Depth on the Farm, Key to Senators Season

Not all the news after Saturday’s game was good news. The injury bug struck again, the latest being Nick Foligno’s broken leg, which will keep him out of the line-up for six to eight weeks. Attempting to block a point shot off the stick of Montreal’s Marc-Andre Bergeron, the puck hit Foligno in an unpadded area of his leg, making him the latest Senator sidelined with a significant injury. Jesse Winchester is ready to return to the line-up after missing ten games with a knee injury and will take Foligno‘s roster spot.

With injuries to several key players throughout the season, the Senators have had to rely on help from Binghamton, their American Hockey League affiliate. In previous years, the farm team was unable to produce players that were ready and able to compete regularly in the NHL when their services were required. Part of General Manager Bryan Murray’s master plan since he took the helm of the organization during the summer of 2007 was to restock the farm team, which he has.

Despite Binghamton’s record in the AHL this season, they are near the bottom of the 29-team league; there is a growing list of players capable of joining the NHL club. Forwards, Ryan Keller, Josh Hennessey, Martin St. Pierre, Zach Smith, along with defencemen Brian Lee, Kaspers Daugavins and goaltender Mike Brodeur have all come to Ottawa as injury replacements this season and performed well. While most of these players will never be NHL regulars, their contributions demonstrate why Murray, along with his Assistant General Manager and nephew Tim Murray, has focused on rebuilding Binghamton.

One player brought into Binghamton that has become a NHL regular is Winchester Ontario native, Matt Carkner. Selected 58th overall in the second round of the 1999 entry draft by Montreal, Carkner spent eighth seasons in the AHL before joining Ottawa/Binghamton for the 2007-2008 season. He played one game with the Sharks in 2006 and one with Ottawa last year. A strong showing in training camp and Carkner found himself taking a regular shift in the NHL this season. Through 56 games, he has two goals and eight assists, along with 137 penalty minutes (he ranks third in the NHL in penalty minutes). A hometown guy that works hard and fights harder, he is exactly the type of player the Murray’s are trying to find; guys willing to earn their time in the NHL.

Erik Karlsson, Ottawa’s first round pick in the 2008 entry draft (15th overall) has also emerged as a legitimate NHL defenceman this season. While the 5’11 native of Landsbro Sweden has struggled at times, he is tied for seventh in rookie scoring amongst NHL defencemen. In 39 games, he has one goal and ten assists and his -5 rating is acceptable, considering he came straight from Frolunda in the Swedish Elite League, bypassing the AHL. Another rookie on the roster making a difference this season is Ottawa’s third round pick in 2004, Peter Regin. The 23 year old from Herning Denmark has eight goals and 19 points through his first 50 NHL games, numbers that should increase as he joins the second line with Mike Fisher and Alex Kovalev during Foligno’s absence.

With the compressed schedule this season and the ever-present NHL salary cap, injuries to key players can send a team spiralling to the bottom of the standings. If they do not have help waiting in the AHL, ready to make an impact in the NHL, the season can be lost in quick fashion. Bryan and Tim Murray have provided the Senators with something that they did not have in recent years; legitimate depth at all positions.