Two more sleeps.
We are almost there folks. It has been a long off season around these parts but in a couple of days, the games will start for real with the season opening game in Nashville.
The Senators were back on the ice for practice this morning as Paul MacLean and his staff prepares the team for the start of the regular season. It has been said before but it’s especially true for a bubble team like the Ottawa Senators- you can’t make the playoffs in October and November but you certainly can miss them with a slow start.
It’s sort of a weird schedule to start the season as the team begins with a trip down South. After the opener against the Predators, the Sens travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning on Saturday night and then head to Sunrise for a Monday night showdown with the Florida Panthers. The Senators then have a couple nights off before the home opener against the Colorado Avalanche. It’s the start of a new season and we don’t really know how good any team will be but those all seem like winnable games for Ottawa. A great chance for a fast start.
Here’s how MacLean had his team lined up this morning.
MacArthur-Turris-Ryan
Michalek-Zibanejad-Chiasson
Smith-Legwand-Stone
Hoffman-Lazar-Neil
Extra- Greening, Condra
Cowen-Karlsson
Phillips-Ceci
Borowiecki-Gryba
Extra- Wiercioch
A few other notes heading into the start of the new season
-Bryan Murray has been shopping both Colin Greening and Erik Condra around the league but not surprisingly, there isn’t a whole lot of interest. Not right now anyway. Teams have their rosters pretty much set and have their own prospects to make room for. It’s believed that Murray has let it be known those two are available since last season and there isn’t really much interest. They came very close to dealing Greening to Edmonton last year but obviously it didn’t work out. While it would be nice if the Senators could “make room” for a young guy, there’s really no rush to get something done. Injuries can and will happen early in the season and having veteran depth is never a bad thing.
-Coming into this season we knew the defence had to improve if Ottawa was going to have any shot at competing for a playoff spot this season. With Methot out to start the season, the Senators will be counting on a couple of young guys to play big minutes. Right now it looks like Patrick Wiercioch is the odd man out.
-This Marc Methot situation is getting a tad awkward. The contract negotiations have been slow and Methot’s lingering back injury certainly isn’t helping the process. Methot has been essentially “shut down” for the time being and been placed on the injured reserve list. There is no timeline for his return. Meanwhile, Methot and his agents rejected Murray’s latest offer- a 4 year deal worth $4.6 mil a season. And for now anyway, there isn’t another offer coming.
-Curtis Lazar cracked the 23-man roster and to listen to Bryan Murray yesterday, it sounds like he’s here for the long haul. That nine game mark will still be a significant one for Lazar though so a strong start will be important. With extra forwards among the 23, Lazar is going to have to play well to keep his spot in the lineup. Right now, MacLean has him starting on a line with Mike Hoffman and Chris Neil. The Coach trusts Lazar but it’s hard to see that combination getting big minutes. Making the roster was a huge step for Lazar but he can’t be stuck playing 8 minutes a night. Ice time distribution will be interesting to watch in the early going this season.
-And lastly, a little Erik Karlsson tribute video. Can the season just start tonight, please?
