Ottawa Senators Defence Looking Thin for 2019-20 Homestretch

As the 2019-20 season runs down over the next six weeks, the Ottawa Senators look more likely to limp out rather than make a final statement.

After trading Dylan DeMelo to the Winnipeg Jets, and losing Cody Goloubef to the Detroit Red Wings on waivers  prior to the trade deadline, the team has been bit by the injury bug. As the season’s homestretch sets in, fans will see a relatively weak defence corps given a major test.

The team’s top four currently consists of Thomas Chabot, Nikita Zaitsev, Mike Reilly and Ron Hainsey. One might argue that there is only one defenceman in this group even worthy of playing top four minutes, in Thomas Chabot.

As his playing time suggests, D.J Smith believes this too, as the organization seems hell-bent on squeezing every last bit of hockey out of the youngster this year.

Zaitsev, Hainsey and Reilly are all far out of their depths in the current set-up. Although the ladder has impressed in his brief stint with the team, none of these players would be playing big minutes on a good, or healthy team.

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The lineup is rounded out by AHL call-ups Christian Jaros and Andreas Englund. This represents a good opportunity for both players, England in particular, as he may never have another shot in the NHL.

Mark Borowiecki doesn’t seem set to return anytime soon, and the Senators may see it as a good opportunity to shut him down for the year, and ensure he’s healthy for next season if they intend on re-signing him. So, this is the hand they’ve been dealt, and something fans will have to continue to endure.

Immediately fans turned their attention to Belleville, believing there would be another opportunity for top defence prospects Christian Wolanin, Maxime Lajoie and Erik Brannstrom with the big club.

However, it appears that Pierre Dorion and company are preparing for a lot of playoff hockey in the AHL this spring, and see these three as integral pieces of Belleville’s success. It therefore remains unlikely we see these players again this season in the NHL.

Management responded to all the losses on defence by signing AHL journeyman Hubert Labrie to a contract for the rest of the season. A player with no goals and 8 assists in 44 appearances with Belleville this season, who essentially is being deemed as not important enough for Belleville down the stretch, and is in turn afforded an opportunity in the NHL that he may never see again.

While this would be a great story, expecting it to be anything more than hard to watch would be wishful thinking.

While rotating in some of the club’s top defence prospects, like Pierre Dorion has done with forwards Josh Norris and Drake Batherson, would bring some more watchability to the team down the stretch, the long-term play is likely the correct one.

Although the Senators continue to struggle with attendance and alienation of certain segments of fans, having young players be a part of important AHL games can only help in the future.

With increased draft lottery odds up for grabs as the Senators slip down the standings, perhaps limping to the finish and sticking with the plan for Belleville could prove to be the most beneficial in the short and long term.