“At Least We Know We (The Ottawa Senators) Can Still Win Without Him (Jason Spezza)” – A 10 Year Old Boy

While there will be some doom and gloom over the interview Bryan Murray had on CTV News yesterday, where he stated that Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson might not be ready to start the playoffs.  Karlsson was expected, but the news on Spezza was a bit of a surprise, as he had been skating.  Apparently he has suffered a setback and could be out longer than expected.

Jan 24, 2013; Sunrise, FL, USA; Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) moves the puck up the ice with center Jason Spezza (19) during the second period against the Florida Panthers at the BB

While the news may have many fans calling for Murray to mow make a deal for a front line centre (ie. Mike Ribeiro or Derek Roy) as a stop-gap measure, and he might just do that between now and Wednesday’s trade deadline, they might just want to stand pat.

While I don’t often take the pulse of the NHL from a 10 year-old, my stepson today made me stop for a moment.  We were discussing the game against the Rangers and Ben Bishop’s shutout.  He asked when Spezza was going to be back, and I told him about Murray’s comments and that he might not be back any time soon.

He just looked at me and said “Well I wish he would get back, but at least we know the Sens can still win without him.”

While he might not quite understand the difference between playoff and regular season hockey, he does kind of make a salient point.  The Senators have done more with what they have than any team could have expected, and the group that is in the room is tight knit and have embraced the Pesky Sens moniker.  There is nobody out there that would guarantee the Senators would advance deeper in the post-season, so is it worth it to mess with the chemistry and bring in an outsider who might not fit in.

That is one option, and while rumors and wish lists will be made by many (including yours truly) on players who might make a difference come the post-season, I would be comfortable with this group of Pesky Sens if that is how Murray wants to play it.