Now that the Senators official Twitter account has informed me that the Senators beat writers are back at work, it might be a good time to take a magical tour through the Internet to see what the masses are working on these days. Without further ado...

It's unfortunate to hear that Shean Donovan's plans of playing hockey this year have hit a road block. According to Bruce Garrioch, Donovan reportedly accepted a deal to play in Finland, but was told that the contract has been put on hold. Here's hoping that Donovan lands on his feet somewhere. I'd hate to a classy, team-oriented player like Chummy retire under these circumstances.

Here's a small bit of jersey related news that was reported today by the Ottawa Citizen's Allen Panzeri (via Twitter). Panzeri, who was at a Senators scrimmage today in Kanata, revealed that Zach Smith has elected to be the first player since Dany Heatley to wear 15. It might take some time getting accustomed to seeing that number working hard in the defensive zone. Panzeri also confirmed Sens Chirp's claim last week that Peter Regin has switched his number from 43 to 13. And provided that Jared Cowen actually breaks camp with the big club, he'll likely be wearing the number 2.

In yet another bit of Senators-related news that comes from the land of Twitter, CBC Ottawa video journalist, Dan Seguin Tweeted that he was hearing that Doc Chow is showing progress. Hand movement, eye blinking. Things that have his doctors cautiously optomistic. Hopefully this isn't another erroneous media report but it's great news for the Senators family if true.

On the right hand side of this page, you may have noticed a new poll concerning Alexei Kovalev. We've heard how Murray feels about Kovalev in a complimentary role and we've heard how the media thinks of Kovalev, but I'd like for you readers to weigh your thoughts. Is or was Alexei Kovalev ever a star hockey player?

Over at the Senators' website, there's an article discussing the hard work that gets put in by the players at the gym. If you're into fitness and learning about the preparation that players do before the season, it's a good read. If not, I recommend checking it out anyways. The article features Chris Neil working out the kinks of the Chris Neil Penalty Face.

At Silver Seven, their correspondents are participating in a mock NHL expansion draft that sees two new teams -- Winnipeg and Quebec -- enter the league. As part of the process, the guys were required to create a protection list for the Senators organization and decide which players they would make available for the expansion franchises to select. Today, they revealed their protected forward list that oddly enough, didn't include Chris Kelly. Personally, I would have kept the player with Mensa hockey IQ over Jarkko Ruutu. An easily replaceable player who they're likely to let walk away via free agency after this season anyways.

It's not Senators-related but the Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have signed Carey Price to a 2-year deal worth $5.5 million in value. You can buy a lot of cigarettes with that money.

With training camp just around the coner, Bryan Murray used on opportunity on Tuesday to hold court and field some media questions in regards to the Senators.  (Ed. note: I transcribed this session here.) At one point during the media scrum, the topic of Alexei Kovalev was broached. Here's what Murray had to say:

"I expect he's a good player. I believe that he's a good player. I thought he was a good player most of the time last year. I think that we look at Alex in maybe a different light than we should sometimes. He has a high level of skill. I think that we look at him as a guy who can take the puck and do whatever he wants when he wants to. The NHL is not that way. I thought that he played well most of the time for us in that the plays more of a complimentary role now. He helps other players play better hockey around than may maybe they ever have in the past. I think that there were some productive players because of him. We missed him a great deal in the playoffs. Him alone in that Pittsburgh series could have made a huge difference for us. I'm excited. I know he's happy. I know he loves playing here. I think playing with a couple of players that he played with last year in particular, he's really excited to see how they progress moving forward. I expect he'll be good."

At first glance, it looks like Murray's using a lot of lip service. Superficial jargon that shouldn't be analyzed or read too much into. (But that didn't stop Brennan from trying.)

Fast forward to today when I was browsing through Ottawa Sun and came across this Don Brennan article featuring this quote:

We’ve seen what he can still do when he wants. The magic he can still perform with puck and stick. And even though he’s 37 (the same age as Alfredsson) he should still be able to abracadabra his way to an 80-point season. He’s also a big, strong man, and it’s not like he has slowed. At least not when he’s going forward.

Hold on, that looks familiar. Where have I seen that before?

"I expect he's a good player. I believe that he's a good player. I thought he was a good player most of the time last year. I think that we look at Alex in maybe a different light than we should sometimes. He has a high level of skill. I think that we look at him as a guy who can take the puck and do whatever he wants when he wants to. The NHL is not that way. I thought that he played well most of the time for us in that the plays more of a complimentary role now. He helps other players play better hockey around than may maybe they ever have in the past. I think that there were some productive players because of him. We missed him a great deal in the playoffs. Him alone in that Pittsburgh series could have made a huge difference for us. I'm excited. I know he's happy. I know he loves playing here. I think playing with a couple of players that he played with last year in particular, he's really excited to see how they progress moving forward. I expect he'll be good."

Holy shit! Bryan Murray was forewarning us to not think like Don Brennan! It's like he looked into the future and knew Brennan would write something like this. If only he could use this power for good... he never would have made that Campoli/Comrie trade. At least now, I'll have something to say whenever Don Brennan says something that I disagree with. Let me try it out, ahem, listen Don, Kovalev can't abracadabra his way to an 80-point season. The NHL is not that way. With the way that Don carries on about Kovalev's stickhandling, you would think that he's a member of the NHL version of the Harlem Globetrotters. Maybe if Eugene Melnyk could set up some games against the Washington Generals so that Kovalev can impress and get to that illustrious 80-point threshold that Brennan believes he is capable of. Hell, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton could barely carry Dany Heatley to an 80-point campaign.

Looking back at Kovalev's career, he's only managed to post more than 80-points twice -- 2000/01 and 2007/08. Considering that he's a veteran coming off ACL surgery who has been in the league since 1992, I don't think the odds of Kovalev posting an 80-point season are very good. Fortunately, Don has taken upon himself to let everyone know when Kovalev is playing like shit this season.

Therein lies the irony in the SPB air last season. The boobirds gave it to Jason Spezza, one of the team’s very best players the last five years, for failing with creative attempts. Not for his lack of effort. But did anybody really get on Kovalev for not trying?

Kovalev wasn’t always a dog, just much of the time when he was gliding toward the Senators zone. If he played in Atlanta, Nashville, Columbus or Florida, fans might not have noticed. In Ottawa, they certainly did.

But then, local columnists were guilty of not calling out Kovalev last season, too. This one was probably caught up in the mystique that surrounded the teammate Nick Foligno referred to as “the most interesting man in the world.” Consider this an apology. It won’t happen again.

The most interesting man in the world? Did Don even bother to ask Nick Foligno whether dolphins appear whenever Kovalev goes for a swim?

Good thing it's still late in the summer and training camp isn't yet upon us. With lines like, Yeah, Kovalev was consistent, too. Consistently brutal. Don's already demonstrated that he's nowhere near on top of his game.

As any sports fan knows, it's not often that a team has everything fall into place. Things like injuries, prolonged slumps, and even Ray Emery's practice habits can derail a season. A few days ago, I made light of an article over at Bleacher Report that glossed over everything that could go right for the Senators and put them in a position to contend this upcoming season. It was one of those ifs and but columns that's sugary enough to make Gord Wilson look like Earl McRae. Now don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with being an eternal optimist. It's just that this kind of blind naivety fosters a vulnerability to easily facilitated criticism. As easy as it is to make the if everything goes right for them, the Senators could be pretty good this season argument, it's infinitely easier to make fun of these people at their own expense. It's the same reason why we laughed at fans who suggested that it wouldn't be far fetched for Ryan Shannon to flirt with 20 goals last season following his finish to the 2008/09 campaign.

In the realm of professional sports, adversity happens and everyone -- the organizations, coaches, fans and media -- should be ready for it. It's for this reason that I don't understand why someone would use a public soapbox to describe how everything could conceivably fall into place for this season's version of the Ottawa Senators. Or more importantly, it forces me to ask the question of who in their right mind would ever want to tempt fate and provoke the ire of the hockey gods?

Thankfully for the Buddhist sect of Ottawa's fanbase who want see this zen imbalance fixed, the fine folks over at The Hockey News have restored the karma by huddling a  by using a finely crafted 437 characters to shit on Ottawa's fortunes for the 2010-11 season.

Unrestricted free agency cost the Senators a tough-as-nails defensive defenseman, but they gained one of the best, albeit aging, puckmoving blueliners in the game. Sergei Gonchar was brought in to help out the league’s 21st-ranked power play next to youngster Erik Karlsson. Without any other off-season moves to address a shaky situation in goal, however, it will be a touch-and-go year in Canada’s capital. Without an extravagant 11-game winning streak in 2009-10, the Sens wouldn’t have finished as high as they did and a run like that can’t be expected again. ~ The Hockey News

It's weird. For a publication that features this as the first line of their article,  It's that time of year again when everything is put on the line and prognostications are made for the upcoming season. I wonder how a magazine takes itself so seriously but comes up with a number of glib write ups that are completely devoid of statistical analysis or reason. I hope that people aren't mortgaging their households on these predictions or that THN punishes its staff with innovative torture techniques for bad forecasting. As an aside, someone should really check in on the author of the Bleacher Report article. After reading this THN feature, we need to make sure that he's doing okay.

I mean, how do you really critique the Senators situation for 2010/11 without a mention of this summer's Jason Spezza drama? It's just odd. Allow me...

Spezza's entering the prime years of his career, but because of his skating style, he has already developed a wonky back. Now it seems as though his shoulders are going to get quite the workout as he's expected to shoulder the burden. As Ottawa's number one center, Spezza comes back to camp faced with the expectation that he carry this team offensively. In years past, Spezza's been a target of the opposition's best defensive forward but after being dogged all summer long by rumours that he had asked for a trade during his exit interview with Bryan Murray, he could easily wind up in the cross-hairs of most fans. It's like his detractors needed any more ammunition. With an already bruised ego and a vain concern for how he's perceived by the media and fans, it could make for some long nights at the Spezza household if his production cannot meet the high standards that are placed upon him. Can the organization find him someone to play with? Is Peter Regin or Milan Michalek that guy? If Spezza underachieves, how will he respond to any negative fan reactions moving forward? Will he go public with a trade request? Have I neglected to mention that he has to answer these questions while coping with the pressures that come with being a father for the first time? How or when is he supposed to get some rest? (Ed. note: Don't answer that question.)

Now, from beating one dead horse to another. It looks like Don Brennan has taken up the role of psychologist to analyze the latest Alexei Kovalev news that Bryan Murray revealed to the press yesterday. Via Off the Posts:

No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.
At end-of-season meetings, Jason Spezza told Bryan Murray to trade him if the GM felt it was best for the team.
What did Alex Kovalev tell Murray?
An interesting clip from Murray’s get together with the media Tuesday:
“I know he’s happy. I know he loves playing here,” said Murray. “I think that playing with a couple of players in particular he played with last year, he’s really excited to see how they progressed going forward. I expect he’ll be good.”
Is it just me that reads something fishy (and I don’t mean Mike) into that? Kovalev is excited to see how some of the players he played with last year (I assume that’s his linemates) have progressed? Does that mean he hopes they have? Does that mean he didn’t think they were very good last year? Does that mean he’s blaming others for his poor performances after the Olympics, when he was really bad? And exactly what players are we talking about? Nick Foligno? Mike Fisher?
What exactly did Kovalev tell Murray behind those closed doors?
Murray remains in full support of the veteran, saying he thinks he is still a good player who could have made the difference in last spring’s playoff loss to the Penguins. But he also says Kovalev is “more of a complimentary role now. He helps other players play better hockey than maybe they have in the past. I think there were some productive players because of him.”
The problem with that is, “complimentary players” shouldn’t be making $5 million a year. That’s star money.
Kovalev is a proud man who you can be sure still sees himself as a star. He still has all the tools. The question is, does he also have the pride, heart and determination to erase what should be a red-faced finish for him last season?
In the past, Kovelev has often lacked those qualities. But now he is in the final year of a contract that could very well be his last in the NHL. Now his legacy is at stake.
Maybe that will make a difference.

Is it wrong to believe that maybe Kovalev's excited to see how Peter Regin develops? It's not unreasonable to assume that he'd be the player who Murray was referring to? I've heard people tab Regin as having more offensive upside than either of Fisher or Foligno and he did skate with Kovalev for a portion of last season. Or maybe Kovalev's excited at the prospect of receiving outlet passes from a retooled blueline featuring a developing Erik Karlsson? It's not that far fetched for Kovalev to actually want to play with a collective who can actually move the puck quickly and efficiently.

Maybe at some point, the media in this town need to re-evaluate the term star. Kovalev's never been one. Case in point, the only DVD that he has been featured on is his own. Don't get me wrong. Five million dollars is a lot of money. But it's not star money. Name value doesn't equate itself to on-ice performance. As a player who has consistently demonstrated the ability to post approximately 60 points per season, his salary (or contract term for that matter) isn't that offensive and it's reflective of what secondary scorers can earn.With a little bit of research, people could finally understand that in four of the past five seasons, Kovalev's put up approximately 30 even strength points per season. Whenever there has been a flux in his point production, it's been because of the variations in his power play point totals. If we stop holding him to this fabricated standard that he's a star, we'll be better for it and can just appreciate him as the power play specialist that he is.

Lest we forget the playoff factor. Murray's gone on record a number of times saying that one of the main reasons why he brought Kovalev in was to play in the playoffs. We didn't even get an opportunity to hold him to that standard last season because of his ACL injury.

Frankly, it's getting to the point where I can't wait for Kovalev to move on. When I can already envision Brennan manipulating these summer quotes four months from now and citing things like, "Kovalev wanted better linemates" or "Kovalev was critical of his linemates" as fact, things are pretty bad. It's ludicrous that the Kovalev bashing has escalated itself to hypotheticals and speculations of what happened behind closed door meetings. We might as well blame Kovie for global warming and make everyone happy while we're at it.

Today, Bryan Murray talked to the local media about a number of pertinent topics. I've transcribed what he had to say below. Here it is:

On the Team Itself:

"I think that we're a good hockey team. A contending team in the East. I think that there are a number of good teams mind you. I suspect that we will be better than last year. I expect that. I think that some of our young players, in particular, will be better. I believe Nick Foligno, Peter Regin, Erik Karlsson and people of that nature have a chance to take a big step forward. I think that when you pair that with a number of the veterans coming back and continuing the play that they had and we should be a good hockey club."

On Expectations Placed Upon the Team:

"We're basically the same team. We've got Gonchar to add to our offensive ability. We've got a couple of younger guys who will get better. I've always hinged a lot on the youth on your team. Do they have the potential to get better? If that's true, and I believe it is, then your team should grow accordingly. We know that Alfie and Alex and people of that nature that are the more veteran group of the team will continue to play at a good level. If the younger guys improve as we expect that they will, then... well there are no guarantees and  that doesn't always relate to a win over every single individual game. Over the course of a year it should pay strong dividends for you."

On Players Recovering From Injuries:

"We believe that everyone has recovered from the surgery. That each and everyone have skated to this point. I guess getting on the ice in competitive situations is a little bit different and they'll have to be tested going forward but it appears that they're all one-hundred percent. That everything was successful. They've had a good summer working out. They have skated. They are excited about coming back to camp. I think that it really speaks well for the type of team that we would possibly have moving forward.

The 6th Sens Note: It better speak well for the team if Michalek and Kovalev are healthy. No one's masochistic enough to want to endure another season in which Ryan Shannon gets top six minutes.

On Kovalev:

"I expect he's a good player. I believe that he's a good player. I thought he was a good player most of the time last year. I think that we look at Alex in maybe a different light than we should sometimes. He has a high level of skill. I think that we look at him as a guy who can take the puck and do whatever he wants when he wants to. The NHL is not that way. I thought that he played well most of the time for us in that the plays more of a complimentary role now. He helps other players play better hockey around than may maybe they ever have in the past. I think that there were some productive players because of him. We missed him a great deal in the playoffs. Him alone in that Pittsburgh series could have made a huge difference for us. I'm excited. I know he's happy. I know he loves playing here. I think playing with a couple of players that he played with last year in particular, he's really excited to see how they progress moving forward. I expect he'll be good."

The 6th Sens Note: You know what else would have made a huge difference in that series against Pittsburgh? A save or three by Brian Elliott. Just saying...

On Jared Cowen:

"He actually had been skating. He's down there. We just said hello to him on the way up. We think he's a real good prospect for sure and I don't think that the mono will set him back very much. It may be that we have to be a little careful in the first days of camp to make sure that his body reacts okay. But, for the next couple of months, he certainly should be an improving player."

On the Goaltending Situation:

"I hope Pascal is healthier. I think he will be. He looks terrific right now. He had a tough year last year from an injury point of view. I think that coming back late was a real good sign for us. He played, I thought, real decent in the playoffs. He needs a good year of play though. There's no doubt that he's a guy who really has to step up in training camp and really compete and try to earn a lot of games. I believe Brian Elliott will be better. He's another one of those young, growing players that we have and playing the number of games that he did, going through the cycles that he did, I think that the pressure at the end, going through that, knowing now as he steps back and looks at it, that he knows how to handle it differently. But, I really like Brian's chances at being a top goaltender in this league."

On the Rookie Camp and Tournament:

"I don't know if there's anybody out of that camp (who will help us). Usually there is. Again, we have a number of young guys that are going to be there. Patrick Wiercioch will really benefit from a rookie camp situation. Bobby Butler probably. I'm not even sure if we're even putting Bobby into the thing. Certainly Robin Lehner will benefit from it. Just to go through the experience of playing against pro players... What I found is that I go to these rookie tournaments and I look at all these kids playing every year and I'm saying they're going to be pretty good players in the future. Out of that camp, there's always half a dozen on different teams that end up playing so it's a very strong possibility that we'll have one at least."

It was late Sunday night when I had heard that one of the Ottawa Senators team doctors, Don Chow, had been involved in a tragic vehicle collision. The Ottawa Citizen reported that Chow was on his way to perform surgery when he was thrown from his motorcycle on Saturday afternoon. Chow sustained traumatic head and chest injuries from the fall and he currently lies in a coma in the Ottawa Hospital's ICU unit. According to some eyewitness accounts, Chow was travelling northbound on Fisher Avenue when his motorcycle struck the passenger side of a car that had pulled out in front of him.

There has been no update on his condition beyond the reports in this city's newspapers, however, the Senators organization has released this statement:

OTTAWA - The Ottawa Senators team doctor, Don Chow, was involved in a traffic accident late Saturday afternoon.

The entire Senators family wishes Dr. Chow a full recovery and our thoughts and support are with him and his family.

All medical updates on Dr. Chow’s status will be provided from his family through the Ottawa Hospital.

No further statements will be forthcoming from the club.

As an employee who has been with the organization since its modern inception in 1992, Chow eventually became a recognizable face for me. When my family had season tickets in section 109, it didn't take too long to realize that Chow and another member of the medical staff sat in the upper regions of section 111 near the zamboni entrance. Eventually his absences became synonymous with significant injuries. If a player would leave the ice and make his way back to to the locker room, you couldn't help but engage in a Pavlovian response and cast an eye in Chow's direction. If Chow stayed in his seat, everything was fine. If he left, odds are it was a disaster of Lindros v. Dackell proportions.

Here's hoping that Dr. Chow returns to his seat at SBP soon. Everyone's thoughts and prayers will be with him.

Barring a trade some last minute signing like a Willie Mitchell or a Jose Theodore, most NHL teams will conclude this summer with their current version of their roster. At quick glance, it seems as though the team that has experienced the greatest roster upheaval is the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. Gone are names like Cristobal Huet, John Madden, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel, Antti Niemi and Kris Versteeg. Some, like Madden, are gone because their contract expired. Others were moved out of necessity. Cap casualties stemming from the financial mismanagement of the Dale Tallon era.

I believe that Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski referred to this exodus of talent as Florida Marlins'esque. The Marlins if you'll remember have gutted their rosters on two separate occasions following their two World Series championships. The comparison is a tad unfair though. The Blackhawks had to move bodies to get underneath the salary cap ceiling. The Marlins did so because their ownership group, lead by Jeffrey Loria, is notoriously cheap and wanted to line their pockets. (Ed. note: There's a fantastic article written by Jeff Passan for Yahoo! Sports detailing how Loria and David Sampson misled the public to get a new stadium deal approved.)

Regardless, Chicago's going to be an intriguing case study to watch this season. Although their hand was forced, the Blackhawks have retooled more so than any other recent Stanley Cup finalist that I can recall. As a fan who has looked back upon our own version of the 2007 Stanley Cup finalist Senators team, I often wonder how things could have changed had management taken the steps to remedy some of the in problems with that team. (Ie. Rumours of drug abuse, lazy players, cliques, etc.) Instead of parlaying some of their assets when their value was at its peak, management opted to remain status quo and retained many of the same players by giving them raises, long terms, and no-movement clauses. God forbid that management couldn't realize that the circumstances that lead to the 2007 Finals appearance could never be replicated. Sure, the players might stay the same, but the salaries forever change. Dany Heatley at $3.5 million and Jason Spezza at $4.5 million look great. When they're both making over $7 million? Not so much. It didn't help matters that when the John Muckler regime opted to retain a draft pick, they struck out. With a barren prospect cupboard, expecting years of sustained success or a dynasty was wishful thinking at best.

So that's why I look at the Chicago scenario with an earnest interest. Despite the fact that losing many important depth pieces, none of their roster casualties will ever be respectfully mistaken for a game changer. Can these players be easily replaced by the likes of some in house or cheaper alternatives like Skille, Boynton, Bickell, Hendry and Turco? Will the infusion of this much fresh talent gel quickly and relieve the locker room from complacency? Or will the loss of the aforementioned Cup winning depth players be understated? Would it have been more prudent to trade one of the more expensive/better skilled players like Patrick Sharp and retain more depth? Or perhaps there's a large correlation between having star players on entry level or below market value second contracts and the window of opportunity for a Stanley Cup victory? (Ed note: Detroit with Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Chicago with Toews and Kane. Ottawa with Heatley and Spezza. Anaheim with Perry/Getzlaf. Pittsburgh with Fleury/Crosby/Malkin.)

Senators News Bits

According to Sens Chirp, Peter Regin has opted to change his number from 43 to 13.

Over at Off the Posts, Don Brennan congratulates Bryan Murray for receiving the distinction of formally inducted into the Upper Ottawa Valley Sports Honour Roll in Pembroke Oct. 13. As a 67-year old GM who's entering the final year of his contract with the organization, Don briskly looks at the Murray tenure and questions who should be his successor. Provoking one of the longest reader comments that I have ever seen.

Sticking with Brennan, in an article for Sun Media, he highlights some of the notes from a media conference call featuring Daniel Alfredsson. Of note, Alfredsson has recovered from his sports hernia surgery and has resumed skating for the past two and a half weeks. According to Alfredsson, "I started earlier this year than I normally do, just to try it out and get on the ice a little bit more." (Ed. note: Is it too much to ask for an injury free season from the captain?)

As part of a hot-stove panel that is contributing at the Molson World Hockey Summit in Toronto, Ontario, Daniel Alfredsson weighed in on some of the game's issues like the size of the playing surface.

Today, the NHL unvealed the national television schedule for its broadcasts. Of note, on Saturday, February 12th, the Senators will take on the Edmonton Oilers on Hockey Day in Canada at 2pm ET. More Hockey Night in Canada information can be found courtesy of the CBC, but if you want to give the alternative media some love, you can check out Silver Seven Sens.

According to The Examiner, the Toronto Maple Leafs have released a list of player names who will compete in the annual rookie tournament that begins on September 11th in London, Ontario. Since the Senators are competing in the tournament alongside the Leafs, Penguins, and Blackhawks, it shouldn't be too long before their roster is released.

Through the work of those affiliated with the Senators' official website, Chris Campoli has become the most recent player to discuss how much Sergei Gonchar brings to the table.

Earlier this week, Aaron Ward announced his retirement from the NHL. With Garry Galley leaving the Sportsnet broadcast booth to work exclusively for the CBC, I wonder if an Ottawa native like Ward will get the nod? (Ed. note: From what I've read online, the speculated candidate is the Team 1200's Jason York.)

Collision Repair Magazine has a small feature on Matt Carkner's father and his Winchester autobody shop. Keep an eye out for next month's issue that devotes a feature to Jordon Leopold's recuperation from that Andy Sutton hit.

I neglected to mention this a few weeks ago, but on July 29th, Rogers and the Ottawa Senators announced a 4-year contract that allows them to broadcast up to 15 regular-season games, starting with the 2010-2011 season on their new sports channel, Sportsnet One. These 15 games would be in addition to the 40 Ottawa games that are already broadcast on  Sportsnet's regional broadcast channel.

"We are excited about the launch of Sportsnet One. The new channel will result in more games being available for Senators fans. We want to make it as easy as possible for our fans to watch our games on television and Sportsnet One will help us do just that. We have been televising Senators games with Rogers Sportsnet since their inception and have built a strong working partnership with their organization in the process." ~ Cyril Leeder

I'm not one to complain about additional content but it's not like Sportsnet One is widely available. Even though the channel officially launched on August 14th, like its brethren, TSN2, it could take some time before Rogers' competitors carry the channel. In other words, a significant portion of the Senators fanbase who subscribe to Bell TV, Shaw Cable, Shaw Direct, Eastlink or Cogeco will be left in the dark. Stuck in limbo until a deal is negotiated.

Business is business though. Both the Senators and Rogers will line their pockets through this mutally beneficial partnership. However, wouldn't it be something else if the Senators organization would reward all of the fans who actually pay to watch their product in person and reinvest this influx of new capital into a new scoreboard?

I suppose things could be worse though. It's not like Rogers promised to broadcast all of the Senators games on their regional broadcast territory before pulling a swerve and moving a significant portion of their remaining games to this new channel. Now that'd be something...

As the clock winds down on the 2010 offseason, for better or worse, there's going to be an influx of content on the internet. Here's an article written by a Mr. H. Joseph, pulled from one of my favorite websites, Bleacher Report. As always, my comments are in bold. Enjoy.

The Ottawa Senators are looking to continue their surprising success and join the league’s elite teams.

What is this surprising success you speak of? I find it difficult to believe that Ottawa's ready to join the elite when they're blowing 3-goal leads at home in the sixth game of the Conference Quarter-Finals.

Last season’s playoff series against Pittsburgh showed that the Senators could hang with the previous season’s champs and also highlighted their areas of need in order to take the next step toward a Stanley Cup run.

Or to play devil's advocate, it could have been a sign that without Marc Andre Fleury on top of his game, Pittsburgh's just a consortium of average players who surround their top three centers.

Just like every team, it begins with finding the right mix of players and putting the right coaches in place to guide them.

I have a sneaking suspicion that I know where this article is going...

While the Senators lost blue-liner Anton Volchenkov, they brought in the highly regarded defensemen Sergei Gonchar. Gonchar, 36 years old, will serve as a point man on the Sens' power play and give another veteran in the locker room. While Gonchar will provide more scoring, it also opens the door to more goals allowed since they will lose Volchenkov’s defensive grit.

Grit has a new loose definition. It's that thing that closes the door to the opposition scoring more goals. Grit is something Gonchar doesn't have. This is all so scientifically accurate. His ability to retrieve the puck quickly and start the transition game successfully has nothing to do with goal prevention. Those skills are only unique offensive characteristics. If Ottawa gets off to a slow start, I may be opining for more grit.

Gonchar will join a cast of capable veterans including Jason Spezza, Alex Kovalev, Chris Phillips, and Milan Michalek as the leaders of this club transitioning back to contender status. This transition will move along quicker with less underachieving, increased cohesion, and recovery from injuries. Both Michalek and Kovalev are coming back from major off-season knee surgery and are currently on track to be ready for training camp.

Weird. Whenever I see the word transition used in the context of sports, it's typically accompanied by some reference to a youth movement. I would normally be concerned with such a veteran movement, but then I realized it was described in a Bleacher Report article. Attention readers: It should be duly noted that the success of the Senators is dependent upon less injuries, better teamwork and less underachieving. Good thing these are three characteristics that organizations can easily bank upon.

The enigmatic Alex Kovalev should be expected to play at a high level since this is a contract year and that happens to be one of the few driving forces he understands. His potential was never questioned, and his desire has never been beyond reproach. Kovalev, 37 years old, is essentially playing for his last good contract and needs a comeback campaign that resembles his 2000-01 campaign with 96 points, or 2007-08 with 84 points.

As George Costanza would say, "Beep! Beep! Beep! Back the truck up!" There's too much to discuss in this little paragraph:

1. I wish Kovalev could play and move like he did 10 years ago too.
2. I've already discussed the lazy contract year theory that many pundits throw out there. For the last time, the difference between a good Kovalev year and a bad one is his power play production.
   
3. If Kovalev's looking for a third come back season, is it really a come back season?
4. Let the record show: If Ottawa can have no injuries, better cohesion, less underachieving and a productive Kovalev, things are looking pretty fucking good.
   

Michalek, 25 years old, came over in last year’s Dany Heatley deal and was supposed to be an impact player. Now he looks to regain the form of a couple years ago and expect him to become a factor as he enters his physical prime.

No mention that at the young age of 25, Michalek's already had to deal with concussions and significant injuries to both of his knees. Ah well... he's entering his physical prime. While some look at him as that impact player that we got from San Jose in the Heatley deal, I'll continue to refer to him as That Player Whose Acquisition Necessitated The Inclusion of Jonathan Cheechoo In Any Trade. (TPWANIJCAT.)

The younger players are also ready to contribute and play more significant roles. Forwards Peter Regin and defensemen Erik Karlsson are ready to regularly contribute to a team poised to make another step forward in a competitive Eastern Conference. Both proved they were ready to stay and expect them to receive more ice time and help carry the burden when the aging veteran core needs rests during the 82 game season.

Wait a second. A few paragraphs ago, this veteran core was referred to as capable. Now they're a burden over the course of a long schedule? Maybe this veteran core wouldn't need rests if they paced themselves over the course of a season like Kovalev. And what is this competitive Eastern Conference that you speak of? Is it the one in which last season's eventual champions snuck into the playoffs by winning a shootout? Competitive is one word, mediocre is another.

In goal, a position battle will be a major story line as Brian Elliot looks to prove last year was no aberration and reclaim the starting job over Pascal Leclaire. Elliot, 25 years old, was serving as the team’s backup goalie over stretches of the three seasons. In his first shot to start regularly, Elliot thrived and was a major factor in the Senators' surprising success last season. Unfortunately, he struggled in the playoffs, opening the door for a training camp competition sure to be the talk of the Ottawa media.

Leclaire was a major disappointment last season and needs to build on his strong performance in the final two playoff games. He also needs to play well to ensure his ability to get another multi-year contract so expect a high level of focus missing during stretches of this season.

Elliott can improve and so can Leclaire. Add goaltending to the burgeoning list of things that can go right for this team next season.

Another potential story to follow is the Senators' potential flood of cap room going into next offseason. This space can be leveraged to help them acquire talent from teams looking to acquire expiring contracts if they are in the playoff hunt. However, if they were to start slow and be on the outside looking in, the Senators could become sellers at the deadline and then make a huge splash next offseason.

What a swerve! It's almost better than the elevator shootout scene from The Departed. Just when I thought that the context of this article was Ottawa's dark hore status in 2010-2011, I can start looking forward to 2012. Amazing! This author is just brimming with optimism.

With the veterans ready to rebound and the young guns ready to take the next step, the Senators are in a good spot to make a deep run next season. A serious run that will be fueled by off-the-ice forces, contracts and new marriages (Mike Fisher), and the chemistry building on the ice. So feel good about picking this team as a sleeper for the Cup.

The Senators organization needs to immediately change this year's slogan from My Town, My Team to New Marriages, New Season.