An Early look at the Binghamton Senators

There's never a lock in pro sports, no matter how much you want to keep a team together, there are usually hurdles in your way that make it next to impossible.

There are several players who played key roles in the B-Sens winning their first championship ever last season, who may not return to the team for next season. One of them is Ryan Potulny, who got a very creative, smart offer from Washington where he would be on a 2-way for the first year of his contract and a 1-way, NHL only contract in his 2nd season. The Sens allowed him to shop himself by not qualifying him, not because they didn't want him back, but because they wanted him on a 2-way, not limiting themselves to a 1-way. So there goes one of the playoff MVPs for the B-Sens, gone without compensation, but no bridges were burned as Potulny talked very highly of his experience in the Senators' organization.

Next up are a few guys whose veteran presence will be missed should they not be re-signed. Andre Benoit is a guy who has about a 50/50 chance of coming back. He has ties within the organization, he's married to Rick Whamsley's daughter, but he likely won't make close to the same amount staying with the Sens as he would shopping himself in Europe. In fact, some people who pay close attention to the Europe hockey scene have said they think he'll soon sign in a Swiss league.

The future's also up in the air with Captain Ryan Keller - another key contributor to the B-Sens all season and in the playoffs. He might be convinced to join Benoit overseas, more money and the chances of Keller making the NHL - even for a brief stint - are quite low. David Hale, Derek Smith, Mike Brodeur, Barry Brust and Cody Bass are all in a similar situation where they need to think about their futures. Hale has a chance to re-sign and be one of the first call-ups when injury strikes at the NHL level, much like last year, but with the organization's new found depth, that's not as likely as it once was. Mike Brodeur might be re-signed as backup to Robin Lehner, but not until he's searched high and low for a better opportunity, the same exact scenario applies to cult hero Barry Brust, who was one of the team's MVPs last season. Derek Smith might be a tougher loss than any of them. He's an elite puck-mover in the AHL, a skill that hasn't translated to the NHL yet, but nevertheless a nice skill to have in your lineup. He might be looking for more of an opportunity as well - perhaps even with a team with a weak D core where he can get a 2-way contract and actually get called up from time to time. Rest assured, Tim and Bryan Murray will assess these situations and do all they can to get some of these guys (if not all of them) signed to 2-way contracts, but they will have a tough time doing that, that's just the way it is.

The flip side of the coin is, whenever there are departures, there is opportunity, and the Sens have a lot of players who are chomping at the bit to grab the opportunity and run.

Among the players likely to join Binghamton this upcoming season are:

Derek Grant: This 6'3" C is a very talented playmaker who spend the last two seasons in Michigan State University, notching 20 goals and 43 assists over two seasons. He joined Bingo late in the year and added some spark to their offense, including an overtime game-winner against Manchester in Round 1. He'll make the team and hopefully make one of the top three lines as C.

Louie Caporusso: Spent 4 seasons in the NCAA playing for Michigan, the highlight of which was a 49 point, 24 goal season in 08/09 where he was a nominee for the Hobey Baker award for the best player in the NCAA. Has fantastic vision and a deceptive shot, will make up for some of the lost offense if Keller leaves - and should slot in the top 6 for Bingo. Can play C or W, not sure which he's more comfortable at.

Pat Cannone: Another talented forward from the NCAA, he's a model of consistency scoring 30, 35, 31 and 37 points in his 4 season at Miami University, he's one of the more underrated in terms of skill. He'll fit in nicely into the top 9 in Bingo, listed as a player who can play either wing.

Wacey Hamilton: A graduate of the WHL, Hamilton had 73 points in 67 games last season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, but his bread and butter won't be offense in the AHL, it'll be as a checking line forward who can chip in the odd goal here and there.

Andre Petersson: Skill level is off the charts, but at 5'9" and roughly 170 pounds, his size could work against him. He's already been injured numerous times throughout his hockey playing days, none more worrisome than a nagging back injury that some called similar to Spezza's chronic issues. If he can stay healthy, he could be a huge player for the B-Sens, especially on the power play where he can utilize his lightning-quick wrist shot. A prime candidate to take Bobby Butler's spot next to Corey Locke on line 1.

These new players will help ease the blow of the departing players, particularly Petersson if he can help fill the void left by AHL All-Star MVP Bobby Butler. Grant can help ease the pain of Keller leaving, Caporusso will be given a huge opportunity to fill Potulny's spot - and the organization is likely not done yet. Potentially losing D.Smith, Benoit and Hale can put a huge black hole on the backend, but the Senators have set themselves up well in 2nd year pro Patrick Wiercioch returning to carry some of the load, Eric Grbya, who started his pro career slowly, but got going towards the end where he was one of the team's primary shutdown D-men. Craig Schira might be asked to take some of the responsibilities left by Benoit and Smith and he's been up to the task in the past, although last season was a season to forget statistically with 13 points in 67 games and an injury that cost him all but 7 playoff games.

You can't talk about the B-Sens D without talking about one of the most surprising stories from within the organization. When Mark Borowiecki was taken in the 5th round, 139th overall, there wasn't much fanfare, but fast forward to today and you'll see how this kid is making opponents pay to stand in front of the net with his big-body presence and his three years of Clarkson University experience. Officially named the Sens hardest working player in the Development Camp, Borowiecki will find himself an anchor on the B-Sens blueline - particularly after the wonderful playoffs he had during the Calder Cup run. Will he be an offensive D-man? Likely not. Will he be sturdy in his own end and distribute punishment in front of the net? You can count on it. A player to watch!

I tried to resist the urge to mention either Jared Cowen or David Rundblad, because frankly, they're both probably going to make the Ottawa Senators one way or the other. However...if they don't, they will be the go-to guys in Bingo, just as Cowen was one of the premiere defenders in the Calder Cup run, they will be expected to play 25+ minutes a night in Bingo - if they're sent there to begin the season. And as much as we all expect them both to make the NHL, there's simply no way they can as of the right now, unless of course we're set to make a guy like Kuba a healthy scratch, which is not probable. Still, until moves have been made and roster spots cleared, there's virtually no use talking about one or the other being in Bingo.

There's as much riding on Bingo's returnees as there are in Bingo's new players. Mike Hoffman looked tremendous in Development Camp scrimmages and looked like a completely different player in Bingo's post-season run. If he can add some muscle to his frame, the confidence should still be there from last season's run and Hoffman could prove to be a sniper that could easily compliment Locke and Petersson. Watch for him closely!

Another returnee is Patrick Wiercioch. This summer will be hugely important for Wiercioch to develop muscle mass and acceleration. It will be a tough summer, but if he wants to make the NHL, he'll have to put in the time and excel in the AHL first.

Roman Wick, Kaspars Daugavins and Geoff Kinrade are three question marks that the Sens organization must deal with. Daugavins was my dark horse pick to make the NHL out of training camp this year- not just because he's skilled, but because he can do several different things, kill penalties, play the PP and make incredible moves on D-men and goalies. This would be the time for him to sign a 1 year, 2-way contract and fight for his NHL life by impressing in Bingo. The same situation applies to Wick. He could leave for any of the European leagues and get paid much more than he will in the AHL, but he has to decide if he has the desire to try to make it to the NHL. He's been passed by other prospects along the way through really no fault of his own, but that's going to make it doubly difficult for him to make the NHL. A summer of intense training would do wonders for Wick - not just to improve his game, but to show the Sens' management that he wants it and is willing to fight for it. Kinrade is an RFA, who was very sturdy for the B-Sens during the year and especially in the play-offs when players were being injured left, right and center. I would assume he also will sign a 1 year, 2-way and work to make it, but he's so far down the depth chart right now, it'll be an uphill battle. Still...if someone offered me 50K to play hockey, I'd likely agree quite quickly!

A pessimist might look at the players who are likely departing and dismiss the B-Sens as not being good enough to repeat, but the optimist will look at it as a huge opportunity for some of the young players to get in there and show what they can do. A year of excitement awaits, I look forward to doing another write-up closer to puck drop when some of the question marks have been answered.