In the words of Bob Cole, “everything is happening”.
While most of us were expecting a quiet lead up to the start of training camp, Pierre Dorion had other ideas in mind.
Despite declaring his roster was pretty much set just 11 days ago, the Senators General Manager has done more than his fair share of wheeling and dealing in the last 48 hours. And even though he said he would wait until after the World Juniors to lock up Tim Stuetzle, he just couldn’t help himself.
Turns out Pierre may not be the world’s greatest truth-teller but at least he’s keeping things interesting around here.
Let’s start the week right with another edition of Monday News and Notes.
-The trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning is exactly the type of deal fans have been begging for from the Senators. While they get a couple serviceable players in return, this was a clear case of Ottawa putting their cap space to good use and getting an asset in return in the process. There was an unhealthy amount of hand-wringing over the decision to give up a 2nd round pick in the Derek Stepan trade but what Dorion and the Senators know is just how easy it is to get those assets back, especially when you have all kinds of cap flexibility. What’s great about this deal with Tampa Bay is not only are the players they get back on expiring deals but they also used their leverage in the negotiations to send some dead money the other way.
-It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with Braydon Coburn. The now 35-year old defenceman was in and out of the Tampa Bay line up during their run to the Stanley Cup, ultimately appearing in just 40 games during the regular season and only three in the playoffs. While he may have something left in the tank and see Ottawa as a chance to get a little more playing time, you have to wonder if retirement might be a consideration at this point in his career. With just one year left on his deal at $1.6 mil, it the hassle of packing up and moving from Tampa Bay to Ottawa at this point in his career might be less than appealing, especially when you factor in the complexities of this upcoming season. He’s a great addition to the taxi squad but it wouldn’t be surprising if he decided to pack it in before ever pulling on a Sens sweater.
-In Cedric Paquette, the Senators are getting another guy that fits in that mold of “tough to play against”. While he too is probably a step over the hill at this point in his career, he can still bring energy to a team’s fourth line. Thinking back to my trip to Tampa Bay a couple years ago, it was amazing just how popular this guy was with Tampa Bay fans. And watching some of the reaction to the trade on Twitter, it’s pretty clear they were sad to see him go. At just 27 years of age and a year away from unrestricted free agency, Paquette will be eager to prove he still has something left in the tank. He’ll probably be in and out of the line up here in Ottawa but I suspect he’ll be a fan favourite around these parts too.
-So while there’s debate about whether Coburn and Paquette ever really play an important role with the Senators, the same can’t be said for their other trade acquisition. Derek Stepan is going to play with the Senators this season and you could probably make the argument that he comes into camp as the number one centre on the team’s depth chart. At 30 years of age and entering the final year of his contract, Stepan is going to be eager to prove he can still play and he should get that opportunity here in Ottawa. Stepan took on a more defensive role in Arizona the last couple seasons but he should see ice time in all situations with the Senators. Stepan’s wife is expecting a baby in early January though which could mean he’ll be a little late arriving in Ottawa. Seems unlikely he’ll be available to start the season but it’s going to be close.
-With a new centre rolling into town just ahead of the season, there is a lot of talk about what that might mean for a couple of the team’s centre prospects hoping to crack the roster this season. At a high-level, with the condensed schedule, the taxi squad and the general expectation that players will be in and out of the line up for most of the season, it really shouldn’t make a big difference. There will be plenty of ice time to go around. With that said, there’s some talk out that things may be reaching a breaking point with Logan Brown. And that was the case before the Derek Stepan trade. While it’s unclear if a trade request was already made, some people close to the team believe that may be the direction things are headed in. It’s a shame if it comes to that. It’s hard to believe Logan Brown would get a better opportunity than he still appears to have here in Ottawa. Here’s hoping cooler heads prevail and he comes into Camp and earns a spot on the team.
-A day after signing his entry-level contract with the Senators, Tim Stuetzle will be right back at it today at the World Juniors. After a couple tough games to start their tournament, Team Germany has two crucial games coming up including tonight against Slovakia and Wednesday against Switzerland. Again, it would be pretty easy for Stuetzle to coast through those two games knowing he’ll be in the NHL in a couple weeks time but if those games against Finland and Canada are any indication, “coast” isn’t really in this kid’s vocabulary.
-Speaking of training camp, it uhh starts in three days. The Ottawa Senators are one of seven teams with clearance to start camp a little early and while players have already been having their own on-ice workouts in anticipation, things will officially get underway on Thursday. From there, it’s going to be a bit of a sprint for DJ Smith and the coaching staff as they attempt to get the team ready for the season opener in less than three weeks. Without the benefit of preseason games as an evaluation tool, the bubble guys will really have to hit the ground running if they want to make an impression on the coaching staff. Although with the lingering uncertainty over the upcoming American Hockey League, the Senators may be forced to keep everyone around a little longer than usual.
-Anthony LeBlanc, the team’s President of Business Operations, sat down with Bruce Garrioch ahead of the new season and provided some insight into where things stand on the business front heading into the new season. In addition to the news that the team will announce their new sponsors for helmet advertisements in the next couple days, was the idea that the Senators are still hopeful they’ll be able to have fans in the rink at some point during this 56-game season. And according to LeBlanc, they are confident they can safely accommodate “thousands” of fans.
