The calendar has turned to September, most children in the city went back to school on Tuesday, and the weather has cooled with the start of the Ottawa Senators’ training camp set for Sept. 16.
Yes, it’s hockey season.
Steve Staios, the Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager, has made changes, and though he told season-ticket holders last month he’s always trying to improve the club, it would appear this roster is almost set.
A league executive told the Ottawa Citizen on Tuesday that it’s difficult to make trades or big moves this close to camp. Teams have done their business in the off-season and want to see what they have during exhibition games.
Now, it’s about determining where everybody will fit when training camp gets underway at the Canadian Tire Centre. There will be new faces in different places, larger responsibilities for some on the roster and an expectation that the Senators will be a contender.
Where will everybody fit?
While we won’t know what the Senators will look like without former captain Brady Tkachuk until the puck is dropped on Oct. 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, life will go on without the power forward, who was dealt to the Florida Panthers in June for four draft picks.
The acquisition of skilled forward William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks, which happened only 24 hours after Tkachuk was traded to the Panthers, was a quick piece of work by Staios.
Eklund will fill the void left by Tkachuk’s departure on the left side of top centre Tim Stutzle. Eklund scored 15 goals and 53 points last season with the Sharks. He can make plays, and, at 23 years old, he fits into what the Senators are trying to build here.
Staios tried desperately to acquire another top-six forward.
But in the end, the Senators opted to acquire Andre Burakovsky from the Chicago Blackhawks in a trade. He hasn’t scored 20 goals in the NHL since the 2019 campaign with the Colorado Avalanche, but will have a chance to play in a top-six role here.
Burakovksy, Claude Giroux and Fabian Zetterlund will be the mix of forwards who have a chance to play on the club’s top two lines. Winger Drake Batherson and centre Dylan Cozens will be part of the top six with Eklund and Stutzle, but the rest is to be determined.
Did the Senators look at Laine?
The short answer is yes, Staios and the Senators discussed the possibility of signing unrestricted free agent winger Patrik Laine, but it’s highly doubtful he’ll end up with Ottawa.
It’s highly unlikely unrestricted free agent winger Patrik Laine will end up in Ottawa, writes Bruce Garrioch.
In fact, that ship has likely sailed.
The 28-year-old Laine struggled to stay healthy with the Montreal Canadiens, and, as a result, his stock fell off the map. The Senators could use a pure scorer, and Laine has consistently potted 20 goals.
There is reportedly interest from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning. If other Eastern teams are interested in Laine, why aren’t the Senators?
Laine has scored 224 goals and 422 points in 537 career games. His career high is 44 goals with Winnipeg in 2017-18. Laine scored 30 goals in his first three years and has scored 20 goals or more in four other seasons.
We’re led to believe that the Senators don’t feel that Laine is the right fit for their roster. Yes, he can sign a bonus-laden contract, so there isn’t much risk involved, but the Senators are relying on the fact that Burakovsky can find his game in Ottawa.
Will they make the playoffs?
There is no reason for the Senators to take a step back.
The expectation is that the Senators should go further than a first-round playoff exit next spring. Anything less should be totally unacceptable. The Senators like to say they made progress last year, but a four-game sweep is a tough sell.
Trading Tkachuk was tough, but it wasn’t devastating. Are they a better team without him? No. Are they easier to play against? Possibly. But, they’ve still got a strong core, lots of offensive talent and a group that bought into what coach Travis Green was selling last season.
We’re going to hear more from the Senators in the coming days. Most of the players are in town. Staios will likely speak with the media on Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre when the club holds its annual get-together to show off what’s new at the rink this season.
The Senators don’t appear to have any major moves left. The roster is largely set, the questions that remain will be answered on the ice, and the focus shifts from building the team to proving it can contend.
September is about optimism, line combinations and fresh starts. The Senators believe they’re built to take the next step. Now comes the hard part: showing everybody else they’re right.
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