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The Ottawa Senators roster isn’t finalized simply but, and opening evening continues to be simply over every week away, however sufficient has occurred up to now to establish 5 of the highest storylines out of coaching camp. And all of them contain gamers who weren’t right here full-time final season.
1) Carter Yakemchuk
After a humbling rookie event in Buffalo, the place the Senators went 0-3 and have been outscored 17-4, there have been already rumblings on-line that they could have whiffed on one other top-10 choose.
In three exhibition video games to this point, one factor is for certain, Sens GM Steve Staios didn’t whiff on his quantity seven total choice in 2024. Carter Yakemchuk is the actual deal, and he’ll play for the Senators sooner relatively than later.
Will he break camp with the principle membership? You most likely would have mentioned “no approach” after the rookie event. Now it is exhausting to not think about the Senators’ pre-season factors chief (2 targets, 5 factors) not getting no less than a nine-game audition.
2) Adam Gaudette
After reinventing himself within the AHL final season and main the league in objective scoring, Gaudette doesn’t resemble the participant who put up 12 factors in 50 video games for Ottawa again in 2021-22. He appears extra just like the participant who scored 33 factors in 59 video games in Vancouver whereas taking part in for Travis Inexperienced in 2019-20,
Gaudette will make $750,000 within the NHL and $450,000 within the AHL. He hasn’t damaged camp but as a member of the group, however as a veteran of 220 NHL video games, he’s making a powerful case to just do that with 3 targets and an help in 3 video games.
3) Jan Jenik
Because the return on the Egor Sokolov commerce with Utah, Jenik got here to camp as a 24-year-old prospect with a modest NHL resume of twenty-two video games with six factors.
He lit up the Leafs for 4 factors within the 6-5 OT win to open the preseason and the one factor he appears to carry to the desk that the dearly departed Sokolov didn’t is above-average foot velocity.
It’s solely pre-season and there are solely so many chairs obtainable when the music stops. That mentioned, it’s exhausting to not think about this man getting video games this season, even when he doesn’t squeeze onto the opening-day roster.
4) Tyler Kleven
After a really stable rookie season in Belleville final 12 months and never qualifying Erik Brannstrom, the street was paved for Kleven to ascend to the mum or dad membership.
However that isn’t the actual story. In a state of affairs like that, if there have been even the slightest considerations with Kleven, it will be all around the web.
As a substitute, you hear nothing, and in a world the place persons are usually seeking to discover negativity and doubt, Kleven has performed like he is been right here the entire time.
He isn’t flashy and sure by no means shall be. Nonetheless, the 2020 second-round choose seems to be the fourth participant from that draft class to seek out full-time work with the Senators.
5) Linus Ullmark
Sens Nation was filled with wait-and-see with Ullmark, despite the fact that he is a transparent improve over Joonas Korpisalo.
You couldn’t blame the Sens trustworthy for holding their breath to see if Ullmark would look nearly as good in Ottawa as he did in Boston. It was simple to surprise if the Bruins’ fashion of play was as a lot to thank for Ullmark’s rise to prominence as he was.
Everybody can breathe somewhat simpler now.
Ullmark has solely made two begins and it’s preseason, however this feels completely different. He is proven everybody that he is usually a nice goalie wherever by making saves that goalies in Ottawa haven’t made with any consistency in fairly some time.
Don’t e-book the parade simply but, however there may be optimism because the Senators method opening evening in opposition to the Florida Panthers that they simply may be prepared to show the nook.
Related: Former Ottawa Senator Writes Heartfelt Letter Announcing His NHL Retirement
Related: Another Former Ottawa Senator Forward Signs in the KHL
