(UPDATE 7:20 PM)- First it was Ryan Potulny, now another star from the Binghamton Senators Calder Cup winning team is headed elsewhere. The Edmonton Oilers/Oklahoma City Barons have signed BSens Captain Ryan Keller to a contract. All the best to Ryan in Edmonton!
With today’s annual 3 on 3 tournament now in the books, the Sens officially wrap up their yearly Prospect Development Camp. The week long event is a great chance for the organization to see prospects first hand and for those prospects to see what it takes to be pro.
And if the reviews from Sens staff and fans are any indication, the future is extremely bright for the Ottawa Senators.
Early on in the camp, Director of Player Personnel Randy Lee suggested that this was the most talent he has seen at this camp in his 15 years with the organization. That statement certainly bodes well for the hockey club moving forward.
While I personally didn’t have a chance to make it down for any of the events, I have been able to speak with a number of people that did and it really sounds like there is reason to be excited about a number of the players in this year’s camp. The guy who I think I’ve heard the most positive reviews on is Jared Cowen.
Cowen has built on the success he enjoyed in Spokane and Binghamton this season and looks ready to make the jump.
He has learned to use his size to his advantage and demonstrated that regualrly in this camp. While these obviously aren’t NHL guys he’s going up against, Cowen was a physical force out there. You have to think the club wants to find a spot for him on next year’s blue line.
Sixth overall selection Mika Zibanejad is another player that has impressed. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would head to Sweden for at least one more season but that no longer appears to be the case. If he can come to camp in good shape and a little bit stronger, I think he has a chance to crack the roster next season. Fellow Swede, Jakob Silfverberg would also have had a great shot at making the club but he plans to spend another season over in Sweden.
It’s too bad because people at the camp seem extremely excited about this kid.
Team Blue ended up winning today’s 3 on 3 tourny with a hard fought win over Team Grey. Members of the winning team included Ben Blood, Ryan Dzingle, Mike Hoffman, Kyril Lyamin, Stefan Noesen and Mark Stone.
If anyone had a chance to make it out to the Camp today, I would love to read some reviews on the tournament.
- Today was also the final episode in the Senate Reform series. I’ve read some pretty tough reviews of the series but overall, I enjoyed it. While it may not have had the depth some of us were hoping for, it is definitely a step in the right direction for the organization. It’s great to see the Senators looking for new ways to connect with the fan base.
- I don’t know about the rest of you but I can not recall the last time I got so much enjoyment out of a trade that had nothing to do with the Ottawa Senators. Last night’s Heatley for Havlat swap is one that caught the league by surprise and left Sens fans with a smile on their face. Heatley, who was completely caught off guard by the deal, now heads to Minnesota to join a rebuilding Wild team in a city that apparently gets quite cold in the Winter time. See you on October 11, Dany.
- As we enter a bit of down time in the hockey off season, I can tell you that a new SensChirp contest is in the works. It will be quite similar to the Duck Hunt we had last summer. Stay tuned for details on that!
