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Ottawa Senators announce more cuts ahead of Vancouver trip

By Joshua Delorme

VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 5: Josh Norris #14 of the United States celebrates after scoring a goal against Finland in Gold Medal hockey action of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship on January, 5, 2019 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 5: Josh Norris #14 of the United States celebrates after scoring a goal against Finland in Gold Medal hockey action of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship on January, 5, 2019 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /
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Following last night’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Ottawa Senators announced that they were reducing their training camp roster ahead of their trip to Vancouver.

Following the loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Ottawa Senators announced that they were once again reducing their training camp roster by eleven players. Every player cut from the NHL training camp roster has been either assigned directly to the Belleville Senators or has been submitted to waivers with the intention of assignment to Belleville.

Some of the cuts were not surprising and to be expected. Both Joey Daccord and Filip Gustavsson have been assigned to the Belleville Senators. This should not be a surprise to anyone as these two were always destined to play in the minors this season. They both got into some game action during the first three preseason games, and both had decent showings. There is definitely some hope for the organization at the goaltender position with these two, and with Marcus Hogberg still remaining with the big club for now. The Ottawa Senators want to head to Vancouver with an extra goaltender in case of an injury, so it is no surprise that Hogberg remains with the big club for now. He will be reassigned to Belleville once the team returns from Vancouver, I would guess.

Also not surprising is Joe Labate, Morgan Klimchuk, Andreas Englund, Josh Norris, and Jordan Murray being sent to Belleville. Both Klimchuk and Englund will require waivers before being eligible for the Belleville Senators. I thought Englund struggle at times during his preseason action, the former second-round draft pick simply has never been able to find his stride at the professional level. Klimchuk, Murray, and Labate were also players that were pre-destined for the American Hockey League.

Klimchuk should be able to carve out a role for himself in Belleville’s top-9 forward group and be able to contribute offensively for the baby Sens. Josh Norris, who was acquired as part of the Erik Karlsson trade last season, was also pretty much always destined for the Belleville Senators. He should be able to lock up one of the top-3 centre spots for Troy Mann and the Belleville Senators. This being his first year of professional hockey, this is defintely the best course of action and development for the young centre. Labate and Murray provide extra depth and character at the forward and defence positions respectively.

Ottawa Senators
OTTAWA, ON – JUNE 29: Ottawa Senators Prospect Left Wing Alex Formenton (59) during the Ottawa Senators Development Camp on June 29, 2019, at Bell Sensplex in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

On a more surprising note is that forwards Alex Formenton, Jonathan Davidsson, and Max Veronneau were also assigned to the Belleville Senators. We’ve heard people around the Ottawa Senators say how impressive Jonathan Davidsson can be so I’m a little surprised the management team didn’t keep him around a little longer. I guess they saw enough to determine that he was better off playing bigger minutes in Belleville. I can’t say that I disagree.

Formenton and Veronneau where probably the two wingers not named Drake Batherson or Rudolfs Balcers with the better chance of making the NHL roster. It is so hard to overlook the speed of Formenton and the work ethic of Veronneau, but as was the case for Norris and Davidsson, some extra seasoning in the AHL definitely won’t hurt them. I’m starting to think that Belleville can and should have a very good team this season!

Turning our attention to the defensemen, the Ottawa Senators have also assigned Max Lajoie to the Belleville Senators. I can’t lie to you here, this one surprises me. It also tells me two things. First, it tells me that the organization probably likes what they have seen from Erik Brannstrom and want to see a little more in Vancouver. Second, it tells me that Lajoie simply has not done enough to warrant being on the final roster. And that is the part that is most surprising to me. I would have expected Lajoie to take full advantage of the Wolanin injury to try and cement himself a spot on the roster. He now heads to a Belleville team that is simply getting more and more talent with each cut. They should be an exciting team to watch.

So who’s left? Well, I’m a little surprised – actually I’m very surprised – that Cody Goloubef is still on the roster. I don’t particularly think that he has played all that well during preseason games. In fact, I think Lajoie probably played better. I think Goloubef is on the Vancouver trip as insurance incase of injury. I think the organization knows he will end up in Belleville, but they probably think that he’s worked hard in camp and want to reward him with a trip to Vancouver. Erik Brannstrom is also still here, so I would hazard to guess that the chances of him making the final roster are pretty good.

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At the forward position, the Ottawa Senators still have 19 players on the roster. Logan Brown, Filip Chlapik, Scott Sabourin, Jordan Szwarz, Nick Paul, Parker Kelly, and Vitaly Abramov all remain on the roster. Now, realistically I would say that only Paul, Brown, and Chlapik have a chance of making the roster. But then again, I would have put money on Lajoie making the final roster, so who knows! I know the coach liked Sabourin’s game against the Leafs and wanted to reward him with another game. I’m assuming that’s why he’s still here and that he will suit up for his final game in one of the games against the Canucks this coming week.

Szwarz, Kelly, and Abramov are also destined for the AHL. I think Abramov is still here because they want to see if they can get him into another game if he is able to. Abramov was diagnosed with concussion symptoms earlier this week but wasn’t considered long-term. Everyone I have ever spoken to regarding Parker Kelly has raved about his attitude and work ethic. I think that’s why he’s still here. I think the organization is trying to really determine what they have in him, or if he is simply going to be a ball of energy that hits everything that moves. Szwarz was brought in to be a leader on the Belleville team, so I’d be shocked if he wasn’t in the next round of cuts. Probably another case of wanting to see a little more of the player before making a final decision.

That leaves us with Nick Paul, Logan Brown, and Filip Chlapik. Honestly, I’m surprised these three are still here. I haven’t been overly impressed with Nick Paul so far in camp. I was expecting someone to take the bull by the horns and really carve out a role for himself on this team, but in my mind, he has yet to do so. I’d see this as his final opportunity to do just that. Filip Chlapik also interests me a lot. Probably the most forgotten forward prospect in the organization, I’ve liked a lot of what I’ve seen from him in preseason action. I’d love to see him carve out a role for himself, but I’m thinking he’s going to be added to a stacked Belleville team.

OTTAWA, ON – FEBRUARY 24: Ottawa Senators Center Logan Brown (21) keeps eyes on the play during first period National Hockey League action between the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators on February 24, 2019, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON – FEBRUARY 24: Ottawa Senators Center Logan Brown (21) keeps eyes on the play during first period National Hockey League action between the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators on February 24, 2019, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

I’d also expect Logan Brown to follow him there. I’m just not sure if I see a spot for him in the top-9. I think the coach is pretty much set on the top three lines, and I think he likes what he sees. There is no denying Logan Brown’s talent with the puck, especially in the offensive zone. A kid his size is intimidating around the net, but he also has the hands to make skilled plays. The pace of the game is the only worry people have for him. Because of that, and because of there probably not being a spot open inside the top-9, I think having him play in Belleville this season will be good for him. He needs to continue adjusting to this pace of play and continue working on his skating. I would think he gets into one or two more preseason games. I’d assume he would probably be one of the final cuts.

The final Ottawa Senators roster is starting to take shape. I’ve liked what I’ve seen so far from DJ Smith and the way he has run his camp. He continues to push the players to play faster and to play uptempo hockey. I absolutely love uptempo hockey. I’m not saying this team is going to compete for a playoff spot this season, but I think they will have opportunities to surprise some teams with their speed and their work ethic.

Sens fans, what do you think of the latest round of cuts? Are you surprised by Lajoie being sent to Belleville? Is there another cut that surprised you? What about players remaining on the roster? What do you want to see from the remaining bubble guys? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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