After a short and disappointing playoff run that ended in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators fans may be looking for something, anything, to cheer for over the next month and a half.
For those fans who like to keep an eye on the players who used to wear the Centurion crest, there are still a number of former Senators in play to win a Cup this year.
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Dallas vs. Minnesota
It’s hard to believe Matt Duchene has been gone from the Senators for seven seasons now and is easily the most productive player on this list. He has eight points in five playoff games, good for a share of third in the league. Duchene was traded to Columbus back in 2019 for Vitaly Abramov, Jonathan Davidsson, and a first-round draft pick that would turn out to be Lassi Thomson.
For Minnesota, a pair of former Senator veteran wingers are still plugging away. Nick Foligno and Vladimir Tarasenko both have one point in five games. Goalie Filip Gustavsson has had a front-row seat to this series. He has been on the bench for every game, wearing the ball cap, while 23-year-old Jesper Wallstedt has played every minute for the Wild.
Edmonton vs. Anaheim
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The only former Senator in this series is Ottawa’s former first-round draft pick, Curtis Lazar, who has no points in four games for the Oilers. Lazar was once seen as a real blue-chip prospect, and though he never quite lived up to his first-round billing here or anywhere else, he deserves credit for carving out a solid NHL career with over 600 games and counting.
Montreal vs. Tampa Bay
The Lightning have a pair of former Senators playing in this series. “Nick Paul does it all,” but he hasn’t gotten on the scoresheet in this series, with no points in four games. Tough guy Scott Sabourin has no points in two games.
Paul was traded away by Ottawa in 2022 for Mathieu Joseph and a fourth-rounder that would turn into Blake Montgomery, who just started his pro career playing a few games at the end of the season with the Belleville Senators.
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Buffalo vs. Boston
Former Senator Josh Norris is back in a familiar spot to Sens fans, and unfortunately, that is the injured list. He’s missed the last three games with injury and has no points in two games, but he is expected to return for Game 6 of the Bruins-Sabres series. Of course, Norris was famously traded away at the deadline last year in a multiplayer deal that saw the Senators land Dylan Cozens.
For Boston, three players have former Senator ties. Mark Kastelic, who brings toughness to the fourth line, just as he did here, has one point in five games in this series and 11 penalty minutes. He was sent to Boston from Ottawa in the Linus Ullmark deal, as was goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who has only played 13 minutes in the series in relief of Jeremy Swayman.
Jonathan Aspirot has been a revelation for the Bruins. After four years in Ottawa’s organization with Belleville and then two more AHL seasons with Calgary, he ended up with the Bruins this season. And when they had a rash of injuries, Aspirot got his shot. He’s played in all five games for Boston and has two assists.
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Vegas vs. Utah
Mark Stone has four points in five games for Vegas. Stone has certainly been injury prone with Vegas, routinely missing significant time during the regular season. However, he always seems to find a way to be ready for the playoffs, and while probably held together with bubble gum and binder twine, Stone has four points in five games for Vegas so far.
Since he was once property of the Senators for less than a week, we also need to include Utah defenseman Ian Cole on this list. He has 2 points in five games for the Mammoth. In 2018, Cole was traded to Ottawa when the Sens dealt Derick Brassard to Pittsburgh in a multi-player deal for Filip Gustavsson and a first-rounder.
Three days later, Cole was shipped to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Nick Moutrey and a third. The Sens might have held out for a little more if they knew that Cole was going to play another eight years in the league.
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So there it is. If you’re looking for a reason to stay invested this spring, those are the familiar names still chasing the Stanley Cup. Live vicariously, my friends.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Check out more great Sens features from The Hockey News at the links below:
Tkachuk Frustrated By “The Noise,” But Holds The Power To Silence It
Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson One Of Three NHL Finalists For Lady Byng
Did The Senators Actually Improve This Season? And What Has To Happen Now?
Staios Admits Senators Goaltending Plan For This Season Was Flawed
Now Facing A Suspension, Ridly Greig Addresses His Game 4 Sucker Punch
Read the full article here