If there is one thing to keep in mind about Training Camp, it’s that you have to be careful not to overreact.
With that said, after a few days of reading updates from Camp, I feel pretty comfortable saying the Ottawa Senators may not lose a game this season.
DJ Smith had his team on the ice for a few days this week and by all accounts, a good time was had by all. And honestly, that’s about as far as you can take the analysis this time of year.
Drawing conclusions from camp is dangerous but there are always clues about what we can expect when the games start for real in a few weeks time. Obviously everybody is in the best shape of their lives but it’s the comments from the coaches and the early pairings that really give us a sense of how this team might look and play when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 14th.
Some thoughts on the first few days of Camp…
-While Nick Paul is clearly a placeholder on that top line with Josh Norris and Drake Batherson, he’s going to be someone to watch this season. His temporary spot on that top line is a good indication that they see him as someone that can play up and down the lineup and in all situations. The now 26-year old forward is a physical freak of nature and regularly takes that whole best shape of your life thing to the limit. Paul is coming off back to back 20-point seasons but you sort of get the sense there’s an offensive breakout season in there somewhere. A contract year seems like as good a time as any.
-If you weren’t already off-the-charts excited about Tim Stützle, well then you haven’t really been paying attention. Obviously his coaches and teammates are going to say nice things about him but there does seem to be a general sense of awe when it comes to his performance through the first few days of Camp. There were moments last year where we it was obvious that he was a star-in-making but then also night where we were reminded that he was a very much still a teenager. It sounds like he’s ready to take his game to the next level this season.
-Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub is definitely gonna be a thing. They played together a bit last year but it just never seemed to stick. Meanwhile this season, it looks like DJ Smith is prepared to give them a little longer leash and give them a chance to build some chemistry. The other thing DJ has mentioned on multiple occasions is that it’s his intent to give Chabot more time in offensive situations. This is instead of last year’s approach of just giving him ALL the situations. That would leave a pairing of Del Zotto-Zaitsev (and maybe Holden) to handle the tougher match-ups and defensive zone starts. We’ll see how long that lasts.
-Last year, there was a real focus on making sure the young players earned their spots in the lineup. And while the team has successfully integrated a bunch of those key youngsters into the lineup, there are more on the way. And those guys will have to earn it too. Shane Pinto, in particular, seems like he’s going to have beat out some of the vets for a job rather than just have it handed to him. Chris Tierney has been playing on what looks like a second line with Tim Stützle and Connor Brown and it seems like that’s his spot to lose, at this point. We’ll see if one of the younger guys, as in Shane Pinto and Logan Brown, can take it away from him in Camp and through the preseason.
-One thing that has jumped out from a few of the media availabilities, and in particular those interviews with new players, is the pace is pretty high. Both Tyler Ennis and Michael Del Zotto have commented on the ‘culture’ DJ Smith has built with this group. That’s a great sign. The Senators pride themselves on being a ‘tough team to play against’. The first couple years of this rebuild have been focused on building the right attitude in these young players. It sounds like it’s working and more importantly, it sounds like it’s carrying over from year to year.
-While all players, coaches and management are saying the right things, it is a little bit odd not having Brady Tkachuk here. Him missing a week of Camp doesn’t really impact things in the long run and he should be able to get up to speed quickly but it’s just…unfortunate. In terms of building team chemistry and setting the stage for the rest of the year, these Training Camp days are important. It just would have been nice to have Brady around. Soon, hopefully. Soon.
The Senators will scrimmage this morning, beginning at 10:10 AM. It will be shown live on the team’s official YouTube channel. They’ll play an actual hockey game, against the Winnipeg Jets, tomorrow night.
