The talk finally turned to action for the Ottawa Senators, but not for defenceman Jordan Spence.
After making the playoffs for the first time in eight years last spring, the Senators officially turned the page on training camp with the puck being dropped on Opening Night against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday at the Benchmark International Arena.
With a goal of not only getting back to the National Hockey League’s big dance next spring but making it at least a step further, the lineup decisions made by coach Travis Green set off a debate on social media following Thursday’s morning skate.
Spence, acquired from the Los Angeles Kings for two picks at the NHL draft in June, was a healthy scratch in this one. Instead, the club opted to go with Nikolas Matinpalo in the third pairing with Donovan Sebrango.
This will be a tough pill for Spence to swallow. He suited up for 79 games with the Kings last season and averaged 16 minutes and 47 seconds per night. He finished with four goals and 28 points with the Kings and the expectation was he could be in Ottawa’s top four.
He wanted a fresh start when he was dealt here by the Kings in the spring, but this wouldn’t be the way either he or Steve Staios — the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager — would have envisioned the lineup unfolding before camp started.
Green has to play his best players and it’s fair to say the 24-year-old Spence wasn’t at his best in training camp. This wouldn’t have come as a complete surprise because he skated in the fourth pairing for two days leading up to the morning skate.
The reality is Spence could be one loss away from making his debut and staying in the lineup. The Lightning and the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are both big teams, which means Green may have simply opted for more size.
But the reality is the club’s sixth and seventh blueliners will have to battle for playing time until a roster is set.
When the Senators brought Spence in, Staios had no idea that Nick Jensen would be ready to return from what was essentially a hip-replacement surgery.
The 35-year-old Jensen has made a remarkable recovery and was back in his spot beside Thomas Chabot against the Bolts.
“It’s surprising. If you were to pick a guy who would make a quicker comeback, he’d be at the top of your list,” Green said. “He’s an extremely hard worker and he’s a very focused individual. He loves training and competing.
“Those guys will usually do whatever it takes to get back, and he’s put in a lot of hard work.”
Tyler Kleven, who didn’t make the trip to Florida, has been out for three weeks with an ankle injury that wasn’t considered long-term when he suffered it on Sept. 21. But Green told Postmedia on Tuesday the recovery wasn’t as quick as expected for Kleven.
It hasn’t helped Spence that Sebrango had a tremendous camp and pushed for a spot with Kleven injured. The Ottawa native has had to work hard to get to this point and Sebrango deserved to face the Bolts in this one because he earned the chance.
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This is a guy who didn’t get much attention as part of the deal that sent Alex DeBrincat to the Detroit Red Wings in July 2023. Former GM Pierre Dorion felt Sebrango had some upside, but thought he could bring a rugged style to the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville.
Staios and Green have both said that Sebrango has put himself on the club’s radar with his development in the past 24 months since he was brought into the organization. He was a third-round pick in 2020 by the Wings and played two games for Ottawa last season.
“He has continued to evolve as a player,” Staios said on Wednesday before the club left for Tampa. “His skating has taken another step in the right direction. He’s always been a competitive kid. I’ve watched him play a long time through junior.
“He’s got an underlying ability that is starting to scratch the surface at the pro level now. He’s a fully committed player and brings an element of toughness to our team as well. He’s competitive and he continues to get better.”
It’s only Game 1 for the Senators of the 82 they’ll suit up for this season, and there will be plenty of debates daily ahead.