Only one constant in Bingo this year: Success

About a week ago, Bingo beat writer and blogger Michael Sharp documented the adversity through which the Binghamton Senators have, somehow, successfully navigated to get off to their best start in franchise history: Then 21-12-6 (48 points), now 23-13-6 (52 points). He offered a list of some of the things the team has overcome (directly quoting Sharp):

• "Brad Isbister, sold to B-Sens fans as a potential top-six forward here, opts to head to Switzerland, rather than report in training camp.
• "Second-year center Alexander Nikulin, last season's third-leading scorer, and another top-six guy entering the season, threatens to return home to Russia if he is not traded. Eventually, he gets his wish, getting shipped to the Phoenix organization the same day he walks out on the B-Sens.
• "Second-year center Cody Bass, while playing on recall with Ottawa, is lost for the season with a shoulder injury.
• "Rookie forward Kaspars Daugavins chooses to return to juniors in late December. He had just three points in 23 games, but he'd been playing on a line with Josh Hennessy and Ryan Shannon just before his decision.
• "This first half has featured 14 call-ups to Ottawa, most recently goaltender Brian Elliott, an all-star and arguably the team's first-half MVP. It doesn't appear he's returning any time soon.
• "Eight players have missed at least eight straight games with an injury down here. That doesn't include Shannon, who missed time with a concussion while on recall with Ottawa.
• "Brendan Bell and Brian Lee, two top-four defensemen for Binghamton, appear to be sticking in Ottawa. Bell has been there since Nov. 16. Lee has already logged 18 games with the big club.
• "The schedule was ridiculous in November, with two stretches of seven games in 10 days. One stretch included a lengthy trip to Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. And both came amidst a period of heavy injuries and call-ups."

Although it's not confirmed, it sure looks like Elliott will be in Ottawa for the rest of the season, and one of Bell or Lee will more than likely stick around, as well. Binghamton coach Cory Clouston has taken his fair share of criticism, but he's got to be commended for keeping this team rolling. And Sens GM Bryan Murray and Assistant GM Tim Murray both have to be commended for, at least to date, re-stocking the Senators minor-league pro depth.

Nikulin traded to Phoenix for D Drew Fata

Does Bryan Murray have a hotline to Phoenix, or do the Coyotes just like picking up Sens' players who've worn out their welcome? After dumping Alexei Kaigorodov for Mike Comrie in 2006-07 and then Brian McGrattan for a draft pick in the summer of 2008, the Sens traded disgruntled Russian prospect Alexander Nikulin to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for defenceman Drew Fata.

Is Fata the answer to the Senators' defensive problems? Quite simply, no. He was drafted in 2001 and has played 8 NHL games since then. He does add some depth to the B-Sens d-corps, however, which may indicate another trade. If not other trades come, at least Bingo is in better shape defensively.

Will SputNik actually play for the Coyotes? Who knows.

(via Sens Chirp)

Nikulin pretty much gone

According to Michael Sharp's Sharp on the Sens, Alexander Nikulin is on his way to Russia. He's making a layover in New York City for a few days, however, in case a trade can be done (I guess he's still holding out hope that he'll play for an NHL team this year).

If Nikulin is traded, I assume he will report to that team--at least for a while. If he makes the NHL squad he'll probably stick around, but if not there's no reason to think he'll play in the AHL for some other organization. One thing is certain, though: He won't be back in the Senators' system.

You know what? It's too bad. It's too bad Nikulin was so willing to put in the time last season, but felt that one year's seasoning would automatically guarantee him a spot in the NHL. And it's too bad that, over the course of the off-season, SputNik was surpassed by friend Ilya Zubov as well as Peter Regin, Zack Smith, and newcomer Ryan Shannon on the B-Sens' depth chart. As skilled as he is, players--especially ones who haven't proven themselves--aren't really able to dictate where they will play.

Best of luck to Nikulin, though. At least when he's not playing against the Senators.

Nikulin will be gone, but Bell won't go anywhere

Just catching up with Michael Sharp's Binghamton Senators blog (which is, by the way, a tremendous resource for out-of-Binghamton Sens fans), and saw some interesting facts.

First off, Alexander Nikulin is definitely not going to stay with the B-Sens. After demanding a trade after being demoted from the NHL, he's apparently fed up, and will be gone to Russia if he hasn't been traded by this Monday (Nov. 3). This, obviously, doesn't make him very marketable, because if he's this willing to head off to Russia, there aren't many people who'd give up much in exchange. Not a great decision, but I guess we'll see how this works out.

And another story with a Russian angle: Sharp had reported that Brendan Bell had received offers--some very fruitful--from Swiss, Swedish, and Russian clubs, but is committed to fulfilling his contract with the Sens. A very interesting quote in the story from Bell;

"Yeah, there's some big money in other places," Bell said, "but I've got a contract with Ottawa and with Binghamton, and so this is where I am. I'm content here with the way things are going, and the way I've been playing. ... I know a couple buddies of mine have gone over there and done that, and now they're in some trouble. So, I don't look at that as an option right now."

In the same way that Nikulin would rather play in his home country, it seems Bell would rather play on his home continent. Although they would both rather play in the NHL...

On the farm: Bingo starts 2-0

With a 2-1 shootout victory over the Toronto Marlies followed by a 3-1 win over the Rochester Americans, the Ottawa AHL-affiliate Binghamton Senators are off to a 2-0 start on the year. Thanks in large part to goaltender Brian Elliott, who's stopped 66 of 68 shots (a .970 save percentage) so far this year.

Newly-acquired forward Ryan Shannon (1G, 1A) and defenceman Brendan Bell (2A) are tied with the 2008 third-round draft pick Zack Smith (1G, 1A) for the team-lead in points with two apiece. Josh Hennessy and Ilya Zubov each have one goal, while Bell and captain Denis Hamel scored in the shootout victory.

Disgruntled forward Alexander Nikulin is back practicing with the team, although it is unclear if and where he fits into a strong forward lineup for the B-Sens. Rumours are that some team(s) are interested in his skill, if only they could be assured SputNik would remain in North American rather than return to his native Russia.

Centre Peter Regin has returned from his concussion, and is slotted at centre with Hennessy and Hamel on the B-Sens' top line. According to Binghamton beat writer Michael Sharp's blog, the depth chart looks like this:

Hamel-Regin-Hennessy
Zubov-Smith-Shannon
Mauldin-Bass-Bois
Yablonski-Weller-Johnson
Nikulin, Daugavins

More unhappy forwards: SputNik and Isbister

Just a few days after Christoph Schubert expressed tremendous disappointment at being moved up to forward instead of playing minimal ice time at defence, two more Senators players appear disappointed with their roles in the system.

Alexander Nikulin recently posted an article on his blog (translated here on HFBoards) entitled "Goodbye, Ottawa" where he was disappointed at his reception for training camp, and has apparently asked for a trade or the option to go back to Russia. Bryan Murray agreed to try and trade him, and has been looking around, but if he can't find one within two weeks SputNik said he's off to CSKA Moscow. He cites the disappointment the Sens expressed to his conditioning--which was better than last year, just not as improved as the Sens wanted--and that he wasn't even given a chance to play in the pre-season. He is of the mind that a year in the minors would be a "waste", rather than an opportunity to improve. Worrying is his implication that Ilya Zubov, who improved greatly in the off-season--may also be disgruntled at the demotion to the AHL. I don't think either party is wrong here. Ottawa had every right to express their feelings to Nikulin, and to demote him if they felt it was granted. And Nikulin has every right to ask for a trade if he feels he can get better shake somewhere else. He's on contract, though; walking out on a contract and heading to Russia is a different can of beans. Time will tell.

Third disgruntled forward is Brad Isbister, who recently signed a two-way contract. According to Michael Sharp of the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin, Isbister isn't happy with that second way his contract could go--assignment to the AHL--so he's looking to Europe. No big deal, according to head of hockey operations Brent Flahr (as quoted on Sharp's blog): "I think you look around, we've got right now, just in practice, we have five lines, guys competing. Guys like Ryan Shannon, and Denis, and Josh Hennessy, and Zack Smith, who you haven't seen a lot of yet but is a real good player. Danny Bois has come in ... he looks like a different player this year. You know, you have Zubov, Nikulin, other guys. So ... I think we have very good depth at forward. We're not concerned. At the same time, we don't want anybody down here around young prospects who doesn't want to be here."

So, expect a few moves to make sure all of our players want to be here. Not sure about Schubert and whether or not he'll stick around, but neither Nikulin nor Isbister will be with Ottawa this year. Which is fine, because it's better to have happy middling players than unhappy middling players. And Binghamton had extra forwards, anyway.

Sens' prospect recap, after (most of) training camp

Below is the rankings of the Sens' prospects based on readers' votes. The percentage is how many readers felt that individual would (or at least should) make the team. In brackets are the actual number of votes, based on 146 total votes.

1. Nick Foligno: 79% (116 votes)
2. Brian Lee: 78% (114 votes)
3. Jesse Winchester: 71 % (105 votes)
4. Cody Bass: 56% (83 votes)
5. Ilya Zubov: 13% (19 votes)
6. Brian Elliott: 2% (3 votes)
7. Alex Nikulin: 1% (2 votes)
8. Peter Regin: 0% (1 vote)

These rankings reflect pretty much what I expect will happen. Foligno was not just one of the best prospects in training camp, but was one of the Sens' best players. He's basically cemented himself a spot on the roster, and has certainly earned it. I'm excited to see how this guy develops, because he sure seems to have his mind in the right state.

Lee is largely benefitting from the lack of offensive abilities within the D-corps. There are a lot of expectations heaped on this kid--he is still a kid--and he's got something to prove. Although his pre-season play was a little here-and-there, his play last year was solid, and the same will be expected this year. If anything goes wrong, and he fails to score a passing grade, then the Sens will have to decide whether to send him to the AHL or to end Project Brian Lee a little early, and send him packing for a more established blueliner.

Third in the rankings was Winchester, and he was given the best chance to excel among the Sens prospects. Playing alongside Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley will make a lot of players look good, but Winchester silenced a lot of critics--at least for the time being--with his play. He demonstrated good strength, with and without the puck, and an ability to keep up to his all-star linemates in both speed and finesse. His contract was one sign, but his play certainly proved that he's worth an extended look on the top line--or at least in the roster.

Last of those who are still on the roster is Bass, whose effort against Philadelphia demonstrated his best assets--a willingness, and even eagerness, to stand up for teammates. Bass is a sparkplug. He's a solid grit player, and seems to relish that role. Although it's uncertain whether or not he'll stay on the roster all year, it is certain that he can and would contribute if he does. And he seems like the kind of player GM Bryan Murray and coach Craig Hartsburg are looking for, so I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

Elliott is simply out of luck due to the presence of Alex Auld and Martin Gerber. It is commonly assumed that this season will go a long way to determining what the Sens do with goaltending next season, and whether Elliott can be an NHL starter. Or whether Gerber should be re-signed. Or whether Auld isn't really a backup. Or whether we need a new goalie because all of our plans and back-up plans were proven wrong.

As for the bottom three skaters, Zubov, Nikulin, and Regin have already been sent to Binghamton (EDIT: Whoops, my bad, Regin hasn't been sent to Binghamton yet), and Zubov--who received more votes than the other two--was the best throughout training camp. Although he certainly must have impressed Murray with his devotion and conditioning this off-season (he stayed in North America instead of going home, and trained with Chris Neil), I guess Murray believes another year in the AHL is necessary. As for SputNik, his blog (translated here on HFBoards) indicates that he'd thought a spot on the NHL team was all but guaranteed. He didn't impress as much as Zubov, and probably won't be very happy with the demotion. Still, if he accepts it as a challenge, rather than an insult, perhaps he and Zubov will train together in the off-season, and will return as seasoned players with two full years of North American pro experience. And Regin was in his first training camp, so it's no big surprise he's being given a season in the AHL (EDIT: Regin hasn't been sent down yet, as I said above).

Tryout updates on peripheral players

Michael Sharp of the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin has been blogging throughout the Sens' training camp, focussing largely on players trying to make an impression, or ones expected to play for the Binghamton Senators. They're good reading, so check them out, but here are a few excerpts:

Luke Richardson: "If he can stay healthy, Richardson believes his experience should give him an edge in training camp. Yes, he acknowledged, the idea of a back-up plan has come up -- (and, down the road, he is interested in coaching) -- but he said Hartsburg's message was: "We'd love to have you at camp, but ... if you're coming to camp, I want you to be 100 percent as a player. And we'll go from there. And if you make the team, you make the team. And if not, we'll discuss that after.""

Matt Carkner (on playing right wing): ""I think it's all new for him," Hartsburg said. "He's played a little bit maybe in the past, but he's trying to do the right things. And again, for him in a game, he'll bring an element (fighting-wise) that we don't really want to see in practice. But that's his opportunity, again when we play exhibition games, if that becomes part of the game.""

Alexander Nikulin (through translator Kaspars Daugavins): ""He's thinking about the first thing right now ... make Ottawa," said Daugavins, translating for Nikulin. "He's thinking about making Ottawa. His point is to stay here and work hard, because he thinks he ... learned North American hockey. But if something happens and they send him down, he will be going there and (working hard). And he will work on his bad things, like whatever they will say, to get here.""

Interesting stuff. Sharp will likely be posting more, so check this one or his own for updates.

Sens beat Panthers, Leafs in rookie tournament

Anyone who hasn't seen can check out highlights of the Sens' rookie camp victories on TSN.ca, 4-2 over the Florida Panthers rookies and 7-5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs rookies. (Despite finishing so much worse than Ottawa so many years, the Leafs are apparently still unable to assemble any young talent.) The Panthers highlights are up now, and I'm sure the Leafs ones will be up soon.

Against Florida, undrafted rookie tryout candidate Mick Lawrence (who?) scored two goals and an assist, while Shawn Weller added a goal and two assists and Ilya Zubov scored the Sens' other goal. Since the Senators' official press release is seriously lacking, and I can't find a stats sheet anywhere, I turned to the Ottawa Sun, who filled out a bit more scoring details: Jesse Winchester also added two assists, and Bruce Garrioch said he looked "strong". About Lawrence, he seems to have found his game at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in his final year, scoring NCAA career-highs in goals (21), assists (19), and points (it's basic math, come on; 21+19=40 points). If the highlights on TSN were typical, then Winchester, Zubov, and Lawrence were on a line together. Brian Elliott was tending nets for the Sens.

Against Toronto, all I know now is what the Sens' press release says. Forwards Winchester (2G), Zubov (1G, 1A), Alexander Nikulin (2A), and Peter Regin (2A), as well as defenceman Mattias Karlsson (1G, 1A), each had two points. The Leafs were up 2-0 at one point, but the Sens rallied and eventually took the lead. Two goals on three shots in the first period; Leafs goaltending prospect Michael Ouzas must have had a rough game. Jim O'Brien, Benoit Doucet, and Zach Smith also scored for the Senators, while Mitch O'Keefe played in goal.

The Sens' final round-robin game of the tournament is tomorrow at 2 p.m. I wish it was on TV... and that I didn't have to work so I could watch it live.

(P.S. If you're wondering what my player-name tagging technique is, I've only tagged the names of players who are on contracts with the Sens. That's why someone like Mitch O'Keefe is tagged, while Mick Lawrence isn't. Not that anyone cares at all.)

Which prospect has the best chance of making the cut?

Going into training camp this season, the Sens have a number of promising prospects who should get a good shot at making the NHL. It's largely assumed that those prospects who finished the 2007-08 season with the Sens--including Brian Lee, Cody Bass, and Nick Foligno--will start the 2008-09 season.

Despite these newcomers filling a few full-time roster spots, there still could be another opening--whether full-time or part-time--at forward for another young prospect. It's possible Josh Hennessy could get a look, but in my opinion his recently-declining performance in the AHL (63 points in 2005-06, then 57 points in 2006-07, then 51 in 2007-08) means his potential isn't as high as some others. The race, then, will likely come down to one of Jesse Winchester, Ilya Zubov, Alexander Nikulin, James O'Brien, or Peter Regin to be among the Sens' 13 forwards. I've ordered the prospects from most likely to least likely, in my opinion, but there's a diversity of factors on any side of the debate.

1. Jesse Winchester: After finishing his four-year career at Colgate University, Ottawa won the bidding war to attract Winch into a contract. He only played one game last season, but GM Bryan Murray was satisfied enough with his scouting report to sign Winchester to a two-year, one-way contract. Although the unidirectional nature of that contract gives him a pretty good chance of making the team, I think Murray signed him for one reason: a big player who can make plays, but isn't afraid to work for the puck. Although the Sens have no shortage of gritty forwards this season, most of them are--how should I put this--offensively challenged. If Winchester can play alongside Mike Fisher, and complement his grind-style to produce some offence, the Sens may have some secondary scoring based on a totally different offensive style than the CASH Line's primary scoring.


2. Ilya Zubov: Zubov played one game last season for the Senators, and he didn't look too badly out of place. His first year in North American pro did alright, and he scored 38 points for the B-Sens in 74 games. Although he's got some speed, Zubov definitely has some work to do in terms of upper-body strength, according to an NHL.com scouting report. According to Hockey's Future, he's the Sens' third highest-ranked prospect, after only Foligno and Lee. He'll get a shot, but he's really going to have to earn any time he gets in the NHL this season.


3. Alexander Nikulin: SputNik is already a fan-favourite in many circles, despite the fact that he's only played two NHL games. His blog (which you can read translated on HFBoards) is quite popular, and Nikulin's openness is respected. His play, too, is respectable; Nikulin's got good vision and at least some level of defensive responsibility, so he could very well see some NHL time later on. He was visibly nervous in his first two NHL games, though, and will likely need more seasoning in the AHL before becoming a full-time NHLer.


4. James O'Brien: O'Brien played a year of college hockey for the University of Minnesota, but left after that year to play pro hockey full-time in the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds. The fact that he's never played pro hockey might be a deterrent, but he's apparently got the potential to be a second-line power-forward, according to Hockey's Future's scouting report on the 2007 first-round draft choice.


5. Peter Regin: A relative unknown who's quickly climbing the ranks of the Sens' prospects, Regin jumped from 14 to 9 on Hockey's Future's prospect rankings for the Sens. He's got a small chance of playing for the Senators, but some time with Binghamton will certainly help Regin's development as he gets used to the professional game in North America.

It would be great if one of the Sens' blue-chip prospects could step in and produce offensively right away--that would solve our secondary scoring problems pretty quickly. Unfortunately, that's highly unlikely, and all five of these players will probably be project-players who will take at least a season, or a few of them, to become bona fide NHL point-producers.

Senators' prospect rundown

Anyone who hasn't seen the Sens website recently should head over to check out a listing of the Sens' top prospects. It's got the comments of assistant GM Tim Murray on the likes of Ilya Zubov, Jim O'Brien, Alexander Nikulin, Josh Hennessy, Peter Regin, Kaspars Daugavins, Brian Lee, Tomas Kudelka, and Brian Elliott.

Obviously, the story is written on behalf of the Senators so author John McGourty certainly has his rose-coloured glasses on, but it still makes for interesting reading. What interest me most is Nikulin, who, according to the story, is more defensive than I'd given him credit for. He sounds like, if there weren't a log-jam at centre, he could make a solid third-line centreman in the NHL. From the story:

Nikulin was regarded as the fourth-best Russian in his draft year (2004) behind Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. He is a well-built 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, but is not a physical player. He is, however, an excellent defensive centre with great awareness and top-notch passing skills. He has a great understanding of the game and skates well but needed last season in the AHL.

The other pleasant surprise is about Lee; he looks so young that I had no idea he was 6'2" and 205 pounds. He's almost identical to Wade Redden in that sense, and hopefully he can replicate Redden's early success with the Senators (without tailing off after a dozen or so years in the NHL).

Interesting read for those of us thirsting for Sens action to start up.

More reinforcements from Bingo

According to Michael Sharp, blogger on the Binghamton Senators, the Ottawa Senators are going to receive three more reserve players from the B-Sens after they finished their season Sunday night.

Two days after Alexander Nikulin was recalled, Sharp quoted B-Sens coach Cory Clouston that goalie Jeff Glass as well as defencemen Larry Nycholat and Matt Carkner were also on their way up. Including all of our Black Aces and injured players, the Sens roster now has 29 bodies. That's a lot of spares, but I guess we've got a lot of injuries.

Don't tell me Spezza's out, too...

According to TSN.ca's Ice Chips, there is a question as to whether or not Jason Spezza will play in game three:

"First line centre Jason Spezza did not take the morning skate Sunday after reportedly jamming his leg in Friday's Game 2 loss to the Penguins. The Sens called up Alex Nikulin from Binghamton of the AHL to take his place in the lineup if Spezza can't play in game 3."

I do remember seeing Spezza go into the boards awkwardly at one point, and he did seem to be labouring for the rest of the game. If he's unable to play, it would be tough to take. With Mike Fisher, Daniel Alfredsson, and Chris Kelly already out, the loss of Spezza would mean that only three of our top seven forwards would remain (Dany Heatley, Cory Stillman, and Antoine Vermette). Sputnik may have done alright in the regular season in the AHL, but the playoffs in the NHL are a totally different animal.

B-Sens out, Nikulin recalled

With the Binghamton Senators officially eliminated from the AHL playoffs, the Sens have continued tapping their farm team's resources by recalling Alexander Nikulin as a black ace for the playoffs. With Nick Foligno, Brian Lee, and Cody Bass already taken from the B-Sens, it's no wonder they missed the playoffs for the third straight season. At least there was an improvement over last season; rebuilding a franchise's depth doesn't happen overnight. Look for the Sens to pick up a few draft picks this off-season to use at their home-town draft.

SputNik finished second on B-Sens' scoring with 50 points in 71 games for Binghamton. He didn't play much on his first stint with Ottawa, and it's mostly remembered for his 1-on-1 with Evgeni Malkin (he got smoked on it). I'm not sure where he'll fit in the roster if he plays a game, but it's worth bringing him up so he can be a part of the experience.

I would expect that after the B-Sens season finale on Sunday, a few more players might be on their way up. Goalie Brian Elliott is injured, so I doubt he'll come, but defenceman Larry Nycholat and forwards Niko Dimitrakos, Josh Hennessy, and Ilya Zubov all had pretty good years, and some or all could see themselves brough in as depth players.

B-Sens flatten B-Habs 7-1

The Ottawa Senators might have lost their latest game against the Montreal Canadiens 7-5, but that didn't stop the Sens' AHL affiliate to give the Hamilton Bulldogs a good beating Wednesday night.

Brian Elliot stopped 39 of 40. Josh Henessy, who's been having a relatively quiet season down in Bingo (quiet enough to not get recalled by the big club), had four goals and one assist, while Lawrence Nycholat also had a five-point night.

Nycholat is having a very productive season, at least offensively. He's currently third on the team in scoring, with 12 goals and 36 assists in 69 games. Denis Hamel is the team's leading scorer with 31 goals and 52 points in 59 games.

Alex Nikulin scored two goals and set up another in the Hamilton win Wednesday. He's fourth on the team in points, while fellow Russian prospect Ilja Zubov has 15 goals and 22 assists in 69 games in his first year in North America.

The Binghamton Senators are currently trailing Hershey by two points for the final playoff spot in their division.

The Rumour Mill: The Hockey News weighs in

Now, it's true that I've given my fair share of criticisms to The Hockey News, but the most recent issue (Vol. 61, No. 18, Feb. 12, 2008) has explored the possibilities of the upcoming trade deadline, and I'm going to go ahead and explore them because they involve Ottawa acquiring Marian Hossa and Darcy Tucker, two players who could be valuable additions to a playoff run.

Let's start with the biggest name: Hossa. THN has Antoine Vermette and Patrick Eaves going to Atlanta in this deal, but I think that might be a pretty high price for someone who will likely only be a rent-a-player due to cap restrictions. Perhaps one of those names in combination with a higher-round draft pick or a key prospect, such as Alexander Nikulin, it's a possibility. The prospect of complementing our already stacked offence (at least when we're not riddled with injury) makes me seriously consider Vermette and Eaves, though. I think Hossa would fit nicely alongside Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley, and a second line could include either Vermette or Eaves--whoever isn't involved in the deal--with Daniel Alfredsson and Mike Fisher.

That takes us to the Tucker acquisition. Most Sens fans hate the Mother Tucker, but I've come around a bit. I hate Gary Roberts waaaaay more, although that may have something to do with the Pittsburgh series last year. Going towards the Leafs would be Ilya Zubov, which seems like a reasonable price to pay. Tucker would be a nice complement to a third line with Chris Neil and possibly Dean McAmmond, a speedy line with grit and some offensive upside. The only possible problem is that Tucker has three more years at $3M each, which might be tough for GM Bryan Murray to swallow.

And some of the trades that other teams are rumoured to be taking part in.

The biggest deal of the deadline: Mats Sundin to Vancouver for Ryan Kesler, Alex Edler, and a conditional first-round pick. Which seems like a price the Sens could match, if the interest is there--which it has to be, considering Sundin's value. One of Vermette, Eaves, or Chris Kelly plus Brian Lee and a conditional first-round pick. An established player, a better-than-average defensive prospect, and a first-rounder if we make it to the finals. Plus Kelly is a Toronto native, so there you go. It seems like a high price, and if Sundin is just going to sign back in T.O. afterwards it might be, but if the Sens can talk him into a three-year, $12M deal to play with Alfie--a pipe dream, I know--then it might be worth it.

On defence, there's L.A.'s Rob Blake going to San Jose in exchange for Lukas Kaspar. Kaspar is a decently sized left-wing prospect, but this deal seems like a steal for the Sharks. If the last few games are any indication, the Sens need defensive help. Desperately. While I may be biased, I think Sens LW prospect Nick Foligno is a stronger asset that Kaspar, and could command a pretty penny if the team were to trade him--but I don't want to. Instead, the idea of trading Josh Hennessy and possibly another asset, such as C Igor Mirnov or LW Shawn Weller, the possibility of having a top-four D corps of Anton Volchenkov, Chris Phillips, Andrej Meszaros, and Rob Blake with Joe Corvo and Wade Redden as powerplay specialists makes me drool.

And while goaltending is probably a section of the roster that will stay as it is for this season, one thing seems certain for 2008-09: Either Ray Emery or Martin Gerber will no longer play for the Ottawa Senators. Both parties have requested the starter's position, or to be traded. Which means this team will likely need a backup for next season. And why not pick one up now, in case the injury bug gets to the Sens' crease. Apparently--according to THN, of course--Dan Ellis of the Predators is only worth a second-round pick, and that seems a pretty reasonable price to pay for a solid backup who won't raise a stink if he doesn't get a chance at starting.

But let's be realistic. This article was fun to write, and I hope it was fun to read (and comment on; let us know who you think the Sens need), it's completely speculative. And probably completely unrealistic. But it's better than writing about another Sens loss or another fight in practice.

Sens call up Zubov

According to the Bingo website, Ottawa called up Ilya Zubov from Binghamton today.

I'm not sure where they plan him to play. It could be a precautionary move in case Jason Spezza is unable to play, but Spezz seems confident he'll be good to go. Maybe this is a sign he's not as good as he though.

If Spezza is healthy, I don't see John Paddock giving Zubov much of a chance. He might get more ice time than Brian McGrattan, though; even Alexander Nikulin (4:55) averages more ice time per game than Grats (2:33). If Zubov plays on the second line, it might help provide some offence, although he'll likely have to play on one of the wings.

Zubov is fourth on Binghamton in scoring, with 26 points in 41 games.

UPDATE (Jan. 16, 2008): After playing 14:38 in his first NHL game (more than Christoph Schubert, Randy Robitaille, Patrick Eaves, Chris Neil, Dean McAmmond, Luke Richardson, Shean Donovan, or Brian McGrattan average per game), Ilya Zubov was sent back to the Binghamton Senators. He finished the game against Washington even in +/- with three hits, one takeaway, no giveaways, and 2-for-5 on faceoffs. Pretty good first game.

Fisher out for a few games

Turns out the oblique-muscle strain Mike Fisher sustained in the Sens' 7-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers is serious enough to keep Fish the Dish out of the lineup for at least a few games. According to the Ottawa Sun, he's not going to travel with the team through Boston and Atlanta and thus won't be back in the lineup for at least a week. At least he'll have time to recover from the dental work he's having to repair the chiclets he lost after Scott Walker's headbutt on Dec. 12.

The Sens, as we all know, are already missing Patrick Eaves and Anton Volchenkov, and I remember reading that Brian McGrattan is questionable if not doubtful for Tuesday's game against Boston.

If McGrattan is able to play, it makes it easy for John Paddock; he'll likely keep Cody Bass up with the big team (and maybe move him up, because JP seemed to be pleased with the work of BassMaster) and play Grats on the fourth line. If not, count on another call-up from Binghamton.

Prior to deciding on Bass, Paddock mentioned that his other options were Niko Dimitrakos, Ilya Zubov, or Alexander Nikulin. If the trend we've seen continues, someone other than Sputnik will likely get the chance. Zubov has a better offensive upside, but Dimitrakos likely plays a more defensively responsible style. While I'd like to see Zubov get a chance, I would lean towards NiDi getting the call and subsequent limo drive. Since the B-Sens game scheduled for Hershey tonight has been postponed until later in the week, whoever is called up will probably come straight from Bridgeport to Ottawa tomorrow, once the roads clear a bit.

Reinforcement(s) for game against Atlanta

The Sens brought Cody Bass up from Binghamton today as a replacement for Brian McGrattan, as Grats seems to still be recovering from the shoulder injury he suffered against Pittsburgh.

Bass has eight point (3G, 5A) in 24 games with the B-Sens, and is 6'0" and 211 lbs. Not the same size as McGrattan, but his style of play is probably more suited to a fourth-line shift than either of the Sens' blue-chip Russian prospects, Ilya Zubov and Alexander Nikulin. I'm not sure why Danny Bois wasn't called up, though; he's got more points than Bass, but it may just be to give a younger player a chance (Bass is 20, Bois is 27). It could also be that whoever is called up will be limited in their role, and so bringing an important player like Bois up to play 3 minutes a game is unnecessary when he'd be playing significantly more for the B-Sens in tonight's game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. It would also have been fun to see Jeremy Yablonski up on this team, just to see Yabo smoke someone mixed-martial-arts style.

For some unknown reason, HockeyBuzz.com is reporting that the Sens also called Jeff Glass up from Bingo to back up Martin Gerber tonight. I'm not sure where this information comes from, but no other news source is reporting it--and, in fact, reputable news sources are reporting that Ray Emery is going to be the backup--so I find it hard to believe. Now, I don't want to be overly harsh, but if this in fact turns out to be false, you have to wonder where 'information' like this comes from:

"Jeff Glass has been re-called from Binghamton of the AHL to back-up Martin Gerber tonight when the Atlanta Thrashers come to town. The limo was waiting for Glass immediately following the Baby Sens 4-3 win over Syracuse."

-from HockeyBuzz.com

I guess time will tell. All the best to BassMaster in tonight's game, although John Paddock has said that he's going to get limited ice time--if any.

On the farm: weekly Binghamton update

If Alexander Nikulin was angry with being assigned back to the B-Sens of the AHL after a forgettable two-game stint with Ottawa, it sure didn't affect his performance. After missing a game due to visa problems (how do the Sens let that happen? Come on, Tim Murray!), Nikulin scored once and set up three goals in a 4-0 blanking of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Denis Hamel scored twice, while Jeremy Yablonski rounded out the scoring and Ilya Zubov notched two assists. Jeff Glass got the shutout.

The next night must have been an amazing game to watch, and ended with an 8-5 victory over the Norfolk Admirals. After going down 5-4 in the third, the B-Sens rallied to score four unanswered in less than nine minutes to settle the score. Yabo extended what must be a career-high goal-scoring streak to two games. Hamel scored another two goals, giving him an AHL-leading 16 on the year. Larry Nycholat scored once and added three assists, and Niko Dimitrakos assisted on three consecutive goals, including the game-tying and game-winning goals.

As mentioned, Hamel now leads the league in goals, and his five goals over three games earned him AHL player of the week honours.

Binghamton earned 5 of a possible 6 points this past week, and is now 5-0-1-1 in he past seven games. Their record is 11-8-2-1 overall, worth 25 points and good for fourth in the AHL's East Division.

Top five scorers for Bingo, as of Dec. 3:

1. Denis Hamel: 22GP, 16G, 6A, 22P
2. Alexander Nikulin: 16GP, 4G, 11A, 15P
3. Larry Nycholat: 22GP, 2G, 13A, 15P
4. Niko Dimitrakos: 17GP, 8G, 6A, 14P
5. Josh Hennessy: 21GP, 5G, 9A, 14P