Looking to improve their roster from last season, the Ottawa Senators made moves this offseason.
One was completing a trade with the Los Angeles Kings to acquire defenseman Jordan Spence. The other was signing veteran and former Stanley Cup champion Lars Eller.
It was unsure how both players were going to fit in Ottawa with a new system. So far, both Spence and Eller are fitting in solid in Ottawa.
Spence and Eller contributing to Ottawa already
Spence had it rough to begin his Senators tenure after not playing in the team's first two games of the season. Since then, Spence has made the most of his opportunity.
In three games, Spence has recorded four points with all the points being assists. Spence recorded a three-assist game this past Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres. Last night, Spence recorded the secondary assist on Dylan Cozens' game-tying goal with 1:46 remaining in regulation, which led to a 4-3 comeback win in a shootout against the Seattle Kraken.
"Keep playing my game, keep it simple," Spence said following last night's win over the Kraken.
Spence has turned into one of the biggest surprises on the Senators roster five games into the season. As of now, Spence's four assists are tied for the most on the Senators roster along with Jake Sanderson. Spence's four points are tied for third on the roster with Dylan Cozens and Claude Giroux. Spence's +3 rating is also the highest on the Senators roster. For a player who didn't play in the first two games, Spence has turned into a solid player in his first three games.
The Senators are Eller's sixth different team in his 17-year NHL career. So far, Eller's impact has already been felt in Ottawa.
For Eller, he's recorded two points. Although the Senators fell 8-4 on Wednesday against the Sabres, Eller scored a big goal to cut the Senators' deficit to 5-4 in the third period. Against the Kraken last night, Eller recorded the primary assist on Shane Pinto's sixth goal of the season in the first period.
Learning a new system and team can take time for some players, but Spence and Eller has adapted quickly so far in Ottawa. Both players will be eager to continue their Senators success tomorrow when the team continues the four-game home stand when they host the New York Islanders.