Monday LNN: Sens Return to Practice, Injuries Galore and Kane is Back?

After a lengthy, unplanned break the Ottawa Senators are back at it tonight against the Colorado Avalanche. Let’s catch up on what went on with the team and around the league this past weekend:

• The Sens were back practicing on Saturday after the league mandated a pause to get their COVID-19 outbreak under control. One of the themes that emerged from the subsequent media availability was that everyone didn’t much like having to sit and home and twiddle their thumbs but that there was an agreement the break was necessary for safety reasons.
• Unfortunately, though most of the team is back and available it appears Drake Batherson won’t be available for the duration of the road trip.
• Speaking of the upcoming road trip, it sounds like the Sens will be a lot stricter with player outings this week; expect a lot of hotel meals for the lads.
• Over in San Jose, the Sharks have cooled a bit after a surprisingly hot start but the big story is that Evander Kane’s twenty-one game suspension is nearly up and he could technically be eligible to return. Do the other Sharks’ players want him back on the team? I certainly would not!
• There’s also a fair amount of turbulence in Vancouver these days, as the Canucks have been (predictably) terrible again. Though the GM Jim Benning was just recently inexplicably given a vote of confidence, there are whispers that Travis Green’s coaching tenure could be rapidly coming to a close. Stay tuned.
• Greg Wyshynski has a fun column at ESPN where he makes a case for Seattle Kraken fans to lean into some of the idiosyncrasies of their roster, to embrace the cult heroes. I, for one, agree wholeheartedly: keep hockey weird!
• In not-so-fun news, another top flight Tampa Bay Lightning player will miss significant time as Braydon Point is now out “indefinitely” with an upper body injury. We know what Tampa is capable of when they’re healthy, but getting to the play-offs with a halfway decent seed is looking more and more daunting for the Bolts.
• Lastly, after many, many years the New York Islanders finally opened up their new home arena on the weekend. Looks pretty spiffy, and no, as a Sens fan I am not at all jealous of a team that just got a brand new arena. Why would you even ask such a question?/