The annual golf tournament is in the books and the finishing touches are being put on the massive renovations to the Canadian Tire Centre.
Preseason opener in 4 days. Regular season opener in 21 days. Home opener in 24 days.
Not long now, Sens fans!
Players will report to the CTC for their medicals and fitness testing this morning and the first on-ice session of training camp is set for tomorrow morning. Camp runs for about two and a half weeks with the final preseason tune up scheduled for October 3rd against the Montreal Canadiens.
And while for the most part, the Senators roster is pretty predictable heading into camp and the preseason, there are always a couple surprises. A quick glance at the team’s depth chart shows one opening up front and one on the back end. It’s not a lot but enough to keep some of the young players hungry as they push for a spot on the team.
And as we know, there are always injuries during the preseason and camp so additional spots can and will open up. Let’s take a look at four of the forwards and four of the defenceman that will push for those spots in the next couple weeks.
FORWARDS
#10 Shane Prince- Gotta be the favourite to land the open spot up front. He may have been the favourite anyway but the fact that he has to clear waivers to be sent down makes it even more likely. I’m not entirely convinced someone would grab Prince if he was available (remember Mike Hoffman cleared once) but the Senators have to be a little nervous about the possibility. Especially knowing how big of a fan Tim Murray is of Shane Prince. Prince was the leading scorer in Binghamton last season and looked more than comfortable in a two game NHL audition. If he can pick up where he left off last year, he should be able to grab that final spot.
#26 Matt Puempel- Probably the biggest challenger to Prince at this point. Puempel also earned a call up late last season and actually ended up being given a little more of an opportunity than Prince. He looked solid in his 13 NHL games but saw pretty limited ice time, playing more than 10 minutes only twice. His season was ended prematurely by high-ankle sprain but there’s a chance he may have seen playoff action if he was healthy. Puempel wore the C in last weekend’s rookie tournament and while he didn’t dominate offensively, the organization liked what they saw. I expect him to get a real long look during the preseason and if he can produce, he’s got a decent shot at cracking the opening night lineup. And if there’s an injury to a winger, he’s a slam dunk call up.
#22 Eric O’Dell- Sort of the forgotten guy heading into training camp but somebody who could make life pretty difficult for the organization if he has a strong camp and preseason. O’Dell is primarily a centre and has already shown he can play at the NHL level. Zack Smith has to be hearing footsteps a little bit knowing that O’Dell is waiting in the wings. O’Dell skates well and plays a hard two-way game. He’d be a perfect fit on the fourth line. The organization liked O’Dell enough to sign him during free agency but now they get their first chance to see him up close. An injury to a centre would certainly improve O’Dell’s chances. This is a guy to watch closely in the preseason.
#89 Max McCormick- It’s amazing how quickly his stock has gone up and after just three rookie tournament games. The organization was already pretty high on this guy obviously but his performance at the Development Camp and then in the Rookie Tournament has made him a player to keep an eye on during the preseason. Billed as a player that gives 100% on every shift, McCormick is going to continue to turn heads during the preseason, especially for fans that haven’t seen him play before. There really isn’t room for him right now but preseason is a great time for the Binghamton guys to start making their early case for a call up should injuries strike with the big team. McCormick would be a perfect fit if there was an opening in the bottom six.
Honourable mention- Tobias Lindberg, Nick Paul, Buddy Robinson
DEFENCE
#45 Chris Wideman- Like Shane Prince, Chris Wideman comes into training camp as a pretty clear favourite to grab the open spot on the blueline. It doesn’t mean he’s automatically going to get a spot in the lineup on opening night but he certainly seems like the most likely option to grab the final roster spot. Wideman was terrific with the BSens last year and has earned a chance to play some NHL games. The interesting thing about Wideman is he has that big AHL contract ($600,000 in the NHL/$400,000 in the AHL), which he signed as a bit of insurance should he not be able to make the NHL roster right away. He’s a smooth skating, right shot defenceman that moves the puck well. There’s clearly a need for him on the blueline. A strong preseason and that spot is his.
#49 Fredrik Claesson- I’ve talked to a few people around the organization who are always quick to remind me about just how the team is on Freddy Claesson. He’s made a great impression down in Binghamton over the last couple seasons and according to people who have watched him closely, is ready or at least very close to ready to play in the NHL. A 22 year old, left shot defenceman, Claesson plays a solid all-around game and while his offensive ability will not blow anyone away, he can still move the puck pretty well. Claesson is obviously at a bit of a disadvantage with Methot, Wiercioch, Cowen and Borowiecki all also playing the same side but I do know the Senators would like to get him into some games this year. Preseason is a great chance for Claesson to continue to impress the organization and show he’s ready for that call-up when it comes.
#21 Mike Kostka- The Eric O’Dell of the defenceman. And by that I mean a guy with a little bit of NHL experience that has a chance to surprise some people during the preseason. He skates well, can move the puck and plays with a bit of an edge. He’s going to be an important player in Binghamton this season and could have a chance to play NHL games if there are injuries on the back end. Pierre Dorion surprised some people recently when he specifically mentioned Kostka as one of the defenceman expected to push for a spot in Camp.
#66 Mikael Wikstrand- The real wild card in the battle for a spot on the blueline. His year obviously didn’t get off to the best start with an injury in the rookie camp but he’ll be looking to put that behind him with a strong preseason. There’s no question Wikstrand has an NHL skillset at this point but that adjustment to the North American game is going to take some time. Assuming he’s healthy enough to participate, you know he’s going to have every opportunity to show what he can do against NHL competition. He more than likely ends up in Binghamton but he’s coming into Camp with the hopes of landing a spot on the NHL roster.
Honourable mention- Ben Harpur
In total, 61 players have been invited to the team’s main camp but these eight guys in particular have a real shot of pushing for a spot with the team.
