The Senators moved steps closer to finalizing their opening roster in a series of moves on Sunday.
The team assigned Mads Sogaard, Dillon Heatherington, Jacob Larsson, Nicolas Matinpalo, Roby Jarventie, Zack Ostapchuk, Egor Sokolov and Tarun Fizer to Belleville. Bokondji Imama was waived for the purpose of reassignment to Belleville and in a somewhat surprising decision, the organization released Josh Bailey from his PTO. (As an aside, I do wonder if Bailey’s fate would have been different provided the team had more cap space. Hopefully, this is a sign of the new front office making better and more informed decisions, however.)
As it currently stands, the Senators now have 12 forwards, six defencemen and two goaltenders on the parent roster. Josh Norris has not been placed on the LTIR, which means he is technically an available 13th forward. Since the health of his shoulder is in question, however, and he has not played in any preseason games, I do not consider him a realistic candidate to play this week.
CapFriendly lists the Senators as having approximately $62,000 in cap space. Yesterday I wrote about how the organization could use LTIR to create the cap space necessary to sign Shane Pinto, but there are no guarantees.
Placing Norris on LTIR would mean that he would be unavailable for 24 days and 10 games. Unless the Senators can place Norris there retroactively using preseason games, the earliest they could get him back would be for the team’s November 8th game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Earlier today head coach D.J. Smith deferred to general manager Pierre Dorion, but he left the impression that it seemed like Norris’ injury was more of a short-term problem.
“At this point, we’ve got him day to day,” Smith told reporters. “Every day when I show up, I’m hopeful he has an ability to play so at this point, I’d say no (he won’t go on LTIR).”
If Norris does not go on the LTIR, the only way the Senators can fit Pinto in is to make a trade that moves a larger salary off the parent roster. Trading inexpensive depth will not cut it because that forward will have to be replaced by another warm body earning similar money.
For a second consecutive season, the Senators have been put in a position where they will rely on a rookie to man their second-line centre role. Pinto was asked to step up and play in that elevated role last season and Ridly Greig will do the honours now. Greig is coming off an exceptional preseason in which he showcased his two-way aptitude and work ethic. In time, he will be an exceptional middle-six player for the Senators, but it is asking a lot of him to be productive and effective in that role now.
It is not like the Senators have a choice, however. He is the best alternative with Pinto and Norris out of the lineup. Down the middle, the Senators will dress Rourke Chartier and Mark Kastelic behind Greig. Neither player offers much in the way of offensive upside, but given Ottawa’s cap situation and the uncertainty surrounding Norris and Pinto, it is easy to have concerns regarding secondary scoring and the team’s quality of depth.
After a lacklustre 2022-23 season in which he rarely exhibited the grit and edge that endeared him to the organization, Parker Kelly enjoyed a decent preseason. Expecting anything out of Zack MacEwen beyond the intangibles and willingness to answer the call (and save Brady Tkachuk from doing the honours) will be a bonus, but he should typically be the 13th forward who draws into the lineup based on the opposition’s lineup decisions. I like Mark Kastelic’s defensive game and his ability to shield the puck with his body and control plays down low. I believe he can develop into a solid fourth-line centre with two linemates who can augment that cycle game and get the most out of him. This iteration of the fourth line feels like the stereotypical one from a previous era.
Once Norris and Pinto return, it will alleviate the depth issues. Unfortunately, we just have no idea of when either player will be back or how long it will take them to get acclimatized to game action.
That was not the intended game plan.
Speaking to reporters earlier this weekend, Smith acknowledged that everyone planned on having Norris in their lineup.
“When I’m doing my lineup in the middle of June and July, I have him in my lineup. We thought he was going to play the game at home against Winnipeg and he wasn’t cleared or allowed to play. Then we thought he would play against Pittsburgh. Same thing. At this point, I’m told he’s unable to play. But, understand the players, the player and ourselves all want Josh to play.”
It is unfortunate how this dynamic between the Senators' cap situation and Pinto has played out. As a player who had a second surgery performed on the same shoulder which he injured early in the 2021-22 season. Knowing that Norris was on the mend and could potentially suffer a setback, not prioritizing getting a Pinto contract done early in the offseason to mitigate these risks is something Dorion will have to own.
The Senators have been put in a tough spot. Ideally, a soft October schedule would allow the team to build a points cushion and give itself a bigger margin of error for when the schedule gets tougher.
Having the best lineup on the ice would afford the Senators the best opportunity to do that, but they cannot afford to get off to another bad start. The jobs of D.J. Smith and his general manager likely depend on it.
I expect increased scoring from the blueline this season with Chychrun in and Sanderson and Brannstrom producing more. That (plus better goaltending) should put them in a decent position to whether the absence of Norris and Pinto, who should be in the lineup eventually.