Early Storylines From Ottawa Senators Training Camp

At the Ottawa Senators charity golf event Tuesday, Thomas Chabot said he was looking forward to the opening of training camp. It reminded him of the “first day of school, seeing all your buddies again.”

For some players, Thursday’s first official day on the ice as a group was a day to get reacquainted with their teammates and rediscover the chemistry lost during the offseason.

For others, such as forward Derick Brassard, in Ottawa Senators training camp on a professional try-out, it was a first in what will be a series of days working towards earning a contract.

Thursday was the first day the club’s newest acquisitions, Alex DeBrincat, Claude Giroux, Tyler Motte, and Cam Talbot donned Senators practice gear on Canadian Tire Centre ice.

It also marked the first day of stiff competition to procure a spot on the team’s blue line.

Drake Batherson provides a statement.

But Drake Batherson was the early focus as post-practice availabilities got underway. For Batherson, a member of the Canadian World Junior squad who attended the 2018 Hockey Canada Gala in London, ON, it was his first time speaking to assembled media in the wake of the alleged rape investigation at the event.

“I’ve been cooperating with the ongoing investigations. Out of respect for the person involved, I’m not going to make a comment on it now or in the future,” Batherson stated.

Other current NHL players attending the Gala, including Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart and New Jersey Devils forward Mike McLeod made similar statements Thursday.

The questioning quickly turned to hockey, where the 24-year-old showed his excitement about the upcoming season, “Everyone is excited. You could feel the buzz. Obviously, with the two guys coming in upfront along with the rest of the guys we brought in, we’re really excited. I think I was the last guy here, and I was here two weeks early. Just from that – guys were excited, – wanted to get here early. We’ve hung out as a team, playing golf. It’s been a blast so far,” Batherson said.

Batherson was also the centre of an uncomfortable moment when TSN’s Claire Hanna asked “What’s your take on hockey culture right now, and where it’s at?”

His response, “I mean I’m living the dream. I can’t complain. It’s a great dressing room in there. I’m having a blast every day. I can’t complain about it at all,” was condemned in social media circles. However, it was clearly obvious, Batherson misheard the question, in that he was speaking of the internal culture of his own team.

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Derick Brassard challenging for a forward spot.

It was kind of fitting Brassard celebrated his 35th birthday Thursday. In camp on a PTO, it’s a rebirth of sorts for the Ottawa area resident who’s attempting to crack the Senators’ roster in a bottom-six forward role.

A key cog in the team’s 2017 playoff run, Brassard is happy to have the opportunity to return after being one of the first players dealt away during the club’s rebuild.

“I’m trying to earn my spot. There’s a lot of good players. There’s a lot of depth. It’s good for the organization. I think they’ve been looking for this for a long time. I know I can help this team in the bottom six. I’m going to have to play well. We’ll see how it goes,” added Brassard who’s played for seven clubs over the past four campaigns.

Brassard wants another shot after having a down year last season split between Philadelphia and Edmonton. Heading into what he hopes will be his 16th NHL season, Brassard wasn’t the same player after missing upwards of two months due to injury.

It’s uphill for Brassard to earn a roster spot with the Senators. Currently, there are 13 forwards pencilled in if you count centre Mark Kastelic. This number doesn’t include unsigned restricted free agent Alex Formenton.

Head coach D.J. Smith early impressions of Brassard, “I thought he really worked hard today. He’s heavy on the puck down low. He just looks like a pro. He’s clearly smart, knows how to play the game. For him, it’s just turning the light on for him, learning our systems.”

Senators newcomers hit the ice.

Fresh off his second 41-goal season with the Chicago Blackhawks, left winger Alex DeBrincat is getting acclimated to his Senators’ linemates Tim Stützle and Claude Giroux.

“We’re trying to find each other where we’d like to be and where we can get the puck to each other. There’s lots of improvement to go, but I think for a start, it’s pretty good,” noted the Detroit area resident.

Learning systems is another aspect new acquisitions have to be aware of, “Stuff like knowing where you need to be on the ice, is somewhat similar. When you’ve played your whole life, a lot of it is just reading and reacting. We done that our whole lives. It’s not too hard. Knowing where your teammates are going to be is the biggest part.”

For the former Flyers captain, wearing a different uniform to training camp for the first time takes getting used to, “I think it’s a little weird, but I was able to skate with the guys and hang out with them for a couple of weeks. It feels right. So far, we’re having fun,” said Giroux.

D-men competition

While there aren’t many openings on the Senators’ roster, there’s certainly competition on the back end.

What we do know from recent previous conversation Smith. Chabot is slated to pair with Artem Zub. Rookie Jake Sanderson slides in with Travis Hamonic. Nick Holden, whether he lines up on the left or right, has a spot, but it’s unknown who his partner will be.

Erik Brannstrom, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Lassi Thomson, Nikita Zaitsev are all challenging for full-time duty.

One bonus; Brannstrom, Holden and Sanderson can play either side if necessary.

Holden on the D competition, “I would say it’s a great thing to have. It’s something that you always want. You want competitions in organizations because that pushes guys to play their best. If they aren’t playing their best, then there’s somebody that’s going to be able to step in and play.”

Finally, if anyone is wondering how Sanderson performed in his first official day on the ice with the team, his partner was extremely impressed, “I probably see what you guys see immediately. He skates like the wind. He’s got a head for the game I’ve seen the past couple of weeks in the captain’s skates. It’s how he carries himself. We’re trying to get to know each other off the ice. We’ve got to bode well for a partnership on the ice. There’s not too much I’ve got to say or really do. I’ve got to go out there and do my thing, kind of let him do his thing. If he has the puck between the two of us, it’s probably a better thing.”

The Ottawa Senators continue training camp Friday before hitting the road in Toronto Saturday where they play a unique double-header with the first game at 1 pm and the second at 7 pm.

Sunday will be a special day for Senators fans with the return of Sens Fanfest.