Once considered a top end prospect, Guillaume Latendresse has been a bust so far in his NHL career. He was signed as a Free Agent by the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

It wasn’t quite the impact day that the Ottawa Senators fans were hoping for.  A day after losing out to the Edmonton Oilers in the Justin Schultz sweepstakes, the Ottawa Senators made 2 signings and a trade in the opening hours of NHL Free Agency.

The trade was with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but it was far from the trade that was hoped for.  Rick Nash wasn’t involved, but instead it was a former Sens first rounder who went Columbus way.  Coming off a career season of just under 5o points, Nick Foligno was sent packing in exchange for defenseman Marc Methot.  Methot is an Ottawa native who has spent his entire NHL career (parts of 6 seasons) in Columbus, posting 51 points in 275 career games.  Methot has 3 years and $9M remaining on his contract.

Also joining the Senators blue line is former Lightning and Wild defenseman Mike Lundin.  The oft-injured Lundin inked a 1 year deal for just over $1M, and is coming off a season where he played only 17 games due to injuries, most notably his back,  Lundin hasn’t played a full NHL season since his rookie year, 5 seasons ago. He has 35 points in 241 career games.

Up front, the Senators seemingly replaced Foligno (a restricted Free Agent) with former Montreal Canadien and Minnesota Wild winger Guillaume Latendresse to a 1 year deal reportedly worth $1.25M with potential to earn another $750K with bonuses.  Latendresse has been a bust so far in his career as his dedication to fitness has been in question his whole career.   He had a career high 39 points split between Montreal and Minnesota three seasons ago, and injuries have limited him to a total of 27 games in the past 2 seasons.

All in all, I think the first day of Free Agency has to be incredibly disappointing to Senators fans.  Patchwork pickups while watching Matt Carkner (New York Islanders), Zenon Konopka (Minnesota Wild) and Filip Kuba (Florida Panthers) all leave for supposedly greener pastures.

In can’t say that I like any of the acquisitions, and I am disappointed that Foligno has been dispatched after putting up decent numbers.  There are too many question marks surrounding the new players to be confident in their abilities to contribute to a playoff contender.

Hopefully GM Bryan Murray has some other larger irons in the fire and these moves are just the setup to something bigger.  Although I can’t imagine what those could be.  These moves lack the oomph that I was hoping for, and I firmly believe any of these acquisitions will be occupying spots that could easily have been filled from within the system.

A terribly disappointing day for me.

Mark Stone is one of a handful of legitimate young hopefuls for a top 6 forward spot. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-US PRESSWIRE

As the 2011-12 season fades into the distance, one of the best battles at training camp will be among a group of young players for a couple (assuming Daniel Alfredsson returns) or possibly 3 (if he doesn’t) top-6 forward spots.  Incumbent pairings of Jason Spezza-Milan Michalek and Daniel Alfredsson-Kyle Turris anchor the top 2 lines, but there are openings for the third member of each line.  There was a revolving door in those spots for much of the season, with Coling Greening, Bobby Butler, Peter Regin, Stephane Da Costa, Nick Foligno, Chris Neil and Erik Condra all getting at least an audition for the spots.

Some of these players will be back and fighting for the top 6 minutes with a bunch of upstarts looking to play their way into the lineup.  I will look at the chances for the top contenders for the top 6.

1. Jacob Silfverberg – Appears to definitely have the inside track to ride shotgun with either Spezza or Turris.  The fact that he was not asked to attend this week’s prospect camp tells me that he is a lock for the big club and will be expected to be a prime time player after a decent beginning in the playoffs.

2. Mika Zibanejad – If he can make the transition to the wing, like I expect he will be asked to (and personally think he is a better fit), he could fit in nicely as a budding power forward with his strength and skating ability.

3.  Mark Stone – Made his NHL debut in the playoffs, and is a natural goal scorer who will battle with Zibanejad for an NHL job this season.  If he improves his skating over the summer, he will stand a better shot at making the lineup.

4. Peter Regin – Chances are running out for the Danish forward who hasn’t been able to stay healthy.  That will be the key for him to prove that he should be included in the mix, and he might be cast in a support role and have to bide his time to get a shot at the top 6.

5.  Stephane Da Costa – Overlooked in favour of Silfverberg and Stone when the call to the farm was made in the playoffs.  Despite playing well after his demotion to Binghamton, he might be sliding down the depth chart at centre, and I don’t know how effective he could be on the wing.

6. Nick Foligno – At the end of the season, Foligno fit in nicely on the second line, and it could be his spot to lose.  However, putting him on the third line, with Smith and Neil (or Greening, or Condra) could be a key move to add depth and make the Senators a dangerous club to deal with.

7.  The Field – Colin Greening played well in spots, but on a contending team I don’t think he has enough finish to be a top 6 forward.  Shane Prince, Stefan Noeson and Matt Puempel will be contenders in the future, but all need more development in either the AHL (Prince) or OHL (Puempel and Noesen).

Barring a big trade (the Rick Nash rumours have quieted) or free agent signing, the Senators appear content to see what happens with their top level prospects.

For my money, Silfverberg and Zibanejad will start with the Senators, while Stone could be the guy they look to send to Bingo but with a quick recall if required.  Regin can stick around and play on the fourth line and fill in higher when necessary, and work his way back into form.  If Alfredsson chooses not to return, Stone could be in line to occupy his position, making the Sens top 6 very young and a core that could be together for years to come.