Back to work.
Things have been pretty hit or miss around this place for the last little while and there’s a good reason for that. Multiple good reasons actually. In addition to being on a two-week solo dad mission where I am fulfilling approximately 38 requests from children per hour, there is not a damn Sens-related thing is happening.
No trades. No signings. No rumours of trades or signings. Not even a wacky Eugene Melnyk interview I can make a post out of. There is the off-season and then there is whatever you call this unpleasant period of nothingness between the Draft Lottery and the Draft.
You would think the Ottawa Senators would want to drum up some interest in next season with an interview, or a signing, or a jersey release or basically anything but they seem to be taking a more uhh reserved approach.
Business will have to pick up soon though because with the calendar set to roll over to September tomorrow (How?!), the Draft is rapidly approaching. A little over a month away, in fact. And along with the Draft comes a condensed free agent signing period. It really will be one of the most hectic but also crucial periods in Sens history.
So perhaps they are just resting. Meanwhile, it’s time for ol’ SensChirp to start shaking off some of that pandemic rust.
Consecutive days with a new post- 1. Let’s keep this streak going!
Monday News and Notes, comin’ at ya…
-It was neat at first but I have had just about enough of watching Jean-Gabriel Pageau score big goals for the New York Islanders. With each clutch playoff goal JGP adds to his resume (which previously included seven clutch goals scored in two games) he’s doing serious damage to Ottawa’s third first round pick. There was a time that pick could land as high as 15th overall but with each passing day, it’s looking more and more like a VERY late first round pick. The Senators will still have plenty of assets to move up if they want to but it’s unfortunate to use one of our million draft picks on cleaning up the mess caused by Pageau and the dreadfully boring New York Islanders. Remember though- the Senators get an additional 2022 3rd round pick if the Islanders win the Cup this year.
-One of the interesting challenges the Ottawa Senators are going to face over the next few weeks and months is finding places for their prospects to play hockey. The NHL is expected to target a December start for the 2020/2021 regular season but it would not be surprising to see that date get pushed back. Meanwhile, teams are going to be looking for safe place to send their prospects. At least those players interested in getting a head start on things. A couple weeks ago, the Senators did just that with Lassi Thomson, loaning the first round pick to his club team in the Finnish Elite League for an undetermined amount of time. As in, until there is hockey again in North America. With the AHL also targeting a December return, there are going to be a ton of prospects looking for similar arrangements. Will be interesting to see how the Senators and other NHL teams accommodate all those requests.
-A new contract for Anthony Duclair should be pretty high on Pierre Dorion’s off-season To Do list. The restricted free agent is coming off a breakout, although somewhat inconsistent, season with the Ottawa Senators. He led the team in goals, was third in points and when he was at his best, he often looked like the team’s most talented player. There was a time in early in Duclair’s career where he bounced around a little bit and there were questions about his maturity but those days are long gone. Duclair has pretty clearly found a home here in Ottawa and his leadership with the Hockey Diversity Alliance shows that those “maturity” issues are basically non-existent at this point. Duclair is a streaky goal scorer and the Senators should still use the leverage provided to them in an RFA contract negotiation but Duclair should certainly have a spot in this line up for at least the next two to three seasons.
-Well it’s official. Don Brennan official. Mark Borowiecki’s time with the Ottawa Senators may be coming to an end. Of course, what may also be happening is the Senators are in the midst of an organization-wide contract freeze until the details of next season become more apparent but if it’s not that, then Brennan says it’s another soon-to-be case of the “one that got away” for our dear Senators. In all seriousness, it would suck to see Mark Borowiecki leave, especially under unpleasant circumstances. If Boro thinks he can get more elsewhere and sees a rare opportunity to cash-in, then by all means. You go get that multi-year deal, Borocop. But if this really is a case of the Senators not even trying to get something done with a decent hockey player, a great Senator and a perfect leader, well then that’s pretty unfortunate. I still expect Dorion to give Boro’s agent a call once they uhh get back to work.
