The Ottawa Senators have a decision to make. According to comments from head coach DJ Smith, Brady Tkachuk and Evgenii Dadonov are going to be his team’s top line wingers this season, but there remains a question of who will serve as their pivot in the middle:
DJ Smith said Tkachuk and Dadonov will start the year flanking the top line, but hasn't decided on a centre yet.
You assume it will be Stepan who will draw the tougher match-ups with the young centres behind him, but will get a clearer picture when Stepan joins camp on Sun #Sens
That there’s no clear answer to this question speaks to both the good and bad in Ottawa’s stable of players. It’s great that there’s competition for such a prime spot on the roster, but it’s a little bit concerning that there’s no clear fit for the job. It’s even more concerning that a player who hasn’t topped 40 points in either of the last two seasons is being described as the favourite.
From my perspective, handing the job to Derek Stepan out of the gate makes little sense. We know what Stepan is, and we know he’s not likely to be a part of this team when it comes time for it to contend for a Stanley Cup. With much of the reporting out of camp indicating that Logan Brown and Josh Norris have shown well, the time is now to see what the organization has in its top prospects. Brown, in particular, is at the point in his career as a prospect when it’s almost necessary for him to get an extended look in a top-six role.
If the organization is truly committed to integrating young players, as it has suggested throughout the offseason, then the decision to give Brown the top-line centre role after a promising training camp makes sense. There is no greater opportunity for a prospect to show that he belongs on this team than in the spot between Tkachuk and Dadonov; and there’s also no greater opportunity for the team to see what it has in its 22-year-old former first-round pick. It’s a win-win.
Assuming you were sitting in DJ Smith’s chair, who would be your opening night, first-line centre between Tkachuk and Dadonov? Let me know:
Who should be the opening night, first-line centre?
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