The Ottawa Senators will find themselves missing at least one forward on opening night. Ridly Greig will be serving the two-game suspension that he received in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The other forward the Senators may be without at the start of the season is Warren Foegele, who is still rehabbing an injury. Green said that he “expects both of them to be with the team in the next week to two weeks.” So, there is a possibility the Senators may be missing both for Game 1. The Senators open their season on the road against their rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs, on October 3rd. If that does happen, who is waiting in the wings to potentially play?
Stephen Halliday/Nick Cousins
Depending on how head coach Travis Green prefers his lines, it’s Nick Cousins and Stephen Halliday battling it out for the 12th forward spot. Halliday has the edge because he’s played centre more recently than Cousins. However, if both Foegele and Greig are sidelined, Cousins and Halliday would be the first men in for open slots. Halliday is younger and has the higher upside for where Greig may be playing, but Cousins has the veteran experience on his side, and he’s been a bit of a Swiss Army knife-style player for the Senators. Both players have shown they can play in multiple different scenarios, but Cousins feels like the safer ‘Green’ pick because of his experience.
Eskild Bakke Olsen
Eskild Bakke Olsen is coming off a very productive rookie tournament, where he showed the reason the Senators signed him in the off-season. The Norwegian has all the habits of an NHL player, as he’s played professional hockey in Sweden for the last four years. Last season, Bakke Olsen had 31 points in 51 games and was one of Norway’s most important forwards at the World Championships en route to their first ice hockey medal ever. Bakke Olsen is highly skilled with quick hands, and he’s really good at tipping pucks in the slot. He could be an interesting player if the Senators put him into the right situation, and a winger spot in the top nine would be the place.
Philip Tomasino
Philip Tomasino joined the Senators this past off-season, and he’s been in a bit of limbo with his NHL career. His career started with a lot of promise with the Nashville Predators, and since then, he’s now on his fourth NHL team after not being qualified by the Philadelphia Flyers. Tomasino has a ton of skill and has been able to score in the NHL before; he’s a fast and agile skater with really quick hands. When he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was able to score some big goals for them in a larger role. I think there is a chance that he was brought in because there is some possibility that he could play his way into a spot on the team. An injury or suspension is the perfect opportunity for players in Tomasino’s position because it can help them re-solidify his spot in the NHL.
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