First off, for the latest Sens updates, please follow me on Twitter at Follow @KevinFr65525204 Give me a twitter follow, I will give you a follow too!
The pre-season finally comes to end tonight for Ottawa when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nick Paul gets a look at center, Matt Murray should play the entire game considering he has only played two pre-season games. See tonight's line up below.
https://cms.nhl.bamgrid.com/images/assets/binary/326689656/binary-file/file.pdf
This is how they skated yesterday, with Nick Paul getting a chance to play center tonight. Parker Kelly was assigned to Belleville so he won't be in the line up tonight.
Pinto and Watson not on the ice.
Stützle Norris Batherson Formenton Paul Brown Sanford Tierney Ennis Kelly Agozzino Sabourin Shaw
Chabot Zub Del Zotto Zaitsev Mete Holden Branstron JBrown
If you are wondering how Toronto might line up tonight, here are there lines at Thursday's practice:
Ritchie - Matthews - Marner Mikheyev - Tavares - Kase Engvall - Kampf - Simmonds Bunting - Kerfoot - Spezza Brooks, Semyonov, Amadio, Gabriel
Rielly - Brodie Muzzin - Holl Sandin - Liljegren Dermott - Biega
Campbell Mrazek
Sens GM Pierre Dorion has been working the phones looking for a top 6 forward I am told. Naturally he will wait to see if any proven veterans are placed on waivers over the next 48 hours with teams cutting down their rosters. He has been in touch with teams that have cap issues, Winnipeg(Andrew Copp), Chicago(Dylan Strome) and Minnesota have been contacted by Dorion. The one team that Dorion has talked with the most is Carolina. The one player he covets on their roster is RW Vincent Trocheck. He has one year left on his deal before becoming a UFA and would fit right into the Sens top 6 forwards. No idea on what the Hurricanes are looking for in return but talks will no doubt heat up with the start of the regular season less than a week away.
Another scenario that could change who Ottawa targets is if Jack Eichel gets traded. If the NY Rangers were to acquire him, Ryan Strome would be moved to make such a deal happen. Again, lots of moving parts but it does sound like Ottawa is trying to upgrade the forward position. Maybe they will finally spend the 5 million they saved with Dadonov being traded as Dorion promised fans back in August that they would spend the money they saved with that trade to acquire a bonafide top six forward!
Lastly, will management be in the same predicament at this time next season with Josh Norris being a RFA? Or do they learn from what has happened with Brady Tkachuk?
Thanks for reading. Kevin