Ottawa Senators Training Camp Update, September 19th
We like our press conferences like we like our coffee: vaguely optimistic
Yesterday players at Ottawa's camp reported for physicals while the brass met with the press to get the media circus going. I won't put too much stock in any one piece of information disseminated because ultimately this session served a promotion for the upcoming season and those involved said only all the right things you would expect with three weeks to go before puck drop. With that in mind, allow me to round up some of the salient details from Wednesday's scrum from the CTC.
- For those who missed it, you can see the full camp roster here with Steve Warne's projections for who makes the opening night roster. I could see Jan Jenik snagging that last forward spot from Zack Ostapchuk (Warne's pick) and I hope (albeit unrealistically) Maxence Guenette nabs that last spot on defence but other than that you can't argue much with the projections based on the information available.
- In regards to the most burning question looming over the Ottawa Senators' camp, all players on the roster appear healthy and ready for the regular season including Josh Norris whom head coach Travis Green says should start the season at centre (and not on the wing as some had speculated). Brady Tkachuk will report imminently following the birth of his first child.
- Outside of Norris and newly acquired Linus Ullmark, no one will draw more attention at camp than Green himself as he faces the daunting task of getting this young and inexperienced group over the proverbial hump and into the playoff picture. Green went over a lot of the same topics (health, goaltending, new acquisitions) in this interview with Bruce Garrioch.
- Garrioch also sat down with owner Michael Andlauer to discuss the new boss's impressions heading into the season and what will constitute a success both on (playoffs obviously) and off the ice (an improved fan experience).
- General manager Steve Staios reiterated the same points about the health of the team, Norris in particular, and the difference between this year's team and the one that missed the postseason just a few months ago.
- Also of note, and maintaining the trend of telling us what we all want to hear without actually giving us any new information, things seem to have gone well in recent dialogues between the Senators and the National Capital Commission regarding the development of LeBreton Flats. Everybody wants to make it happen. No one can commit to an exact date. Rinse and repeat and go Sens go.
Look out for more updates throughout the day and stick around as we continue to provide out projections for this forthcoming season of Ottawa Senators hockey. I swear, this is the year, folks.
