COVID-19 takes away Sens’ final weekend

With the uncertainty surrounding the NHL season, the ice at Canadian Tire Centre was removed recently while the Ottawa Senators wait to see what happens with the rest of the league’s schedule.

It’s no surprise the decision was made by the club’s management to take the ice out. Senators employees and the team’s players have been advised by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly to stay home until at least April 15, and the expectation is that date will be extended because of the ongoing threat of the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus.

There’s no telling when — or if — the NHL is going to resume playing this season and with each passing day it’s getting more and more unlikely the Senators will play their final 11 games of the regular season.

If all had gone as planned, this would have been an exciting week for the Senators.

Not only would they have wrapped up the schedule Saturday with Fan Appreciation Night at home against Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins, but owner Eugene Melnyk and general manager Pierre Dorion were preparing to head to the NHL Network’s studios in Secaucus, N.J. for the NHL’s draft lottery, which was supposed to be held Thursday.

The Senators have three picks in the first round of the NHL draft, which was scheduled for June 26-27 in Montreal but has already been postponed. Ottawa has strong odds of getting the No. 1 overall selection because not only do they have their own top pick, they also have the San Jose Sharks’ first-rounder because of the Erik Karlsson deal in September 2018.

The Senators also acquired the New York Islanders’ firstround pick in the deal that sent Jean-Gabriel Pageau there at the February deadline, but that selection is lottery-protected if it’s in the top three. When the league took a break because of the spread of the virus, the Islanders were sitting a point out of the playoffs.

Neither the lottery nor the draft have been rescheduled. bgarrioch@postmedia.com

Twitter: @sungarrioch