The Black Mask!

...yeah, what's the deal with that?

It was a bigger story last week, but I think the story has only just begun.

Martin Biron wore a white mask for a whole season while he was awaiting being traded away from Buffalo. An Ottawa journalist questioned Martin Gerber about his plain new mask and whether this was a form of protest - Gerber responded "That's B.S."

Gerber stated it was simply the newest edition of the mask he gets from iTech and has not yet been painted - he's just trying it out.

Keep in mind that the Sens just changed their logo, and so a mask might just be in the process of being painted with the new logo... but the Sens organization has known for a long time that they would be introducing a new logo, so couldn't they have just sent the plans before hand?

Gerber, as mentioned earlier, got a shutout in his first pre-season start. In last night's game against the Washington capitals Gerber allowed 3 goals on 18 shots - not a great outing.

Let's keep in mind that Emery is making progress and will likely make a start in the pre-season.

Will Gerber keep his black mask? That will depend on his emotional state more than anything.

Gerber gets a shutout!

Okay, it wasn't the biggest of tests, but all that matters is that he passed. And not one of those by-the-seat-of-the-pants passes, but Martin "the Gerbinator" Gerber got a shutout against the Philadelphia Phantoms. I mean Flyers, sorry...

A few other players likely impressed those of you who watched Amateur Hour on Rogers Community Television on Tuesday night. One of whom was Nick Foligno, who scored a goal and notched two assists. Ilya Zubov, whose first name I refuse to spell with a 'j', also played well, showing a good nose for the net on the Senators' first goal of the night. He played well at times, and I actually hope John Paddock gives him a shot playing on the second line between Daniel Alfredsson and Antoine Vermette (neither of whom played against the Flyers). Luke Richardson didn't look nearly as slow as I thought he would, and might make a few decisions difficult for Paddock and GM Bryan Murray.

You know what wasn't impressive, though? The Rogers broadcast. I don't want to sound ungrateful, because I'm glad I got to see the game, but come on... are you kidding? A few notable typos: Miek Fisher, Llija Zubov, Jaon Spezza... give me a break. Also, I didn't know the Senators moved their affiliate to "Binningtum", although that is the name the colour commentator gave to them. He also extolled Gerber for his rebound control, noting "No rebounds to speak of," even though that couldn't be farther from the truth. While he improved through the game, Swiss Cheese's biggest problem was controlling rebounds and trying not to kick-save pucks right into the slot.

Another beef is the refs. I understand it's time for referees to show what they can do, too, but the new referee (I don't know his name, and NHL.com doesn't have stats up yet) was absurdly sensitive. My friend, a former referee with an eye for these sorts of things, noted the likelihood this new ref was trying to 'pad his stats' with regards to hooking penalties because the NHL is trying to cut down on obstruction infractions. Well, on that count, good job.

In other news

Oh yeah, Mike (as opposed to 'Miek') Fisher signed a five-year, $21M contract on Monday. I sure hope that Fish the Dish earns his $4.2M contract every year--48 points won't cut it--but a great job nonetheless by Murray to lock up an important part of the Senators roster.

Crossing one of the unregistered free agents he'll have to sign at the end of the 2007-08 season off his (substantial) list is certainly a boon for Murray, and hopefully he'll be able to sign Dany Heatley before the season starts. It would certainly be nice, but I might be dreaming. Heater suggested a willingness to accept a home town discount, but most people would say that just to appease the public and the media. He apparently doesn't want to negotiate during the season, so it would probably be beneficial for the Sens to sign him now when the temptation to test the market is likely lesser. Chris Kelly will also hopefully be signed, as CK is another important role-player for the team.

A little look forward, a little look back

As every NHL season is unique-and not in that humouring "every child is unique" sorta way-the Sens have some interesting conundrums to deal with this year. Let's explore them, shall we?

The Gerber Ultimatum - The man has said that he wants out of Ottawa. But not so fast there, G-spot - the Sens may need you yet. Starter Ray Emery will be recovering from wrist surgery to start the season, so Ottawa will need Gerber to at least fill in. An exceptional pre-season could lead to a few early-season starts-who knows? ...and after that, anything could happen - just look at last season.

Heatley, Spezza signings - Until the day that both of these excellent players sign new contracts, this situation will weigh on the Senators shoulders all season. So GM Bryan Murray, get 'er done! Unless the Senators manage to sign one or both of these forwards, the core of the team will change next off season (especially with Redden's money freed up).

The young guns - I read today that Nick Foligno has a spot on the fourth line already! That's a bit shocking to me, but I've never seen the guy play. My fellow Sens Army blogger Peter has stated that Russian prospect Ilya Zubov may be able to centre the second line! (I am shocked, again.) This season will surely see many players from the farm team do their thang in the big league, and I'm looking forward to seeing the future of the franchise.

A big PS - Senators Preseason TV schedule on Rogers 22 in Ottawa

Tuesday, September 18 Ottawa vs Philadelphia 7 pm
Thursday, September 20 Ottawa vs Washington 7 pm
Tuesday, September 25 Ottawa vs Philadelphia 7 pm
Saturday, September 29 Ottawa vs Montreal 7 pm

Ruslan Bashkirov and a wave of young Russians dressed to impress

Okay, maybe the Ottawa Senators have had a hard time with Russian players. Alexei Yashin being the pinnacle of those troubles. There have been good times, though, even when it comes to the up-and-down relationship Senators fans have with Yashin himself--occasionally a clutch goal, some fancy moves, he looked good when he wasn't distracted by his next paycheque or his geriatric wife. After Yashin in the disappointment category comes once-highly-touted prospect Alexei Kaigorodov; slated to be our second-line centre at the start of the 2006 -07 season, he couldn't cut it in the professional North American game so he went home and complained to the Russian media about the Senators' front office. If you're looking for a way to burn bridges, ask Kaigorodov. Then there's Petr Schastlivy, another project player who never quite panned out as team management hoped.

There were good times, though. Igor Kravchuk was a decent defenseman for the Sens, despite some untimely giveaways and often inconsistent play. The man played 238 games in a Sens jersey, giving some veteran presence while the team was struggling to find an identity. Then there's Oleg Saprykin; past success indicates it might be better not to question the actions of Bryan Murray, but I don't agree with him that Sappy has no place on this team. Even if it is for $1-1.5M a season. He bought into the Sens system and provided some much-needed speed and creativity on an often-struggling fourth line. He looked good with Dean McAmmond and Chris Schubert, and I would have liked to see him play a full season with the Sens. Finally, Anton Volchenkov is undoubtedly the all-around best Russian this relatively young Senators team has employed--shot blocking, occasional goal-scoring, punishing physical play; he's awesome.

The future looks moderately bright on the Russian front, however, and if the NHL can somehow get the Russian Ice Hockey Federation to agree to a player-transfer agreement, it'll get even brighter. I'm looking at a player like 2007 second-round pick Ruslan Bashkirov. Watching this young man play in the (not-so-) Super Series between Russia and Canada has made me excited. The fact that he's already playing in North America (with the Quebec Remparts of the QJMHL) gets me almost as excited as his play in the tournament. After goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and forward Alexander Vasyunov, I'd venture to say that Bashkirov was Russia's best player in Game 5 of the tournament, and I'll be expecting more in the coming games. He had a decent edge in game five, and even when his team was down by a few goals he seemed to be playing hard and making things happen. Here's to hoping he'll give North America a shot at some point.

Another young Russian is Alexander Nikulin. The 2004 fourth-round pick signed a two-year, entry-level contract on June 1, and has expressed a willingness--as opposed to some other Russian prospects (*cough*Kaigorodov*cough*)--to serve his time in the minor league instead of insisting on an immediate roster spot on the big team. As quoted on RussianProspects.com: "I will be patient and will work very hard. My contract is signed for two years. I believe that in the beginning I will have to play on the farm team. I will gain experience, learn the language. But I am ready for this." So, you know, that's a plus.

Then there's right-winger Ilya Zubov, drafted by Ottawa in the fourth round of the 2005 entry draft. He's just signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the club on August 9, and is reportedly coming to North America to participate in the Sens training camp. It's unknown whether he'll make the big Senators, but I wouldn't count on it. Here's hoping that, even if he doesn't, he'll report to Binghamton instead of returning to HC CSKA in Russia.

Guess who's coming to town

What the hell are the Senators going to do this off-season? Sure, they made big changes upstairs, but the small ones on the ice have only kept the team roughly equal to the one from last year. The one that didn't win the Stanley Cup. And since so many teams, especially in the Eastern Conference (Philly, New York Rangers), have improved. And if Scott Niedermayer decides to return to Anaheim, the team that beat Ottawa last season has also improved. Here are a few of the remaining free agents that are rumoured to be considering Ottawa, or would be a good idea:

1. Peter Forsberg: I think he's on top of 30 'most wanted' lists across the NHL, and Ottawa's no exception. It would be great to see him playing alongside Daniel Alfredsson, but Forsberg will play where he wants--and that might mean a return to Colorado or Philadelphia.

2. Danny Markov: The Sens are stacked on defence, but if Markov wanted to play in Ottawa (and, according to http://www.hockeybuzz.com/, he might) I think John Paddock would make room for him by moving Christoph Schubert back to forward, or trading one of the six. People have been saying Joe Corvo's on the block for a while, but I'd rather keep him.

3. Mike Johnson: All off-season I've been pleading with Bryan Murray to bring in Johnson (pictured above, hitting Buffalo's Brian Campbell). Apparently he's not reading this blog enough. The bottom line is that MJ would be inexpensive, and he plays a solid style to fill out our third- or fourth-line. Albeit less effective than Mike Fisher, he plays a similar style. The more Fishers we have, the better.

4. Jeff Friesen: Maybe it's a risk, but as a fourth-line veteran who's won the Cup, it might be worth it. He wouldn't cost much. Plus there's the bonus that we're taking a Senator killer (see 2003 Eastern Conference Finals) off the market.

5. Anson Carter: An interesting option. He's pretty inconsistent, it seems, but he had a hell of a year with the Sedins. He could add a scoring dimension to Ottawa's second or third line, so that if the big line takes a night off we're not screwed.

6. Adam Hall: I don't know what to say about Haller... his effectiveness is limited, and we've got Chris Neil as a more responsible pest on our team. Still, he might be alright as a depth/fourth-line move.

7. Patrick Marleau: Marleau is still the property of San Jose, but apparently they've been shopping him around. One of the potential suitors is Ottawa, but I don't see what they'd want from Ottawa. There is cap room in San Jose, so it's possible they'd take Martin Gerber to back up Evgeni Nabokov, but then Ottawa would have no backup (aside from unproven youngsters). Other than that, there's still Corvo, and possibly Patrick Eaves (who's name has once again, for some unknown reason, been mentioned in trades). An interesting possibility, but unlikely.

The problem with this whole scenario, though, is that Murray could be waiting to give some prospects a shot to crack the lineup. Look for centre Josh Hennessy and wingers Nick Foligno and Danny Bois to push for roster spots. If they fail to impress, then count on Murray dipping into the free-agent pool to fill out the Senators' lineup.

Keep in mind: Alfredsson's Swedish

Ahhhhh!!! Peter Forsberg!!! ahhhhhh!!!

Wouldn't that be wicked? Canoe.ca is reporting that Sens' GM Bryan Murray has been in contact with Forsberg's agent simply to let the them know that Ottawa is interested in acquiring the free agent centre.

Forsberg has said that he would like to return to one of his previous NHL teams or play in Sweden this season.

Keep 3 things in mind;

1. Daniel Alfredsson is Swedish - maybe they're best friends, maybe they talk, maybe they share the same piece of dental floss every morning.
2. The Senators need a centre. Forsberg would look mighty good on the Sens' second or third line playing with Alfredsson and Vermette.
3. This would likely put the Senators over the cap limit. According to NHLscap.com, the sens have about $4.4 million free for this season, but a hellofva lot more for next year. Maybe signing Forsberg to a 2-year deal with a pay boost next season would sound attractive.

Seem likely? Argue it out in the comments.

I've never been wrong before...

Before the free agent period started, I had a look at the Senators' unrestricted free agents. Let's see how accurate I was on June 12...

Mike Comrie: What I said then...
Likely scenario: He walks. Something tells me he'll go back to some obscure hockey market (like Phoenix or Columbus or Florida) and the media in Ottawa will never see him again.

What happened: The guy did walk. It's not like the Sens didn't try to keep him, the guy just puts his wallet before winning. With the Islanders in a different division, we'll likely not hear from him next year. PS: The Islanders are paying him $3.3 million in 07-08.

Dean McAmmond: What I said then...
Likely scenario: It's hard to say how this one will go. I think this Canadian kid enjoys playing in a hockey town, but I can't help but think there's a team that will offer him $1 million or more for a 1-year deal, but the sens might match it.

What happened: The Sens got a deal on this guy, signing him for 3 years at $875, 000 per year. I do not know how they did it. This speedy centre/left-winger got 29 points last year and he's being paid like a rookie straight off the farm team. Sweet deal Murray/Muckler!

Tom Preissing: What I said then...
Likely scenario: Tom Preissing is 28 years old and toiled in the college/minors for many long years. He will go to the highest bidder, no matter where that is - he's probably got a young family to provide for and not much time to make this hockey career worth the effort. I see another team scooping him up, and I'll be sad to see him go.

What happened: Tommy P left us. He got $2.75 million per year for the next 4 years in Los Angeles. Good for him, I guess. Except for the fact that Los Angeles hasn't had a buzz since Gretzky left.

So overall, what happened to the Sens' UFAs this off-season? Pretty much what we expected. McAmmond sticking around is a pleasant surprise, but the departure of Preissing and Comrie leaves some big holes to fill in the lineup. As of yet, Murray hasn't really replaced the players that we've lost.

Senators sign D Luke "Richie" Richardson

According to reports from the Ottawa Sun, the Ottawa Senators have reached an agreement in principle with 38-year-old Ottawa-native defenseman Luke Richardson. Preliminary reports have him agreeing to a one-year deal worth $500,000, and with a clause regarding possibly playing in the minor league-affiliate Binghamton Senators. According to a source close to the team, Chris Neil has already nicknamed him "Richie".

I like this deal... it's sort of a no-lose situation. It's pretty obvious it stems from a few fortunate circumstances; one, Richardson is apparently close to GM Bryan Murray, and they cottage near each other; two, Richie is an Ottawa-native. I've seen him around the city a few times, so he makes his off-season home in the area.

As a defenceman, there's little room for Richardson on the big Senators. It's unlikely he'll usurp Larry Nycholat as the seventh d-man, so count on him being demoted to Binghamton. Unless Chris Schubert continues to play forward, in which case Richardson will probably be the team's seventh defenseman after Nycholat.

If the plan is to send him to Binghamton, consider the last couple months to be an amazing start for Binghamton GM Terry Murray. He re-signed Denis "Mr. Binghamton" Hamel to a three-year deal, and brought in forward Niko Dimitrakos and defencemen Richardson, Matt Kinch and Matt Carkner. Add this to the prospects that might play in Binghamton (Nick Foligno, Brian Lee, Alexander Nikulin, Cody Bass) and a few potentially returning guys (Danny Bois, Josh Hennessy) and fans of Binghamton should have a good season to look forward to. Which is fitting, because if I remember correctly, they were pretty bad last year. It'll be great to hear about a recharged farm team, and vets like Hamel and Richardson will certainly help the development of the Sens prospects. Cheers to the Murray family.