■ CENTRE-ICE SOLUTION?

It's been 309 days since the Ottawa Senators left the ice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and made their way back home the next morning, instead of making a scheduled stop in Chicago.

The team's final 11 games of the 2019-20 season weren't played due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, owner Eugene Melnyk, general manager Pierre Dorion, assistant GM Peter MacTavish, coach D.J. Smith and the rest of the hockey operations staff have put their collective heads together to make several changes to a Senators team that finished the campaign ranked No. 30 overall in the NHL.

After a shortened 15-day training camp without any exhibition games, the Senators will host the Toronto Maple Leafs in their season-opener on Friday night at the Canadian Tire Centre. The second game in this early edition of the Battle of Ontario is set for Saturday.

Dorion is bullish on this team and confident, as Smith heads into his second season behind the bench, that they will take a step in the right direction, playing in the all-Canadian North Division.

“This is probably one of the best NHL camps I've seen in my career,” Dorion said Thursday.

Of course, following the long layoff, there's no shortage of excitement about the return of the Senators. Not only is this the first opportunity to see goaltender Matt Murray in an Ottawa uniform, No. 3 overall pick Tim Stuetzle will celebrate his 19th birthday by making his NHL debut against Ottawa's biggest rival.

The Sens will be careful not to put too much pressure on Stuetzle, who is coming off a standout effort with Germany at the world junior championship and didn't look out of place in Monday's scrimmage.

Smith said he wants Stuetzle to be comfortable, which is why he's starting him on a line with veterans Derek Stepan and Evgenii Dadonov. The transition will be made easier by the fact that he's living with Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris.

So, what would be a veteran's advice to Stuetzle as he prepares to suit for his first NHL game?

“Just play … ,” said defenceman Erik Gudbranson, who was selected No. 3 overall by the Florida Panthers in 2010.

“There are going to be some growing pains. He's going from playing in the world juniors, which is superfast hockey, but now you're playing with men. He hasn't had the opportunity that most of us have had, coming through exhibition games and full training camps.”

This night will also be special for Gudbranson, who was born in Ottawa and is getting a chance to play for his hometown team.

“It's going to be a fun year,” Dorion said. “The most unfortunate part of all of this is our fans won't get a chance to see us live.”