The Ottawa Senators’ 2024 coaching camp will probably be stuffed with drama as gamers battle for roster spots and administration agonizes over who to maintain and who to chop. But this 12 months, the battles and storylines followers will probably be following will probably be as a lot about who turned heads within the govt suite as it will likely be about who snagged one of many few roster spots up for grabs.
Few Senators Roster Spots Open at 2024 Coaching Camp
Because the Senators’ coaching camp opened on Sept. 18, it was clear that their roster was principally set. Within the depth chart beneath are the gamers who I believe have a lock on the opening evening roster. If I’m proper, there are solely three roster spots which are in play.
Forwards:
| Brady Tkachuk | Tim Stutzle | Claude Giroux |
| David Perron | Josh Norris | Drake Batherson |
| Nick Cousins | Shane Pinto | Michael Amadio |
| Noah Gregor | Ridly Greig | Open Spot |
Defence:
| Jake Sanderson | Artem Zub |
| Thomas Chabot | Nick Jensen |
| Tyler Kleven | Open Spot |
Seventh Defenceman: Open Spot
Goaltenders:
Challengers for Senators’ Open Spot at Ahead
Some pundits say 6-foot-3, 205-pound robust man Zack MacEwen ought to have the lock on the one open spot on the Senators’ fourth line since he’s signed to a one-way contract, albeit on the league minimal. Sending him all the way down to the American Hockey League (AHL) means working the danger of dropping him on waivers for nothing. Even so, final season he bounced forwards and backwards between the Belleville Senators and the NHL, clearing waivers twice. There’s a low threat of dropping him.
Which will imply president of hockey operations and common supervisor (GM) Steve Staios will really feel he’s in a position to experiment with 5 – 6 choices he has to beef up his fourth line. They embrace veteran Adam Gaudette and rookies Angus Crookshank, Stephen Halliday, Jan Jenik, and Zack Ostapchuk.
Among the many rookies, my cash can be on Ostapchuk to battle his approach onto the opening evening lineup. As my colleague and resident prospect sage Dayton Reimer at The Hockey Writers identified, Ostapchuk proved in his six NHL video games final season that he might be an excellent match for the Senators and slide right into a distinguished position at the same time as a rookie. He’s a heart-and-soul participant who brings a bodily edge, is nice with the puck, is quick, and has a excessive hockey IQ.
Associated: Senators Prospect Report: Ostapchuk, Crookshank, Nikitin & Extra
Crookshank gained’t roll over in coaching camp and quit the open spot on the fourth line to Ostapchuk. Crookshank made his NHL debut final season, taking part in 13 video games and scoring two targets and three factors. Accidents had plagued him within the minors early in his time there, however by the 2022-23 season, he was absolutely recovered and put up back-to-back 24-plus objective and 46-plus level seasons in Belleville. Final season he was named to the AHL All-Star Sport. Together with talent, power, and pace, he brings a gritty bodily model to the rink.
Ostapchuck and Crookshank are lower from the identical material as Tkachuk. His high-skilled, gritty model underpins the id that the Senators beneath Staios and head coach Travis Inexperienced are attempting to determine. Ostapchuck and Crookshank might assist convey Tkachuk’s coronary heart and soul sport to the underside six.
If veteran expertise on the fourth line is what Staios thinks he wants, Gaudette brings it. He performed 50 video games with Ottawa in 2021-22 earlier than shifting on as a free agent on the finish of that season. In all, he has 220 video games beneath his belt over elements of six seasons with 4 NHL golf equipment.
Competitors for Senators’ Third Defence Pairing
Ottawa’s first two defence pairings are set. I’d additionally wager that Tyler Kleven is a lock on the left facet of the third pairing, leaving the proper facet obtainable for a number of gamers to contest at coaching camp.
Early in the summertime, it regarded just like the job on the proper facet was Jacob Bernard-Docker’s to lose with veteran Travis Hamonic on most nights because the seventh blueliner. Some at the moment are saying that Hamonic might muscle Bernard-Docker off the roster now that he’s wholesome. Not solely that, however he as soon as was a teammate of Staios and performed beneath Inexperienced when he coached the Vancouver Canucks. That ought to depend for one thing if Bernard-Docker fails to make it clear at coaching camp that the proper facet of the third pairing belongs to him.
A darkish horse within the race will probably be Calen Addison. Staios signed him on Sept. 5 to an expert tryout (PTO) giving Addison a shot at resurrecting his NHL profession after the San Jose Sharks surprisingly let him stroll as a free agent on the finish of final season.
Associated: Senators Good to Signal Calen Addison to PTO
Addison is undersized, however he brings pace and offensive talent to the roster. He’s a puck-moving D-man – one thing the Senators might use extra of now that Jakob Chychrun and Erik Brannstrom are gone. What’s extra, Addison can complement Kleven who’s extra of a traditional stay-at-home defenceman.
Staios has different choices on the proper facet of the third defence pairing. Prospects Maxence Guenette and Nikolas Mantinpalo will probably be attempting exhausting to make the case that in the event that they aren’t chosen to swimsuit up on opening evening, then they need to be on the short-list of call-ups when accidents depart holes to fill within the lineup.
Of the 2, Guenette in all probability has a good likelihood of taking part in his approach right into a everlasting roster spot since final season he was broadly considered having earned a spot out of camp. He had to return to the AHL as a result of there was too little cap area to signal him. Which may be an issue once more this season with solely $1.1 million obtainable to Staios.
The Battle to Be the Senators’ Backup Goalie
Linus Ullmark is the Senators’ beginning goaltender. But what might make issues fascinating at coaching camp this 12 months is whether or not Mads Sogaard can put the concept in Staios’ head that he might be an alternative choice to Anton Forsberg because the workforce’s quantity two twine minder.
That query issues as a result of nearly as good as he’s, Ullmark gained’t be taking part in each evening and his backup might want to play 20-30 video games this season. If Forsberg struggles, might Sogaard take his place? If he’s injured, what then? And God forbid, if Ullmark is injured, might Sogaard again up Forsberg when he’s the workforce’s primary?
The Senators’ 2024 Coaching Camp is One to Watch
To his credit score, Staios tinkered along with his lineup proper as much as the beginning of coaching camp with additions (see Nick Cousins) and PTOs (see Addison and Nikolay Kulemin). I’ve to imagine that’s not less than partly as a result of he was aiming to torque the extent of competitors for roster spots and see who thrives beneath stress.
This camp might see a darkish horse or two play their approach into the lineup. But for individuals who don’t, the camp is an opportunity to make the case that they need to be first in line for a call-up when accidents and departures take their inevitable toll this season.
