There won’t be many job openings when the Ottawa Senators open training camp next week at the Canadian Tire Centre.
But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any battles for playing time.
If defence wins championships, the Senators should have difficult decisions to make before the club opens the season against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Oct. 9.
While Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub, Jordan Spence, Tyler Kleven and Nikolas Matinpalo have the best shot to be the top six to start the year, there will be plenty of players pushing for time in camp.
Though the above scenario could change if defenceman Nick Jensen is ready to start the season after having hip surgery in late May, that usually carries a recovery period of four to six months.
There was no timeline given by Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, when the Senators confirmed Jensen had a procedure.
By all accounts, Jensen — who played with the ailment for most of the second half last season — is ahead of schedule, but it remains doubtful that he’ll be ready for opening night.
The Senators will have a better idea of the timeline if Jensen can be a full participant in camp. The players will report for medicals next Wednesday.
That doesn’t mean he’ll miss the whole season or be out until Christmas, but the Senators won’t bring Jensen back until he’s 100% healthy, which means he’ll take whatever time is necessary.
His absence will make it interesting in the push for jobs.
“The goal is to try and build depth within a number of areas in the organization,” Staios said. “We have some competition on defence, without a doubt, and it creates (an atmosphere) for a competitive training camp.”
Defenceman Lassi Thomson, who spent last year in Europe, was brought back on a one-year, two-way deal. The club’s top pick in the 2019 draft had a solid year in the Swedish league and will provide depth if he doesn’t make the club coming out of camp.
The club also signed veteran Cameron Crotty to a two-year, two-way deal and brought back Donovan Sebrango as a restricted free agent.
And then there is rookie defenceman Carter Yakemchuk, who will participate in the rookie tournament this weekend in Montreal.
Staios and coach Travis Green had a tough time sending Yakemchuk back to the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen last year after the way he performed in the pre-season, but they did what was best for his career.
The Senators top selection in the 2024 NHL draft pushed for a spot last season and is expected to start with the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville this year. But it will be interesting to see what kind of progress Yakemchuk made in Calgary last season.
The Senators wanted Yakemchuk to improve his defensive game and we’ll see this weekend in the rookie games how much he has advanced.
“We want him to come in with the attitude of trying to make the hockey club as a young player,” Staios said. “We’ll have to be the gauge and he’ll dictate that for us, but you gauge these young players to where they are in their development.
“We’re extremely encouraged by the steps he has taken, but also the ceiling of the talent of the player.”
Spence was the most high-profile addition that Staios made after the club opted not to bring back veteran Travis Hamonic.
The 24-year-old posted four goals and 24 points in 79 games with the Los Angeles Kings last season. At 5-foot-11, he’s not the biggest player but, by all accounts, he can get the job done.
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“I just want to do my job and play my game,” Spence said. “I try to take every opportunity possible and do the best I can. If there is an opportunity to get more playing time or more opportunities to play anywhere, I’m going to do the best I can. I don’t want to look back.”
One player the Senators need to decide on is blueliner Max Guenette, who is an unsigned RFA. He’s a serviceable defenceman, but he has been surpassed by others in the organization.
League executives tell Postmedia that the club has been trying to trade the 24-year-old Guenette, who was a seventh-round selection in the 2019 draft. If he’s not traded, there is a chance Guenette will sign in Europe.
He finished with nine goals and 23 points in 58 games with Belleville, but it doesn’t appear he fits in the organization any longer. If Guenette is going to be traded, the Senators will likely have to take a contract in return.
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