It took me exactly 50 games to accept it, but the Ottawa Senators are not going to make the playoffs this season.
Maybe now that I’ve officially put it in writing they’ll go on a historic run just to prove me wrong. That SensChirp Curse has some pretty magical powers.
And while playoffs would have been nice, there is still plenty to look forward to for Sens fans over the next few months. The trade deadline looks like it could be a busy one, the Draft Lottery has the potential to change the course of the franchise forever (even if it’s only an 8.5% chance), and the Draft itself is always exciting.
The Senators are in Buffalo tomorrow night and then return home for five straight against Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Carolina, Montreal and Florida. Before we get to the week on the ice, let’s take a quick look at some of the rumours surrounding this team off ice.
-The Ottawa Senators are one of the teams trying to pry Evander Kane out of Winnipeg, despite the season-ending shoulder injury. Elliotte Friedman discussed the situation on Saturday night and mentioned Philadelphia, Buffalo and Ottawa as teams that are out of playoff contention that might be willing to make a deal now. The Jets are looking for something that can help them this year rather than a package filled with prospects and picks. This is where I have a hard time figuring out what Ottawa could offer. Craig Anderson would certainly fit that description but I really don’t think the Senators want to go down that path. Ottawa would have to make a pretty special offer though because it’s pretty clear teams are still lining up for his services.
-Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to Evander Kane is the fact that the Senators interest is certainly not a new development. Much like with Bobby Ryan, the Sens have been keeping an eye on Kane for a couple years and demonstrated serious interest as far back as July 2013.
-And while it’s exciting to dream up potential Evander Kane trades, the Senators may also want to hold off and wait till the summer to make a play for an impact forward. Kane is the name that has dominated the rumour mill the last week or so but there could be some other options that open up during the summer months. For example, we know the Senators made an offer to the Oilers about Taylor Hall a little over a month ago. Not sure if the Oilers end up moving him but it might be worth waiting to find out.
-It should come as no surprise but it seems like every team Bryan Murray talks to lately asks about Curtis Lazar. Buffalo, Phoenix and Edmonton have all asked about Lazar at different times this season. Obviously it would take a pretty special trade for the Senators to even consider moving Lazar though.
-With three straight losses, the Senators have now slipped to 26th overall. It’s been a disappointing season but the possibility of landing a top five pick at the draft in June could certainly help ease the pain of a disappointing season. Looking at Bob McKenzie’s draft rankings, there is obviously a ton of talent on the board this year and even if they were to slide a little bit, the Senators are still guaranteed to get a great player. I still have dreams of winning the draft lottery but if they do end up picking at five, Mitch Marner would be the guy I would target. I’ll admit that’s almost entirely based on his unbelievable skill and ridiculous point totals.
-ESPN writer Craig Custance certainly caught the attention of Sens fans last week when he tweeted that the Ottawa Senators were “open for business” leading up to the deadline and that some of the names he was hearing went beyond the usual suspects. With five restricted free agents to sign this summer, including Zibanejad, Chiasson, Hoffman, Pageau and Stone, the Senators may be looking to give themselves a little flexibility relative to the internal budget. Important to note, and we note it ever damn time there’s a rumour the last couple years, but any deal will have to be pretty close to money in, money out.
-Chris Neil mentioned to the media that in a perfect world he would stay here in Ottawa but he seems to sort of feel like some of it is out of his hands. While he has a 15 team no-trade list, there are still 15 other options for Bryan Murray to consider. Murray has indicated in the past that he’s going to leave it up to Neil to decide if he’d like to go to contender but I think that will sort of depend on the quality of offers he receives over the next few weeks. We know Winnipeg has interest but they are one of the 15 teams on his no-go list. A reunion with Mike Fisher in Nashville makes a whole lot of sense though and seems like a situation Neil might be comfortable with. It’s worth noting that the Predators still have all their picks in 2015.
-Will be interesting to see what the Senators do with their blueline leading up to the deadline. They are currently carrying eight healthy defenceman and we know that’s certainly not their preference. They also have a couple options down in Binghamton (Wideman, Claesson) that certainly deserve some games down the stretch. Chris Phillips has apparently generated a little bit of trade interest but like Neil, has some say in where he ends up. His no trade clause includes ten teams he can’t be traded to. Methot, Wiercioch, Gryba, and Cowen could all be had in the right deal. Should note that the preference is still to keep Methot but if they can’t figure out an extension in the next few weeks, the Senators have to move him.
