Ottawa Senators

The puck was dropped, and so was the game plan.

From a strategy of dogged puck pursuit combined with patient puck support, to a reality of reactive play combined with hap hazard positioning.  On the back of solid goaltending the Sens avoided embarrassment in the home opener, but come game two, behind enemy lines in Toronto, the poor play of the Senators skaters was too much to cloak for embattled Pascal Leclaire.

Not only the scoreboard, which left the Sens -5 in just two GP, was unkind.  The shot clock was equally unflattering, leaving the Sens a combined -30.  Another number that fails to flatter, 0 PP percent (0-10).  So much for a renewed man advantage, a renewal that came at the cost of Anton Volchenkov's defensive acumen.  Oddly, the loss of Volchy did little to hurt the PK, which operated at a reasonable 80 percent (8-10). 

But the number that has to most worry the Senators is 0.580.  That is the 82 game winning percentage a team must achieve in order to expect to make the postseason.

The fact is, this number only increases with every loss.  As the opportunities to earn points diminishes, the required W percent increases.  With 80 games remaining before the start of the postseason, the Sens must now win at a rate of 0.600 if they expect to be in the mix when it does come.  For all intents and purposes the Sens, by losing the first two games of the season, are playing an 80 game regular season while the remaining teams in the N.E. division have the benefit of an 81, or in the case of the 2-0 Leafs, an 82 game schedule.

But a two game win less streak is hardly an anomaly in the world of NHL hockey.  Nor is a three, four, or even five game losing streak (Sens had 3 of them last season), so to prognosticate the future, from a position of weakness, as is the case for the Sens, is a fools game.  Nobody believes the Sens woke up on opening day suddenly having forgotten how to play the game at the NHL level.  But rapid improvement and mounting pressure do not make good bedfellows.  Like it or not, that's the situation facing the Senators roster and they have no one but themselves to blame, or look to for improvement.

Clouston has the team getting back to the drawing board, and tonight, versus the dynamic Washington Capitals, the Sens will take their (next) first step toward making the postseason.

80 games to go and counting...down.

GN

What a way to start your season. 

Down your first line centre and your top defenseman against your biggest rival.

After tearing through the preseason, playing with a renewed vigour and an extra jump in his stride, Jason Spezza will sit in the press box watching his team start the season, in their home opener no less. Word has it Spezza "tweaked" a groin in practice Wednesday and will miss one or two games as a pre-cautionary measure.

Filip Kuba, the Sens best all around defenseman, a player relied upon to log big ice time and play in all situations, will miss the month of October due to a fractured leg suffered in the teams first practice of the season. This injury comes on the heals of an injury filled 09/10 season in which Kuba appeared in only 53 regular season games. Replacing Kuba's minutes (ATOI of >23:00) will be a challenge, again.

If practice lines are any indication, expect to see Spezza's top line centre position played by seasoned second line centre Mike Fisher, and Fishers slot filled by sophomore forward Peter Regin.

But that's not the end of the changes. As is so often the case, Alfredsson is tasked with bringing extra offense and will be skating with Foligno as well as Fisher, switching Michalek on to the other scoring line along with Regin and Kovalev. Shannon will slide back into the line-up tasked with replacing Regin in the fourth line RW position.

Kuba, injured so early in the preseason, has already been replaced by Campoli in practice, with his position in the D's depth chart being taken up by Brian Lee.

Those are four very big skates to fill and it will require solid team work to overcome the losses. But in the physical game of NHL hockey, injuries are the norm, not the exception, so the players know what must be done.

Lastly, as was expected by most, Leclaire will get the start in nets.

Expect to see a very open game, as Buffalo will no doubt try to rely on Miller to hold down the fort while Buffalo's speedy forwards buzz around the ice.

In order to be effective versus the Sabres, the Sens will have to make the opposition's questionable defensive depth fight for every puck in their own zone, pressuring them with a ruthless forecheck and cycle game.

If Ottawa can dominate physically and force turn-overs, they'll likely win purely as a result of creating more quality scoring chances than the opposition.

PREDICTION - 4-3 OT/Ottawa Win

At 27, and entering his eighth season with the Ottawa Senators, top-line center Jason Spezza has always been a good player. But can he be the great player that the team needs him to be?

At the end of last season, many fans had their doubts.

Often criticized for making lazy plays and for disappearing in the playoffs, Spezza missed 22 games due to injuries last season and recorded only 57 points, with 23 goals. It was his second worst production season since joining the NHL. Add to this the fact that his own fans booed him during Game 6 of the playoffs against Pittsburgh, and not many were surprised when Spezza told general manager Bryan Murray he wouldn't resist a trade.

“Nobody likes getting booed at home,” he said. “They can boo me all they want on the road. I'm trying every night. Trying to become a better player.”

Yet now, after a summer filled with trade rumours, a serious and focused Jason Spezza has returned determined to put last season behind him. He spent the offseason strengthening his back, working on his weaknesses and he showed up at camp in the best shape of his career.

“Just looking at him, there's no question he's worked hard to get stronger,” said Bryan Murray. “He looks like he has a better presence on the ice.

“I think there were times in the past where you wanted him to do more. He always appeared as if he had this great talent level, but you just wanted him to do that extra thing, that extra step. It looks like he can do it now."

In four preseason games, Spezza tallied four goals and four assists, raising hopes that this season could be his big year.

The change in Spezza has not been lost on coach Cory Clouston who says that Spezza has been staying late after practice and that his work ethic is a great example to the younger players.

“I think this year more than any other he's come into camp with the right frame of mind and really wants to help this team win,” Clouston said.

So, could this be the year for Spezza that the team and the fans have been waiting for?

Just ask Spezza himself.

“I think I've had a pretty good career up to this point, but I definitely feel I can take my game to another level,” he said, adding that winning a Stanley Cup is his No. 1 goal.

With Jason Spezza listed as a game-time decision for Friday's season opener due to a nagging groin injury, we may just have to wait a little longer to see the new and improved Spezza in action.

More Sens Stories

• Game day preview: Ottawa Senators vs. Buffalo Sabres—CBS Sports
• Spezza may not play the season-opener due to a groin injury—Ottawa Senators
• Defenceman David Hale becomes a victim of the salary cap and is placed on waivers—Ottawa Citizen
• Chris Campoli and Brian Lee fought for their spots on the blue line—Montreal Gazette
• Jarkko Ruutu began his drive to the Stanley Cup with a Zamboni ride down Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa—Ottawa Sun
• Goaltending prospect Robin Lehner has visa problems that delay his trip down to Binghamton—Ottawa Citizen
• Binghamton Senators preview: roster packs a lot of potential with new prospects—Press Connects
• Mike Fisher offers comfort to a family whose son, also named Mike Fisher, passes away—Ottawa Citizen
• Some facts and figures to help us calm down over the goaltending situation in Ottawa—SportsNet
• Having blind faith in Pascal Leclaire isn't so bad—SenSay
• While others believe that Brian Elliott should be our man in net—Sens Army Blog

Christopher Smith run senspedia.com, an Ottawa Senators fan site.

A three-way race that is, for first in the Northeast Division.

It seems clear, based upon the "Big Media" season previews, that nobody knows what to expect from the Sens.  Predictions have the Sens finishing anywhere from 12th to fifth in the Eastern Conference, with some considering the Sens playoff contenders and others as playoff pretenders.

Fair enough, I guess.  Going into last season, the general consensus had the Sens just missing the postseason only to, in reality, finish fifth in the EC.  But what concerned many of those pundits going into last season came to fruition.  Too many goals against due to questionable goaltending and a lack of PMDs. 

What surprised, however, was the depth in scoring.  It also didn't hurt that, overall, the East was weak, and the Sens earned points against those few strong teams that ran roughshod over everyone else.  Expecting 94 points to earn you fifth in the EC again this season is probably a bad plan.

So earning 94 points again may not cut it, but, apart from two players, this is the same roster that went into last season.  As the old ditty goes: "One of these things..."

Enter Sergei Gonchar, the most prolific NHL power-play specialist of the last decade.  A small change in number, and potentially a huge change in numbers—PP numbers,  Sergei represents the "secret weapon" in Murray's plan to get into a three-way (race). 

No doubt, the best way to get into the postseason is to win your division, and as luck would have it, the NE is ripe for the pickin'.  This isn't to say it's a walk in the park, but like the Senators, every other team in the NE has issues, and at least on paper, the Sens match up well.

Boston, like the Sens, have goaltending issues.  They're paying big bucks to one guy, while likely to ride another.  I don't care what is said to the media; this creates friction and has the makings of a full fledged controversy.  Add to this the loss of their No. 1 centre, for who knows how long, and all bets are off.

Buffalo, the other stick in the three-way, has done little to change since last season and will once again hope to ride the coattails of goaltender Ryan Miller.  Not a bad plan.  But what if Miller stumbles, or worse, is injured?  It's now down to riding the coattails of Lalime.  Enough said.

Murray believes his squad is a contender in the NE and hopes to finish first or, at worst, be battling for first.  OK.  A good plan, but good enough?

Like any three-way, fantasy and reality may not be one in the same.

"It's my puck and you get your own"

Anyone who has watched the Edmonton Oilers "Boys On The Bus" documentary will recognize this theory on the game, so clearly stated by Wayne Gretzky.

Now it is more commonly referred to as playing a puck possession game, a system Bryan Murray first instilled as coach and has been improving upon since taking over as GM. 

The theory is, if you have the puck and maintain control of it, the opposition is forced to react to your play, always chasing, and eventually getting drawn out of position or forced into taking a penalty.  Ideally, then you score on them.  Ideally.

It has been a long process in getting here, and the plan suffered a major set back when DDH fled to the Sharks, but this coming season represents the first full fledged debut of Bryan Murray's strategy.  Spezza, Alfredsson, Kovalev, Kelly, and (hopefully) Peter Regin all represent puck control forwards.  Gonchar, Karlsson, Kuba, and (hopefully) Chris Campoli represent the puck control D-men. 

In short, this team now has the skill to control the play, and it will be Clouston's job to get them all on the same page.

And when you listen to Clouston talk about his practices, you'll hear a lot about systems, positioning, and puck support.  It's all about being available to receive the puck, transition from defence to offense, and then dominate/control the play in the oppositions zone, not your own.  Not neutral zone traps, set plays, left wing locks or, God forbid, truculence, but game control, through puck control

This was how the Sens swept through the east in the 2007 postseason, until they hit the breakwater called the Ducks, who combined puck control with a far more physical brand of hockey, against which the Sens eventually succumbed.  Oh yeah, and Giggy was stuffed bigger than a goat's stomach on Burns day.

But I digress.

Some wonder if this is a better team than the one that took the ice in 2007.  I'm not sure, but I do know this is the best team since 2007, and that, if nothing else, has me eagerly awaiting the drop of the puck on the 10/11 NHL regular season.

GN

During the preseason, there was hope that either Pascal Leclaire or Brian Elliott would step up their game and grab the starting goaltending job for the Ottawa Senators.

That never happened.

Instead, Leclaire was 1-2-0 with a 4.43 goals-against average and a .856 save percentage in the preseason and Elliott was only slightly better at 1-1-1 with a 3.24 goals-against average and a .882 save percentage.

Hardly the kind of numbers to excite Coach Cory Clouston.

“To be honest, we wanted both of them to play better,” Clouston said, “and we wanted one of them to step it up. We didn’t get that, but we’re still confident we can have at least one guy ready to go to start the season.”

With Leclaire set for free agency after this season, he must realize the implications this season holds for the rest of his career. The pressure is on for him to establish himself as a starting goalie, or he risks an uncertain future with NHL teams not wanting to sign him next summer.

If Leclaire is feeling this pressure, he's not showing it. Instead, he says he feels comfortable with how his game is progressing.

“It’s totally out of my control,” said Leclaire. “I feel good and I’m ready to go if they want me to play. If not, I’ll just wait for it, and when I get a chance to play, I’ll be ready.”

With only a few days left until Ottawa's Friday night opening game against the Buffalo Sabres, Clouston clearly showed some frustration yesterday when asked if he has made his goalie decision.

“I'm not going to tell you when our decision is made,” Clouston said. “You will know on Friday morning who we start.”

Until Friday morning then, the Ottawa Senators' fans wait anxiously.

More Sens Stories

• The Ottawa Senators have high expectations for the season ahead - Winnipeg Free Press
• This is the week you will see everyone's previews and predictions for the 2010-11 season for the Ottawa Senators. Here's the first one of the day - Montreal Gazette
• Here's another season preview… from Miami - Miami Herald
• The Sens spend two days at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, experiencing military exercises and signing autographs - Yahoo Sports
• Ottawa's 2009 first-round draft pick Jared Cowen sent back to Spokane a victim of the numbers - The Spokesman Review
• For a change of pace, here's a 2010-11 season preview of the Sens AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators - Hockeys Future
• Defenceman David Hale wasn't given much attention, but he quietly played his way onto the Senators with a strong preseason - Ottawa Citizen
• Keeping a watch on our prospects and who are making an impression in Binghamton - Silver Seven
• Is Bill Guerin the player the Sens have always needed? - Sens Army Blog
• Pascal Leclaire needs some time to build his game and establish himself as the starting goaltender - Black Aces
• Taking a look at the Sens depth chart - SenSay
• Entering into his contract year, Jarkko Ruutu isn’t worried about his future but he hopes it includes an extended stay in Ottawa - Ottawa Sun
• One last season preview for the Ottawa Senators. This one focuses on the offensive in Part 1 of 4 - SenShot
• Senators to host 7th Annual Canadian Forces Appreciation Night on Saturday, Oct. 30 - PR Canada

Christopher Smith runs senspedia.com, an Ottawa Senators fan site.

If you can’t beat 'em, sign away their top defenseman. That must have been Ottawa’s thinking this offseason after watching their second consecutive playoff run end in the first round to Pittsburgh. The Senators signed veteran and former Penguin Sergei Gonchar to a three-year deal.

The Senators finished 44-21-6 with 94 points to earn the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference last season. In the playoffs they ran into the Penguins, who swept them in 2008. This time they pushed Pittsburgh to Game 6 before falling in the deciding game in overtime.

Coach Cory Clouston is entering his second full season with the team. A potential headache looms for Clouston with his goalie situation. Brian Elliott won the job midway through last season, but he had a complete meltdown in the playoffs against the Pens as he allowed 14 goals before being yanked in Game 4.

Elliott took over for Pascal Leclaire during the regular season after inconsistent play and injuries forced Leclaire to the bench, but Leclaire stepped back in for Elliott in the playoffs. Add promising 19-year old Robin Lehner to the mix and nobody is quite sure who will be the man in the crease for the majority of the season for Ottawa. 

On the other end of the lineup, the aging Ottawa forwards are certainly a mixed bag. Jason Spezza (23 goals), Daniel Alfredsson (20 goals) and Alexei Kovalev (18 goals) hardly looked themselves last season. Winger Milan Michalek regressed in his first year in Ottawa last season. After three consecutive 55-plus point seasons with San Jose, Michalek scored 22 goals and 34 points last season.

Mike Fisher is coming off a 25-goal career year last season and 24-year old Peter Regin appears ready to take off after a 13-goal, 16-assist campaign last season. The forwards are a mixed bag. However, if they can put together any semblance of consistency Ottawa could end up with one of the most dynamic offenses in the league.

But as good as the offense may be it will be hard to ignore the defense. Last season it allowed 238 goals (compared to the 225 goals Ottawa scored) and there is little reason to believe the 18th-ranked defense will improve from last season. Second-year player Erik Karlsson had a huge rookie season and he will need to continue his development playing among veteran defensemen Filip Kuba and Chris Phillips, with Phillips entering his 12th season with the Senators but his first in quite some time not being on the same line as Anton Volchenkov.

The Ottawa Senators schedule opens Friday Oct. 8 at home against Buffalo. The Senators then hit the road for five of their next six games including a rematch at Pittsburgh on Oct. 18.

Offseason Moves
Gonchar was the big signing, but it came just as Volchenkov departs to New Jersey. Other losses include Matt Cullen (Minnesota) Jeremy Yablonski (New York Islanders) and Jonathan Cheechoo (Dallas).

Ottawa Senators Predictions: Outlook
Ottawa will have a good chance against anybody they play and the defensive situation could have a way of figuring itself out, especially with the steady presence of Gonchar. A goalie needs to emerge early in the season as the go-to guy for Ottawa or it could be a rocky road in October and November. Ottawa is a serious contender to challenge favorite Buffalo for the Northeast Division.

Ottawa Senators Futures Odds
The Senators are listed at +1500 to win the Eastern Conference and +3000 to win the Stanley Cup. Their NHL odds to win the division are +450. After winning 44 games last season the ‘over/under’ for Ottawa wins this season is 42.5

NHL Predictions for Ottawa Senators
Ottawa certainly has the talent to challenge for a division title this season regardless of the defensive questions. At the price of +450, Ottawa has plenty of value to win the Northeast Division.

The Otttawa Senators have always had trouble with secondary scoring. They've tried to fill those holes through free-agency, from within, and now with the acquisition of Sergei Gonchar, they're going to try to revitalize their puck-moving defensive ways of old.

Along with that, the maturation of Erik Karlsson and the hopeful emergence of Zack Smith at the NHL level means that the Senators may not have to shop for scoring help, and that they've finally found the young guys to fill those roles.

Ottawa's second question remains in net, where there really hasn't been a solid starter since Patrick Lalime. If Pascal Leclaire isn't the answer, then is Brian Elliott? Or, is Elliott just a stop-gap until Robin Lehner is ready for full-time major league duty?

Questions or not, the Sens usually find a way to stay competitive, and with some key division rivals having questions marks (Montreal and Toronto namely), they should be able to do that this year.

1) Alex Kovalev fights two more times

Sure it's been five years since his last fight and he's only had four in total, but in no way is this over. Kovalev wants to avenge himself against Francois Beauchemin and he'll do just that. Sens fans, your new heavyweight! 

2) Kovalev has a big year offensively

Ok...so the fighting one isn't really realistic. If he even has one more fight this year I'll be surprised. Then again, there will be those people who'll be surprised if Kovalev has a big year offensively. Known for going through his share of off-years, Kovalev is in a contract year and wants to earn one more deal. Whether that's in Ottawa or not remains to be seen, but he should be motivated, especially coming off of knee surgery. If he's not, we'll find out awfully quick.

3) Jason Spezza rebounds after a tumultuous off-season

Some guys can never buy a break and Jason Spezza is one of those guys. It seemed like he had to learn every lesson the hard way when he was trying to crack the NHL early in his career, and since then nothing's come easy to Spezza other than scoring. Well, last year that dried up and there were no shortage of people preparing to jump on his back. Is a 90-point season in the works? With an aging Alfredsson and limited tools to works with it might not be, but 75 should be.

4) Zack Smith becomes the high-powered rookie Ottawa's been longing for

Every few seasons the Senators find themselves a rookie they feel will adapt quickly (and well) to the NHL level (Jesse Winchester comes to mind when he was given top-line minutes out of camp a few years ago). Unfortunately they haven't been able to find that. With Zack Smith's physical makeup though, he could be exactly what they need. A perfectly-molded power forward, Smith's numbers won't blow your mind, but he'll at least be a consistent rookie. 

5) Daniel Alfredsson scores 25 goals

Shying away from those high-powered "Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson" days, Alfie has settled back into the 20-25 goal range. At 37, a high-flying year probably isn't likely, but the leadership and modest scoring touch are certainly welcome. A rebound season from Spezza will help those totals along, too.

6) Chris Campoli replaces Filip Kuba

Not just while he's out, but for the rest of the season too. Kuba is a good offensive defenseman that fell into injury problems last year, but with the signing of Gonchar and Karlsson beginning to acclimatize to the NHL, along with the fact that Campoli, when given the opportunity, can be a great puck-mover too, means that Kuba could get limited ice time in offensive situations. At least don't expect top-pairing minutes like he was getting last year. 

7) Leclaire is out of the goaltending picture by season's end

I'm tired of Brian Elliott surprising everyone and taking over the starting role. It's pretty much happened each of the last two seasons. So you know what? He can have it. Leclaire has his work cut out for him to prove that he can stay healthy and be effective. If not, he may go the way of Martin Prusek.

8) Matt Carkner fights 27 times this year

He had 24 in his first season last year, and that's just the beginning. Besides, he fought Colton Orr eight times last year...what's another three?

9) Milan Michalek scores 30 goals, but fails to get 25 assists

With first line ice time, Michalek is being given every opportunity to succeed and if he had stayed healthy last year, he might have gotten pretty close to this weird milestone (22 goals in 66 games). In San Jose he was more of a play-maker (at least 30 assists in three straight seasons), but he keeps the finisher's mentality this season. It's also not unlikely for something like this to happen. Just look at Patric Hornqvist or Matt Moulson.

10) Erik Karlsson has a 40-point season

Who cares what big-money free agent Sergei Gonchar will do for this franchise (ok...a few people probably do)? My eyes are on the Swedish sophomore who figured out his puck-moving game after a brief stint in the AHL and really turned it on over the last few weeks of the year. Karlsson displayed the tools that made him such a popular prospect in scouting circles and those won't be going away any time soon. Just watch him skate. That alone makes him NHL worthy.

The Stretch (Remember, you're supposed to laugh): Mike Fisher requests a trade to Nashville. To...well...you know.

Bryan Thiel is a senior writer and a columnist for Hockey54.com—The Face of the Game. You can e-mail Bryan at bryanthiel74@hotmail.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at BryanThiel_88.

Alexei Kovalev is coming back from lengthy rehabilitation after surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, so many wondered if the 37-year-old Ottawa Senators forward—who is often criticized for his lack of passion—would return ready to play.

Some of those critics were answered in Wednesday night's preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs when Alexei Kovalev dropped his gloves and fought Maple Leafs' defenceman Francois Beauchemin as though he was a 19-year-old prospect looking to impress the coach.

“I was a little bit surprised,” coach Cory Clouston said. “But I guess you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do out there.”

Never mind that Kovalev was on the receiving end of four hits while never landing one himself. It showed that he was back, ready to play, and that he cared.

“Everybody was excited,” said Kovalev. “You don’t see too often Alex Kovalev fight.

“It’s entertainment and it’s before the season. I’m sure I’ll think twice in regular season, if I should do that. Depends on the scoring in the game. This game doesn’t really mean anything. It was good. Just to change the flow of the game. We were able to tie the game.”

The fight was only the fourth of Kovalev's career, and the first since March 25, 2006, when he fought Toronto's Darcy Tucker. His two other fights were against Florida’s Alex Hicks on December 30, 1998 and against Dallas’ Dave Gagner on February 26, 1994.

“I’m just happy to be around and still playing hockey,” he said earlier this week. “That’s what I’m happy about. With all the injuries I’ve had, I still feel pretty good and I still feel like I can keep up with the younger guys these days and contribute a lot in different ways…(It's about) just being around the guys and doing something for the fans and the team and if, in my career, I make somebody happy then I’m happy.”

Judging from the cheers at Scotiabank Place as Kovalev skated to the box, the fans agree.

More Sens Stories

• Is Bobby Butler making a case for staying with the Sens? - NESN
• Ottawa Senators reduce their training camp roster by 16 players - Ottawa Sun
• Chris Phillips defends former teammate Wade Redden as a “class act” - Montreal Gazette
• Tough questions face the Sens after another loss to the Leafs: Is there a cause for concern? - Ottawa Citizen
• Binghamton Senators announce their training camp roster - Examiner
• Is Nick Foligno ready to become a top end talent or is he just another pre-season fluke? - Seven Deadly Sens
• Apparently, some people have a problem with the Sens new slogan “My Town. My Team” - Sens Underground
• Jared Cowen or David Hale: who will grab the last roster spot? - Sens Hobo
• Examining the Sens loss to the Leafs and the necessity of pre-season games - Black Aces
• Robin Lehner sets an example for the other prospects to follow - SenSay
• Is Alexei Kovalev the “most interesting man alive”? Having fun with Photoshop - The 6th Sens

Christopher Smith runs senspedia.com, an Ottawa Senators fan site.

Maple Creek Saskatchewan native Zack Smith has certainly impressed the Ottawa brass, media, and fans, but outside of the little circle that is O-Town the Maple Leafs, Sabres, Bruins, and Canadians have certainly become onlookers.

He definitely has NHL size at 6'2", 210 pounds, and he likes to use it.

After a couple stints with the big club last season, including a first round six game playoff series against the Penguins (Ottawa lost 4-2), he seems to understand what his role is and what it’s going to take from him to be part of this team.

In his last season with the Swift Current Bronco’s of the WHL in 72 games he scored 22 goals adding 47 assists while collecting 131 penalty minutes.

He continued the same style of play producing similar numbers in the AHL with the Binghamton Senators.

He’s played in four of five preseason games for this year and though not registering any points he's made his presence felt.

Against the Leafs in the first preseason game he played a total of 14:41 including a look on the power play (1:17) and in a penalty killing role (3:43) while dropping the gloves with Leafs tough guy Jay Rosehill (5Pims 3SOG).

In back to back nights and again against the Leafs in the second preseason game he got more ice-time and a more prominent role in the game.

(16:52 TOI, 5:02 PP, 3:03 PK, 7 Pims 1 SOG)

Rested when Ottawa traveled to play Montreal third preseason game.

In the line up again against Montreal back at home.

(14:20 TOI, 0:57 PP, 2:34 PK)

In his fourth (of five the Sens have played) game of the preseason against Buffalo he was commended on his work ethic and physical skills along with his hockey intelligence by the commentators (including James Cybulski and Pierre McGuire) every period, and deserved every moment of praise.

Obviously the Senators are looking long hard at this kid and he may have tipped the scales in his favor or he wouldn't have received this much playing time and would most likely have been sent back to Binghamton by now, as many teams have cut the majority of their rosters down substantially.

This guy should be penciled in on the final roster for an Ottawa Senator team that is growing a little longer in the tooth and are looking to their youth to start making bids to become future heads of the pride.

We, closely watching the Northeastern Conference of the NHL will be seeing Zack Smith, along with Cody Bass, Peter Regin, Nick Foligno, Josh Bailey, and Jared Cowan as they begin to etch their names into the Ottawa granite of Northern Ontario.