With training camp approaching quickly, let's take a look at some of the players that will be playing in Binghamton next season. This isn't the official Binghamton Senators roster, so forgive me if some of the players are not playing in Binghamton this season, but here's a pretty basic look at who's in place right now.

Let's start with the positive: Jason Bailey has some speed, a great work ethic, and nice puck handling. He's a nice player to have on your checking line and a great influence on the younger players. He's undersized and there seems little offensive upside for Bailey, but his contributions can take forms other than offensive production.

In an interview with Michael Sharp (who has, unfortunately, left the B-Sens beat with the Press & Sun Bulletin, but we thank for all his hard work), Tim Murray said about Bass "He's what I consider a veteran. He's a character guy. I think he can help the kids. I think he can lead by example, and I think he can play games in a role up here if we need him." Bass is a great skater, and a perfect fit for any powerplay. He knows how to win faceoffs, and he can hit very hard for a centre. Think of him as Mike Fisher, minus the offense, a character guy that plays nice hockey, and a forward that plays with a defensemen mindset.

Bobby Butler

#16 Left Wing

Height: 6-0

Weight: 185

Born: Apr 26, 1987

When people look at Bobby Butler, one of the players compared to him is Daniel Alfredsson. Two-way forward, great hands, actuate sniper, nice playmaking skills, and just as good on defense as he is on offense. Add all that, and toss in great powerplay skills, and you got a great player in the making. We'll have to keep our expectations in check until we see him play some professional hockey, but the scouting reports sure make things look good.

Erik Condra is arguably the most underrated forward in the Ottawa Senators system. He's a great skater and an extremely good passer. But as good as his playmaking skills are, his defense needs work. He's easily intimidated and a bit of a shrinking violet when it comes to hitting. Once Erik learns how to hold his own physically, he should become one of the most talked about players in the system.

The former 67 is one tough 21 year old. A shoulder injury held Cowick back in his last season with the 67s, but he was able to return and put up a great numbers in last year's playoff run. He's got talent, and a huge amount of physicality to his game. He should be fun for Bingo fans to watch this season, and Ottawa's front office will be watching his development closely.

Dausgavins is fun player to watch, but he suffers from the same disorder that Jason Spezza does. He isn't just a pass first player, he's a pass first, second, and third player. Still, last season he scored almost as many goals as he did assists, so it hasn't apparently held him back too much, but if he becomes a little more selfish, he could turn into a solid AHL sniper. It's worth noting that Daugavins is on the last year of his entry-level deal, and hasn't looked like an NHL-caliber player in his first couple years.

Bryan Murray signed Dziurzynski to a three-year entry level deal, and this might turn out to be a steal. A mix of a toughness and playmaking, Dziurzynski had 185 penalty minutes in just 54 games played while putting up 37 points on the way. Still, he was playing in the AJHL, a junior-A league with competition nowhere near the level of the AHL, let alone the NHL. Dziurzynski has a steep learning curve ahead of him.

Greening is gifted a skater, and might have the best slapshot in Binghamton. He can score all by himself, but needs to learn how to use his linemates effectively, and could stand to get better at puck handling--some of the most important assets of a centerman. This season will be his first as a pro, so we will see what Greening is made of.

Hoffman is among he most highly-touted offensive prospects in the Senators' system, and you can see why with the 227P in 158GP during his QMJHL career. With routinely inflated offensive numbers in the QMJHL, though, it remains to be seen how Hoffman's skills will transfer into the professional game.

He's only 26 years old, but Keller will be one of the older players on the Binghamton roster next season. He'll add some leadership responsibilities to the offensive load Keller will be expected to carry, but there's reason to think he'll be fine with that. He'll be among the first players the Senators might call up as an injury replacement, and should be among the B-Sens' leading scorers this season.

Francis Lessard has spent 3570 minutes in the penalty box! That's almost the equivalent of two and a half days! Lessard will likely spend most of the season in Binghamton, but may be called up for spot duty in Ottawa against tougher opponents, like the hated Maple Leafs. In either circumstance, he should do just fine.

Corey Locke

Center

Height: 5-9

Weight: 189

Born: May 08, 1984

A former Canadiens prospect, Locke has moved around a bit in the league since being drafted. He's put up very good AHL numbers, scoring better than a point per game in each of the last two seasons. He hasn't had much of a shot in the NHL yet, but should be a huge provider for the B-Sens. Similar to Keller, he'll be one of the first among those recalled as injury replacements.

Ottawa Senators top forward prospect that has no NHL ice time, O'Brien is the first pick of the Bryan Murray era. O'Brien, a former defensemen, has shown he plays defense; it's just that the offense hasn't yet shown. As fantastic as it is, to watch a centre block shots and deliver hard hits, it'll be nice to see him take more shots and take charge of the offense. Until then, he's just a defensemen playing centre.

Zack Smith

#19 / Center / Ottawa Senators

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Born: Apr 05, 1988

The most likely player on this list to stick with the Ottawa Senators, Z. Smith won our hearts with his fantastic work ethic (and his jersey). He's not the best offensive player on the roster, but Z. Smith gives plenty of spark to the fourth line, and might very well slot in there. If not, he should play second- or third-line on Bingo. If you love players that crash the net, then Zack Smith is your guy.

Another tough guy on the Binghamton roster. Like the others, he's looks to spend a lot of time in the sin bin and doesn't come with very little offense. It's also a distinct possibility that Spencer will spend more time in the ECHL than the AHL this season.

Tifu has had a lot of success as a sniper in the ECHL, and Binghamton is hoping that a full season in the AHL will finally have everything come together. He looks to be another tough guy, but unlike the others, one with some offense. He'll have to do a lot in tryouts to show he can stick full-time in the AHL, but his numbers in the ECHL are great so it's not entirely unlikely.

Roman Wick came on Senators fan radar after his performance in the Olympics, and and is expect by some to fight for a spot on the Ottawa Senators roster. Wick isn't a physical player and playing style isn't ready for the NHL yet. He has talent, but he likely needs some time in the AHL.