Todd Bertuzzi’s Arrival Could Be Exactly What Binghamton Senators Need

They say in life timing is everything.

This may or may not be the case in the recent signing of long time NHL’er Todd Bertuzzi. Let’s review where we are at in a series of updates for the Binghamton Senators as they sit in fourth place in the East with a 15-17-3-1 record.

While the club is mired in a five game losing streak, fans aren’t to happy with the departure of netminder Scott Greenham in being sent down to Evansville with the recent signing of Peter Mannino. As a result the team hasn’t won a game since. Twitter has erupted with a #FreeGreenham campaign and the B-Sens Facebook comment section has exploded with many disenchanted opinion’s.

The injury bug has reared its ugly head in what has been otherwise a calm scenario this season. Saturday’s lopsided loss was played with four regulars out hurt and two of the club’s best prospects also feeling the sting with Shane Prince nursing a leg injury and Matt Puempel wearing a full cage.

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Also to make matters worse, defenseman Chris Wideman didn’t see any action up top in Ottawa in his recent call-up other than the warm-ups as that could construe sending a wrong message to other prospect’s that are otherwise hopeful of earning a shot in not guaranteeing any ice time.

Not good. Happy days are not here again.

Those three factors may or may not have any bearing whatsoever on what’s going on behind closed doors, but cannot be overlooked during this slump that carries some weight, or baggage if you must. This PTO signing could be the shot in the arm this club currently needs to turn things around, and quickly with the post season lurking in the back of everyone’s mind.

As any local weather forecaster would say around these parts, ‘partly cloudy skies is in the forecast‘ vs ‘partly sunny’, as if to say the day ahead looks bleak versus a nice day with splashes of sun. This Bertuzzi signing might be a reflection of the same for the Senators as perhaps it appears to be a cloudy situation with the potential of some sunny days ahead, just don’t dare mention the sunny part.

Bertuzzi’s camp reached out to some NHL teams leaving notices pinned at their doors of his desire to return to the NHL while remaining active keeping in shape skating in Detroit. Ottawa took the bait, albeit a low risk one at that with a mere 25 game PTO, but still gave him an opportunity.

But of all places, why here in Binghamton? Don’t get me wrong as this is the central focus geographically in what is the hockey hotbed in the AHL, and hockey has been king around here for over 40 years. But it does makes you wonder why. Has the Hershey Bears turned the course of not signing big name players anymore? Hmmm…

"I think he wants to give himself one last shot, some closure on his NHL career on a good note." - Luke Richardson with Grady Whittenburg interview

Will it work? Can’t hurt to try as the team has struggled mightily right out of the gate playing .500 hockey. Where does he fit in? Surely at 40 years old one knows their capabilities and limitations on the ice. Possibly this is more involved with some ties with Luke Richardson on a more personal note in perhaps opening the door a bit to the coaching side of things in Bertuzzi’s future.

Richardson addressed his locker room veteran experience will be valuable for Binghamton’s younger players by setting an example giving them hope in the future. He won’t be taking place of a prospect in the line-up though. Likely Garrett Thompson or Alex Guptill if the club is healthy and not impeding the process of the primary prospect’s in Prince, Puempel or Max McCormick to name a few.

This isn’t the first time an NHL’er has laced up in Binghamton towards the end of their NHL careers. Defenseman Brett Lebda logged in 32 games before hanging up the skates in 2013. Add Jonathan Cheechoo and Pascal Leclaire to the short list of those that made the journey through Broome County on their way out.

In order for him to return to the NHL he will have to go through some hurdles for him winding up on Ottawa’s roster, but at some point he might as well be included for a few game seeing that Ottawa is going to be a long-shot in making the post season. All eyes will be on his process and what he can bring in aiding this struggling team in his last stance of returning to the glory days of life in the NHL.

I’m all for it. I mean as long as Bertuzzi doesn’t take a prospect away in the line up as well as a call up then a great move for all involved including Bertuzzi himself in making matters positive in moving forward after a tremulous 10 years of controversy for himself.

When all said and done, welcome to Binghamton Todd Bertuzzi as your timing couldn’t be any better.