Ottawa Senators haven’t had a captain since late 2018 when legendary defenseman and then team captain Erik Karlsson joined San Jose Sharks. And while it isn’t unusual anything unusual for NHL teams, head coach D.J. Smith recently hinted that Senators might be ready to have a commanding figure on ice once again.
Smith talked about Senators’ captain situation with Ottawa Sun in a recent interview, admitting there were some internal discussions about the matter with general manager Pierre Dorion.
“We’ve talked a little bit about it,” said Smith. “There’s some tough choices to be made there, and are they ready? Is it now? Is it in another year? That’s something and a discussion will go on throughout the summer.”
But, any potential candidate will have to prove to Smith and the rest of the coaching staff that he’s ready to lead the team.
“The big thing is you want to make sure the guy is ready and it’s not too soon,” Smith added.
Since Karlsson left, Sharks used alternate captains in Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Mark Borowiecki, Ron Hainsey, and Thomas Chabot. Pageau recently left the team, but the other three players are considered to be the front runners for the honor.
Ottawa Senators had a disappointing season in 2019/20, finishing next to last in East with 25-34-12 record and failing to advance to playoffs third time in a row. While this might not be tied to their lack of captain, you can’t blame Senators for thinking that having one will solidify their team and maybe change their luck.
