Post-Karlsson era dawns for Sens
Teammates reflect on loss of a friend and wait to gauge the on-ice impact
Time to move on.
Twenty-four hours after captain Erik Karlsson was dealt to the San Jose Sharks in a blockbuster deal Thursday afternoon, the Ottawa Senators hit the ice Friday for the first time in training camp at the Bell Sensplex.
And though they were hardly shocked by the news that the 28-year-old Karlsson had been dealt to the Sharks for two players — centre Chris Tierney and blue-liner Dylan DeMelo — along with two prospects and a package of draft picks, the Senators know it’s going to be a big void to fill.
Ottawa players knew the deal was coming because it had been speculated about for nearly eight months, but there’s still an adjustment period as this full rebuild of the organization shifts into high gear.
Tierney and DeMelo were en route to Ottawa on Friday and are expected to join training camp Saturday.
“It’s always tough to lose a friend,” alternate captain Mark Stone said. “I say that every time somebody gets moved, but guys really are close and you spend every day with each other. I’ve spent the last four years playing with (Karlsson) every day, so it’s always tough.
“It’s always a shock to the system when anybody gets traded, no matter who it is. You always expect it, but you never really know how to react to it. At the same time, this is the group we have. We’re excited with the group we have and some of the kids out there (in camp Friday) were our best players. It’s time to move forward.”
Of course, there will be changes on and off the ice without Karlsson in the fold. Defenceman Thomas Chabot is expected to skate with Cody Ceci in the top pairing, while many of the blue-liners will see their ice time increased because Karlsson played nearly 30 minutes a night.
Ceci also now occupies the stall that used to belong to Karlsson in the dressing room, but it should be noted that many of the players were moved around in the offseason so it’s not like this is a huge revelation.
But make no mistake, the Senators know it’s going to be different without him around.
“It’s pro sports,” defenceman Mark Borowiecki said. “He’s a guy we all liked and respected, and he’s a fantastic hockey player, the most skilled defenceman in the league, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. He has every right to explore whatever option he wants, but, by the same token, the team has every right to move an asset whenever they want.”
Borowiecki said the club can’t use Karlsson’s departure as an excuse.
“That’s a great way to suck the life out of a locker-room right away. We’ve got a great group of guys in here. This secondary leadership group we have in here, we know that we can do some good things here.
“We’re not going to sit around, drag our lips and mope and feel sorry for ourselves. Are there going to be tough times? For sure, it’s expected. We’ve got some great ideas right now. We’ve had some positive meetings.
“The true test is going to be, what happens if we go on a five-game slide? I’m not saying it will happen, but it might, and how do we react as a group? That’s going to be the true test.”
The organization might be in a rebuild, but coach Guy Boucher isn’t about to get caught up in that kind of talk.
“That (rebuild) is not a word for me. I’m a coach,” Boucher said. “Every year you build, and that’s where I’m at. That’s what we did (Friday) morning, come out and build with the players that we have and all the hope that they bring, and with the confidence that we can build chemistry.
“Right now, that’s our focus.” There was a reason the Senators wanted to get this trade done before camp, and that’s because they didn’t want it to be a distraction going into this season. If Karlsson were still here, there would be endless questions about his future and his contract situation, so the organization felt the timing was right.
“It had the potential to be a distraction and there were a lot of signs of it pointing in that direction,” Borowiecki said. “Now, it’s time for us to move on, and we have to look inward here and look at what we have to do to get this thing righted. There’s a bit of a chance here to focus less on (the Karlsson) situation and more on ourselves.”
Centre Matt Duchene felt a difference in the room.
“With all due respect to Karl, I don’t think that (trade) took the wind out of our sails because I think everybody kind of expected it at some point. We knew it was kind of any day from the start of the summer on,” Duchene said.
And on Friday, the Senators started to turn the page.
We’re not going to sit around, drag our lips and mope and feel sorry for ourselves. Are there going to be tough times? For sure, it’s expected.