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The Ottawa Senators season ended about a week ago, and yet, the team is already making preliminary plans to prepare for the upcoming 2012-2013 season.
Already, Bryan Murray and the front office have spoken candidly about the direction this team is heading over the summer months. The club will look for any available opportunity to acquire a top-six winger and defensive defenseman, per the very words of the Ottawa Senators GM.
Both of those additions are obvious moves in nature, but considering the available market with respect to free agency and the trading block, it's far easier said than done. Sure, Zach Parise fits the mold of a top-six forward with elite scoring potential, but almost every team - New Jersey included - will be in on his services.
Getting a shutdown blue liner would undoubtedly help this team next season, but again, there's not a bevvy of available assets right now. The Ottawa Senators know it's one of their pressing needs, having allowed 2.9 goals per game -- good for 24th in the National Hockey League.
Considering the talent in the system, it's probably their priority. With all due respect to the Mark Borowiecki and Eric Gryba types, there aren't a lot of physical, shutdown blue liners ready to come through the ranks in Ottawa.
With respect to a top-six forward: Well, Ottawa's got a ton of choices. And, three of them are about as blue-chip as it gets.
The Ottawa Senators were treated to the Mark Stone experience in game five of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Stone made his NHL debut against the New York Rangers and picked up an assist on a beautiful pass to Jason Spezza for the opening goal.
For Stone, it was almos a microcosm of his game. The guy is a playmaker in the offensive zone. Whether he's dialing up a nice pass to a teammate for finishing a feed in his own right, Stone's quickly turned into one of the most impressive prospects in the Ottawa system.
And don't take my word for it. Consider Stone's splits through two years with the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he tallied 37G/69A (106 PTS) in his first season, then followed it up with a blazing 41G/82A (123 PTS) in
five less games played. Remarkable.
Perhaps what's most impressive about Stone is that he wasn't expected to reach this level of prospect stardom. Taken 178th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Stone had legitimate offensive upside, but was a brutal skater and seemed to get lost in the play. Just a couple of years in the WHL, and he's already hammering out those alleged liabilities.
The nineteen year-old has had international success, too. He was named one of Canada's three best players after the club picked up a bronze medal at the 2012 World Junior Championships.
Stone's not the only weapon in Bryan Murray's arsenal, though. Look in the other direction, and two Swedish talents - Jakob Silfverberg and Mika Zibanejad - are set to hit the National Hockey League as soon as next year.
Much like Stone, Silfverberg made his NHL debut in the first-round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, mere days after running the SEL playoff gauntlet. In said run, Silfverberg managed to break the SEL's playoff goal-scoring record - last held by Daniel Alfredsson.
Whereas Stone's a bit more boorish and physical in nature, though, Silfverberg prefers the flashy game. A wizard with the stick, Silfverberg's capable of lulling a defense to sleep, and the wicked shot he can get off from seemingly any angle made him one of the more feared offensive weapons in the SEL last year.
Now, Silfverberg played against far superior competition than Stone, but the development curve could be a bit rockier. We've seen a ton of Swedish talents transition to the North American game, but the one constant is that it appears to take a bit of time to do so. The North American game is much tighter on the reduced-rink, and Silfverberg - along with Zibanejad - will have to adjust.
Speaking of Zibanejad: He's almost become the 'other' prospect in this trio, even though he was taken the highest of all. The sixth-overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft nearly made the team this season, but was sent back to Djurgardens IF for another season of development. From the limited time I saw him in North America in camp and preseason, it was the right move.
Zibanejad's not going to captivate you with raw skill -- and no, that's not remotely a slight on his offensive game. Rather, it's a testament to his two-way game and defensive play, which hsa really taken off over the past couple of years.
If there's one concern with Zibanejad, it's the recent head-injuries he's suffered over in Sweden. Zibanejad picked up a concussion back on January 25th, then reportedly suffered another in April. Two in four months? Not the best of situations for the kid.
On the season with Djurgardens IF, Zibanejad had 5G/8A (29 GP) in a bit of a rocky campaign.
Still, the team remains confident that he'll clean it up in the summer and be 100% for what should be a grueling training camp.
Perhaps the best part of all of this? The three prospects can't get complacent. First, they'll undoubtedly be pushing each other to grab an NHL roster spot as early as next season. But, there's still not a ton of room for error -- especially with talents like Stefan Noesen, Stephane Da Costa, and Matt Puempel waiting in the wings.
Back with more tomorrow.
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