As Senators prepare for season with expectations, Hockey Canada investigation persists

With an off-ice spending spree and big-name additions, the Ottawa Senators had a sunnier summer than most Canadians.

So they will just have to live with the fact that a dark and lingering cloud lingers over them until the NHL completes its investigation into the Hockey Canada scandal involving Canada’s World Juniors team. 2018.

Eight players, including members of this team, have been charged with sexually assaulting a woman in London, Ont., following a Hockey Canada gala in 2018. Two players from this team, Alex Formenton and Drake Batherson , are part of the Senators organization. Batherson is one of 59 players invited to training camp who took to the ice on Thursday – in fact, he’s a top winger.

Formenton, meanwhile, does not yet have a contract as a free agent with compensation.

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters in a pre-camp briefing Wednesday that he could not comment on the situation until it was resolved.

“I think we all want answers,” Dorion said, “but because of ongoing investigations in the NHL, we can’t talk about it.”

Dorion says the organization has been talking to its players about hockey culture for a while now, and that as a parent and general manager, “I want to make sure we’re doing everything the right way. »

The general manager added that the investigations had no impact on the contractual relations with his players (the inference being, Formenton), and that different contract scenarios were discussed with the agents of Formenton (Newport), the same agency that represented Brady Tkachuk in his lengthy contract negotiations last summer.

Later in the Q&A session, Dorion called Formenton and Tkachuk “two major plays here.”

In the meantime, the camp will start tomorrow, with high expectations and no Formenton at the ice rink.

Defense is the focus

The funny thing about adding talent up front – namely Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat while having young stars Josh Norris and Tim Stützle extended to long-term contracts – the worry becomes then the blue line.

While head coach DJ Smith, who joined Dorion at the press conference, talked about the pleasant problem of having too many markers to fit on a power play unit (he envisions a two-unit system, like the St. Louis Blues), he admitted his side goal involved the defensive corps.

“Where do people stand in the back,” Smith said rhetorically. “Who’s stepped up, better than they were last year. It will be exciting for me there.

Dorion is always trying to improve his blue line, and it’s no secret that he was in on the game trying to acquire Jakob Chychrun from Arizona. He said he won’t wait to make improvements if they become available.

As things stand, Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub are the best defensive pair. Rookie Jake Sanderson is listed in the second pair with Travis Hamonic. That leaves Nick Holden, Nikita Zaitsev and Erik Brannstrom to complete a group of seven.

If the team and individuals are a cut above last year, Smith plans to reduce ice time demands for some of his best players, including Chabot, who has been at or near the top of the TOI track record over the past few seasons. Part of growing on a competitive team is having different guys play extra minutes on any given night, depending on the circumstances. Searching for leads late in games meant Smith had to overplay Chabot several nights.

Advice from Sanderson’s father

By the time players reach their NHL, parents usually sit in the stands and shut up. But when a hockey dad is a former NHL player with 17 seasons of NHL experience, he just might catch the eye of an NHL coach. Such was the case when Jake Sanderson’s father, Geoff Sanderson, spoke to Smith about his son Jake’s approaching rookie season with the Senators.

“One of his things, for a guy who’s played a lot of games in the National Hockey League, was an older guy being around his son to help him out in the league, and I completely understand. this,” Smith said. “I think a guy like Hammer (Hamonic), a guy like Holden, sitting close to him (Jake) in the room, playing games with him and talking to him is going to help him grow.”

While Smith leaves the door open for different defensive duos, he likes the idea of ​​Ottawa’s most experienced defensemen being there to guide 20-year-old Sanderson.

1A and 1B in goal

He often gets lost in forward additions, but Ottawa’s goaltending situation should be a real source of strength for the club. Not only did the Senators transfer injury-prone Matt Murray’s contract to Toronto, but they picked Minnesota’s Cam Talbot to team up with Anton Forsberg. While Smith likes the idea of ​​a goalkeeper being a number 1, he feels he has two very good goalkeepers at his disposal.

“It’s as comfortable as I’ve felt for our goalies since I’ve been here,” Smith said.

Without naming his ‘1A’ or ‘1B’, Smith thinks that’s how it looks, with plenty of work for both.

“There are some real big horses in the league that can play those big minutes in a lot of games,” Smith said. “But what happens when this guy gets hurt? You need two guys.

Another air of confidence

Smith believes the Senators are day and night different from the young, developing squad of recent seasons. Now he more or less knows who the starters are, and the focus is on winning, not player development.

“I feel a different air of confidence in them,” Smith said.

The players, Smith said, believe they’re ready to become one of the league’s great teams and step out of the doormat. It’s one of the reasons the players arrived at camp early and skated regularly – including an early morning skate before Tuesday’s charity golf tournament.

“It’s clear to me that they’re sick of losing night after night and sick of being at the bottom (of the standings),” Smith said.

“Part of the rebuilding is being beaten, and we’ve taken a lot of knocks a lot of nights,” Smith added. “These kids are excited to fight for their city, and so are we as coaching staff. . . at the golf course (Tuesday) people come (to me) and are as excited as I’ve seen at the start of a season – now it’s up to us to make them proud.

To make those playoff teams, Smith says the group must learn to be even-tempered after wins and losses. Young players sometimes take losses too hard and get carried away after wins.

Consistent play and approach will ensure wins, Smith says, including starting the season, which has plagued Ottawa for the past two years.

Dorion added that he expects this group to play meaningful games through the end of the year.

The chef added: “Food is their fuel”

The little things matter, and that’s why when some players spoke to management about improving the details of day-to-day experiences at the rink, the Senators listened. Changes to the player lounge, including better TVs and sofas, have been made. There is even better shower soap! (file this under details you may not have needed to know).

Additionally, improvements were made to the team gym and a chef was hired to cook for the players after the game. The menu for team charter flights is also modified.

“Food is their fuel,” Dorion said.

Norris wins fitness tests

According to Smith, Norris won the fitness tests at camp on Wednesday, followed by Mark Kastelic and Sanderson.

In another note from camp, forward Ridley Greig, who suffered a shoulder injury at the recent WJC in Edmonton, will skate Thursday in a non-contact jersey. The team hopes he can be game-ready by the Sept. 30 game in Belleville against the Maple Leafs.