After starting strong and holding on for a win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night, the Senators are back on the ice at the Canadian Tire Centre this afternoon when they take on the Edmonton Oilers.
Much like Thursday’s opponent, the Oilers have struggled in the early going this season, posting a 1-6-1 record through their first 8 games and finding themselves near the bottom of the NHL’s standings and at the centre of trade speculation.
With an excess of talented, young forwards and holes on defence and in goal, there’s a sense this Edmonton team may be looking to deal if their early season slide continues. First round pick Nail Yakupov has been a healthy scratch on a couple of occasions and there’s a belief around the league he could be available for the right price. If the Oilers are desperate for goaltending, you can be certain the Senators would be one of the teams they’d contact.
And while I don’t think this is the right time for Murray to trade one of his goalies, if a desperate Craig MacTavish is on the line, Bryan Murray should take that call.
On the Senators side of things, the team did the expected late yesterday, calling up a player from Binghamton to replace Stephane Da Costa. And while the roster move was expected, the player involved may have been a bit of a surprise. Derek Grant is a left handed shot that can slide into the bottom six, take a shift on the penalty kill, and win some faceoffs. Zibanejad is the better player but Grant fits a need for this team right now.
Michalek-Spezza-Conacher
MacArthur-Turris-Ryan
Greening-Grant-Condra
Kassian-Smith-Neil
Methot-Karlsson
Cowen-Wiercioch
Phillips-Gryba
Robin Lehner gets the start in the Ottawa goal.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 2:00 PM with plenty of tickets still available if you’re looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon. Head to Capital Tickets to get your tickets.
