A few quick notes for the weekend.
* The NHL teased the 2014-2015 schedule by posting each team's home opener. At quick glance, it appears the Ottawa Senators will open the season on the road against Nashville on Thursday, October 9. The first home game of the season for Ottawa will be on the 16th against Colorado. Based on those two teams, looks like Ottawa will open up the year with a healthy serving of Western Conference competition.
* Based on reports from the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch, it sure seems as though Ottawa will be extending defenseman Eric Gryba in the coming days. Truth be told, it's not the worst decision in the world. One of the things I have been fairly candid about over the last 12-months was Gryba's transition from 'does not belong in the league' to 'can play on the third-pairing'. I didn't expect it, but he was certainly serviceable on an otherwise brutal blue line this year. Some people will criticize the extension, but I'm just not sure how you can get worked up about it. At the absolute least, it puts another body between the starting lineup and professional penalty magnet Mark Borowiecki, and Chris Phillips may very well venture into healthy scratch territory by mid-season.
* That said, obvious point is obvious: Ottawa's defense is still horrendous, Eric Gryba (nor anyone else on the blue line) is not going to help things improve drastically from last season, etc. etc. etc. The hope remains that Ottawa's forced to play more of Patrick Wiercioch and less of Jared Cowen/Chris Phillips. That's possible. The other hope is that they go out and get a guy this summer, because they really need one. That's probably not going to happen.
* It sounds like contract negotiations between Ottawa and Robin Lehner are a tiny bit more contentious, and that's to be expected. Lehner's kind of in a weird negotiating position -- he's been a highly-touted talent for a while, his career splits are really impressive, but 2013-2014 was not his best work. The front office is apparently weighing going short-term v. long-term with Lehner, but either way, I'm pretty certain a deal gets done.
Thanks for reading!