Make sure to follow Travis on Twitter!
--
After a final round of cuts, it appears that two highly-touted prospects will be staying with the Ottawa Senators to start the season in David Rundblad and Mika Zibanejad.
News of reassignment broke Saturday afternoon, as Ottawa announced the return of five players - Robin Lehner, Mark Borowiecki, Mike Hoffman, Kaspars Daugavins, and Patrick Wiercioch - to their AHL affiliate in Binghamton.
That's great news for a player thought to be on the cusp in David Rundblad, who really had a mixed bag of results during training camp this year. Rundblad's admitted that the transition from the SEL to North America has been a bit rough, as the varying styles of puck have forced him to modify his game.
No surprise to hear of the other big name staying put in Mika Zibanejad. At times, I thought Zibanejad was one of the best players on the entire roster, let alone the young players competing for positions in camp. His position became a 'lock' of sorts once Peter Regin went down with a shoulder injury.
Two other notable names will be staying with the team in Stephane Da Costa and Jared Cowen. Da Costa may only temporarily have a spot, but expect Cowen to play the duration (barring an unexpected regression) of the season with the big league club.
I'm sure plenty are surprised with how many of the younger names are staying right now, but there's two reasons why it's not as wild as you originally thought. First, MacLean has stressed his desire to get as much playing time in for the future of the team as possible, meaning a concerted effort to replace the old guard with the new.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, the team's banged up right now, giving Paul MacLean some flexibility. Right now, Peter Regin, Matt Carkner, and Jesse Winchester are all ailing.
Now, more cuts could come early in the season; in fact, it's a certainty. If Jared Cowen and/or Stephane Da Costa is axed, they'll probably return to Binghamton. Mika Zibanejad and David Rundblad are also in jeopardy of losing roster spots, but their return to the AHL is in question.
Back with more later.
--
Thanks for reading!
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»