Training camp is in full swing.
The Senators have four preseason games under their belts and have already done some significant roster trimming. Yesterday, MacLean and management separated the Camp into an NHL and AHL group, effectively cutting about half of the players in camp.
The team now has a few solid practice days scheduled before their next preseason game on Tuesday in Winnipeg. They’ll finish the preseason with back to back games against the Canadiens on Friday and Saturday next week. And as training camp ramps up and the team closes in on a final roster for the season opener on October 9th, the health of one of the team’s most important players is quickly becoming one of the more intriguing story lines in camp.
Defenceman Marc Methot missed practice again today as he continues to deal with a lingering injury that has kept him out of preseason action thus far. MacLean addressed the injury briefly yesterday and seemed to suggest that it was at least related to a back injury that kept Methot out of the World Championships almost five months ago.
At the time, that injury was not considered serious although for something to linger for an entire summer, it has to be a cause for concern.
It goes without saying at this point but this is obviously an extremely important season for Methot. He’s entering the final year of his contract with the Senators and has been vocal about wanting to stick around. The Senators struggled badly on defence last season and are counting on a rebound year from Methot as they try to emphasize improved defensive play. For a 29 year old hoping to cash in on a long term deal, the slow start to camp (and recurring back injury) has to be extremely frustrating.
Veterans can get away with missing parts of camp but it’s important that Methot gets healthy in time for the start of the season.
Meanwhile, the contract negotiations with Methot are expected to resume again in the next couple of weeks. It’s believed that if Methot was willing to meet the Senators in the middle ($4.75) something could get done before the regular season.
With less than two weeks remaining before the puck drops in Nashville, the Senators need Methot back to 100% and ready to assume his spot beside Erik Karlsson on the team’s top defence pairing.
