Some early injury setbacks have forced some roster shuffles for the Senators’ season opener in Toronto on Saturday night.
From a competitive standpoint, the NHL did the Senators no favours by making them idle for the first four days of the regular-season schedule. On Saturday night, they'll open a new season in Toronto against a Leafs team that's already knocked off the rust, playing two games this week.
But as it turns out, with all the Sens' injuries, starting the season a little later is probably working in their favour.
We already know Artem Zub and Andre Burakovsky won't be available for the opener, but this extra time is giving all their dinged-up players a few days of extra healing. That includes the likes of Jake Sanderson and Warren Foegele.
Travis Green says he's hopeful both players will be ready to go this weekend.
With Burakovsky out with an upper-body injury and Ridly Greig suspended for the first two games, the forward lines appear to be tracking like this for Saturday night.
Foegele - Stützle - Batherson
Eklund - Cozens - Zetterlund
Giroux - Pinto - Amadio
Cousins - Halliday - Hodgson
Greig (suspended)
Burakovsky (injured)
MacDermid (injured)
Foegele on the top line is interesting, especially when you have a Hall of Famer in Claude Giroux, who looked great in the preseason. Inevitably, this team's top scorers will be the ones who get all the power play time. But at five on five, there's not much to separate the offensive potential of any of the Senators' top three lines.
How the defensive chess pieces will be aligned is a little less predictable. For one, it's a long season, and the Senators are wise enough to know that Sanderson, their best defenseman, shouldn't be out there in game one of 84 if he's still nicked up in any way.
Here's how the D looked at practice on Wednesday without Sanderson.
Chabot - Spence/Stanley
Kleven - Yakemchuk
Matinpalo - Crotty
Even with Zub out of the lineup, the Sens certainly don't lack for right-shot replacement options. It was interesting that Stanley rotated in with Chabot, presumably to get a sense of what that pairing might look like if needed.
Honestly, if Sanderson can't go, a lot of options are on the table. But he is skating on his own, so let's settle into a universe where he does play on Saturday.
While Stanley and Crotty have both had good camps, it's not likely that either of them have vaulted past Matinpalo, an Olympian who played 50 games last season. And since the other two pairings seem set, we're putting Matinpalo directly into Zub's spot with Sanderson.
Sanderson - Matinpalo
Chabot - Spence
Kleven - Yakemchuk
Scratches:
Stanley
Crotty
I'd also expect Linus Ullmark to get the start out of the gate on Saturday, with Samuel Ersson getting one of the back-to-backs on Monday (BOS) or Tuesday (DET).
We'll find out on Saturday if Travis Green agrees with all of this, or if he has something else up his sleeve.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
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