If it weren't for that pesky CBA issue, the Ottawa Senators would be just a few weeks away from opening training camp at Scotiabank Place.
They would be just 26 days away from the first game of the preseason. A short four weeks from the first preseason game on home ice, and in just 44 days, we would be getting set for the season opener at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Instead, the only date on the mind's of hockey fans is September 15th.
That's the date when the current CBA expires and the Owners are expected to lockout the players and bring all the positive momentum and optimism surrounding the NHL to a screeching halt. With that date rapidly approaching, there has been little in the way of good news to report from negotiations.
On Tuesday in New York, Gary Bettman and Bill Daly will sit down with Donald and Steve Fehr to see if they can finally push these talks in the right direction.
To date, there has been a whole lot of time wasting between the two sides but with just four representatives in the room, you would think they could finally get down to the actual negotiation.
Here's hoping there is some good news to report after tomorrow's meeting.
- A few people have sent in emails and comments asking about Bobby Ryan. I can tell you that right now, all has gone quiet on that front. The Sens were interested in the Ducks winger but as I've indicated on a couple of occasions, found that the asking price was far too high for their liking. As it stands right now, the Sens will be counting on one of the young players to step up and grab the opening on the top line with Spezza and Michalek. Silfverberg, Zibanejad and Stone will all have a shot, while Colin Greening- who spent a lot of time on the top line last season- will also have an opportunity.
- Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus has released his rankings for the Ottawa Senators and has ranked Mika Zibanejad as the top player in the system. The recently signed Cody Ceci comes in at 2nd while Jakob Silfverberg rounds out the top three. You can check out the full rankings here.
