Silver Nuggets: I Think We're Going to Have a Locke Problem

The off-season has been running along nicely for the Ottawa Senators. They had a good draft in which they found themselves picking a player they had rated much higher than their #15 and picking up a couple quality picks in later rounds. Erik Karlsson signed a huge extension to stay with the club and earned himself a Norris Trophy for the excellent season he had. Alfie hasn't (yet) retired (FINGERS CROSSED!).

It has given me plenty to write about around here, but many of the articles in the last couple weeks have centred around the draft, Rick Nash, big-name UFA's, Erik Karlsson and Daniel Alfredsson. This week, I had intended to tackle another important topic; namely the Bingo Sens and how they would rebound from an exceptionally rough season.

One key aspect in my mind was finding a way to convince Corey Locke that he should sign another deal similar to the last one which saw him making almost as much in the AHL as he could in the NHL. Locke was a key component of the Calder Cup winning squad from two seasons ago, and his skill at the AHL level really gave the team in Bingo a chance to win most nights. Considering a winning environment is what we want our prospects to experience, this was a player I was hoping to see retained on a very healthy two-way contract.

Alas, it seems as though Corey has left for greener pastures. When it became clear that even a team like Ottawa, that was giving AHLers a chance to prove themselves at the top level, was unwilling to give him a shot, Corey left to ply his trade in Europe.

The story broke on Twitter this morning that Corey had signed with TPS of the Finish league. I wish him all the best.

The question now remains, who will Murray look to to fill the roll played by Locke this season? Keep an eye out for Murray to address this concern in free agency. It will not be the most exciting signing after July 1st, but as Locke proved two seasons ago, it will be an important one.

Links after the Jump!

And Sens Buddy Love to whomever gets the title reference!

Sens Links

• Wayne Scanlan beats a dead horse decides he is going to add his two cents on the subject of Rick Nash to Ottawa. He thinks it makes sense, if Alfie retires. [Scanlan]
• Ken Warren lets fans know that Jesse Winchester and Matt Carkner were extended offers as UFAs, but even after a strong playoff showing Zenon Konopka will have to look for work elsewhere. [Warren]
• Now for some draft fall-out. Here is a fairly in depth recap of each of the Sens picks. This is well worth the read. [THW]
• Varada over at WTYKY offers his thoughts on many of the stories around the Senators and the rest of the league right now. Always enjoy his insights, check them out! [WTYKY]
• Story with Allen Panzeri who talks to Jarrod "I'm already tired of your nickname" Maidens about how he is trying to work his way back from concussion problems. [Citizen]
• Maidens will be at the development camp this week though, even if he cannot go on the ice. This article features a complete list of attendees. Interesting to see no Patrick Wiercioch, no Jakob Silfverberg and no Andre Petersson. Matt Puempel (who was limited last year) will get to show the team what he can do. [Sun]
• Twitter "must follow" SteffeG from Sweden let's us know who Mikael Wikstrand is. [SteffeG]
• Here's a good video of prospect Robin Lehner from the Ottawa Citizen. If you're looking for crazy Lehner, though, you'll be disappointed--the video cuts off before we get to the "If he dies, he dies" part. [Senators Extra]
• The king of transcribing, Nichols lets you know his thoughts on a recent Tim Murray interview on the Team 1200 in which he talks Nash, Shultz and Ceci. [6thSens]
• Lastly, Nichols won the internet yesterday with this article. He essentially took the article the Don Brennan famously wrote after the Karlsson pick in 08, the one where Brennan says Karlsson was a "garbage pick" and changes the words to be about Cody Ceci. Many people on twitter didn't catch the joke, which made it all the more funny. The best was one reader who replied with "The most unintelligent article ever written. Don Brennan worthy." Amazing. [6thSens]