookie tournament, this year taking place in London, Ontario, it will be nice to see a team dressed in the Senators’ colours. This year’s tournament features four teams. The Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and those damn Toronto Maple Leaves will join the Senators in the four day tournament that kicks off this Saturday at the Budweiser Gardens in London.
Ottawa plays their tournament opener against the Penguins’ rookies on Saturday at 1:00 PM.
The Senators invited 24 players to this year’s rookie camp. The team will be led by Binghamton Senators Head Coach, Luke Richardson. As a little primer for the annual rookie tournament, here’s a list of five players to keep an eye on.
Chris Driedger- Anderson and Lehner are the two goalies in Ottawa for the foreseeable future but Chris Driedger is probably the next in line. A 3rd round pick in 2012, Driedger is coming off a strong season in the WHL and even saw four games in the ECHL and one with Binghamton towards the end of the year. Driedger has a chance to push Andrew Hammond for starts in Binghamton this year and those two will share the crease this weekend in London. The Senators signed Chris Driedger to an entry level deal back in January.
Fredrik Claesson- Claesson was probably the best defenceman in Binghamton last season and to hear Coach Richardson describe him, he may actually be ready for a look at the NHL level. The Senators have a lot of bodies on defence as it is but the hope is Claesson will play so well that he forces Ottawa’s hand at some point. He’s one of those guys that’s expected to go to a tournament like this and dominate.
Tobias Lindberg- A lot of fans might not know his name right now but Tobias Lindberg is going to be a prospect to watch over the next couple of years. In the Development Camp this year, Lindberg made a great impression on those in attendance with a unique mix of speed and willingness to play a physical game. Lindberg will play with the Oshawa General this season (he scored a hat trick in a preseason game this weekend) and appears poised for a breakout year. Will be interesting to see what he can do during the rookie tournament.
Nick Paul- Acquired in the Jason Spezza trade in July, Nick Paul is quickly becoming one of the more intriguing prospects in the Sens’ system. Paul is that unique mix of size, skill and smarts that all teams are looking for in a player. He’s a 4th round pick that has seen his stock increase rapidly since his 2013 draft year. Paul was invited to Team Canada’s camp this summer and turned heads there. You know he’ll want to make a good first impression with his new team this weekend.
Curtis Lazar- Ever heard of him? The hype surrounding Curtis Lazar has grown steadily since the Senators took him with the 17th pick in the 2013 Entry Draft. Everywhere he goes, he’s been making an impression and this rookie tournament should be more of the same. Lazar is expected to push for a spot with the big team when camp opens later this month so the organization will be expecting a dominant performance from him this weekend.
