SENS NOT IN A SHOPPING MOOD
NHL general managers going through their own version of Black Friday
The desperate quest for bargains is everywhere.
Once the U.S. Thanksgiving turkeys were digested, shoppers were lining up Thursday — some even camping — outside big-box storefronts, seeking the newest, latest and cheapest tech toys and trinkets as U.S. holiday shopping season hits high gear.
As coincidence would have it, National Hockey League general managers are going through their own version of Black Friday shopping. The number of scouts at NHL games is steadily growing, the window shopping in full bloom. They are checking out opposition teams to find injury replacements or depth players who could possibly enhance their rosters. As always, there is more talk than action.
While Senators general manager Bryan Murray certainly has his wish list — goaltending is the only position where the team couldn’t use an upgrade — Senators fans shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for a blockbuster move.
There’s salary-cap room, for sure. The Senators currently rank 30th — and last — in the NHL with a payroll of $55.8 million, but owner Eugene Melnyk has invested in the future in the past few months, signing wingers Bobby Ryan and Clarke MacArthur to lucrative long-term contract extensions.
Give the existing management and scouting staff credit for keeping the team in the earlyseason playoff hunt, considering that their rivals often can’t help themselves when they buy into the false advertising behind new purchases.
Murray is confident the players on the roster have room to improve. When he looks at his young group of forwards, he believes rookies Curtis Lazar, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone should only get better with experience. He’s also not panicking about the struggles of 21-year-old
For me, still, the word is patience ... (Methot has) gone consecutive days (in practice) where nothing has happened to set him back.
centre Mika Zibanejad, who was expected to serve as a secondline centre. Zibanejad has only three goals and three assists in 20 games.
Senators coach Paul MacLean has lost patience waiting for Zibanejad to wake up. Zibanejad is expected to be a healthy scratch again Friday against the Florida Panthers, sitting out his second consecutive game. The way MacLean sees it, Zibanejad has been too careful, reacting instead of “dictating.”
If improvement doesn’t come, this is a clearly an area where the Senators will need to look for outside help.
Murray recognizes the team needs more production from high-priced wingers Ryan and Milan Michalek, but suggests they will soon discover their “niche.” Ryan has five goals, Michalek but two.
Michalek, who acknowledged Thursday he was surprised when MacLean made him a healthy scratch Tuesday against St. Louis, figures to have additional motivation when he returns Friday against Florida. MacLean suggests the scratching offered Michalek a chance to “reboot, because that’s the end of it.”
Ryan, meanwhile, now has a pair of new linemates. At practice, he skated with Hoffman and centre Zack Smith. That’s clearly an experiment — and a loud message to Zibanejad — but Ryan likes the “chemistry” he developed with Hoffman when they played together during the third period against St. Louis.
The Senators can only hope Zibanejad responds to his benching the way Jared Cowen reacted to his five-game stretch on the sidelines early in the season. Cowen, playing primarily with standout Cody Ceci, has once again become a presence on the Senators blueline.
Still, there are holes in the Senators’ defence, a fact Murray acknowledged earlier this week. Chris Phillips, who will return Friday after missing three games with an undisclosed injury, has played more minutes and in bigger situations — paired with Erik Karlsson — than was originally expected. Mark Borowiecki and Eric Gryba have also seen additional minutes due to the absence of Marc Methot.
When Methot does come back — any day now — it will be a huge bonus. In the Senators’ perfect world, Methot would settle back into his old spot as Karlsson’s defence partner.
“For me, still, the word is patience,” MacLean said, when asked about the timetable for Methot’s return from his backside injury. “The positive thing is he’s gone consecutive days (in practice) where nothing has happened to set him back.”
If other NHL teams are busy shopping for a top defenceman, the Senators have a luxury, of sorts. There are few, if any, defencemen available who could have the same impact as Methot.
At this point, his return would serve as an early Christmas present for the Senators and their fans.