SNAPSHOTS: DJ Smith Returns From Protocol … Jake Sanderson Welcome To Join Senators

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DJ Smith’s The smiling face was back on ice at the Canadian Tire Center on Tuesday.

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After receiving clearance to return from COVID-19 isolation, the Ottawa Senators head coach was removed from protocol along with the video coach. Mike king and they were both back on track as the club waited to find out when it might be next.

The Senators have postponed six straight games due to the spread of the Omicron variant in the NHL and will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on the road on Saturday.

But Smith is happy to be out of isolation and was unlucky not to have been affected by the effects of COVID-19.

“I think I was lucky,” Smith said. “I had what I considered a cold, that’s what I felt anyway, and I lost my voice for a couple of days. But I was lucky that I didn’t have to deal with the main symptoms that some people have had to deal with. “

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Smith said it felt good to be back. Assistant coach Davis payne he will be eligible to rejoin the team in the next few days.

“It was good,” he said with a smile. “It’s what we do for a living, it’s what I do, it’s what they do, and it’s where you want to be. It’s hard to sit still in the middle of the year. I was lucky not to miss a game.

“During the month of December, our team was playing very well, we were in all the games and we won some games and we beat some really good teams and we want it to continue to function. This is a difficult situation because it plays and goes every day, so we can’t wait to get back to play and get our group going. “

SANDERSON HAS OPTIONS

With extreme Tyler boucher signing an agreement with the club to leave Boston University on Tuesday, the question had to be asked Tuesday whether the University of North Dakota defender Jake Sanderson , the USA team captain, will have that option after the IIHF youth world championship concludes early in the next few months.

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American GM John vanbiesbouck and the Ottawa Chief Scout Trent mann Both have publicly stated that Sanderson is ready to play in the NHL when he wants to leave school. The expectation is that he will finish the year at UND and then sign with the Senators, but he always has the option to change his mind if he wants.

We will leave that to him. You know you have an open invitation to join the Ottawa Senators at any time, ”Dorion said Tuesday. “I always think you should try to finish what you started, and we know that if he stays in college, he has a good chance of winning the Hobey Baker (as the best player in the NCAA).

“It’s an individual award, which I’m not sure he really cares about, but it’s a team. He knows he has an open invitation to join the Senators anytime he wants, but right now his focus should be on winning a gold medal with the US youth team. “

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The U.S. team, which includes the Ottawa draft pick Tyler Kleven, deviated Tuesday after having two positive tests for COVID-19 that forced them to lose their game against the Swiss.

Dorion, who had an inconclusive PCR test on Monday and was working from home on Tuesday until he got a conclusive result, was impressed with what he saw of Sanderson early in the tournament and the fact that he was named captain.

“It is a great honor for him and our scouting staff to have chosen him,” said Dorion, who is leaving for Edmonton on Wednesday if his COVID-19 test is negative. “It says a lot about his character and we have always talked about selecting good players and good characters. Having led his team in minutes played and being such an important part is important.

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“Having that cherry on top of ice cream by being named captain says a lot about being human, how he’s going to be a great professional and player for the Ottawa Senators.”

THE LAST WORDS

Juggling the schedule has not been easy for senators, but they are trying to do the best they can with the free time they have.

Dorion said the Senators’ president of business operations Anthony LeBlan c has contacted the league to try to reschedule the eight games that still have to be made up. Seven are at home and one is away.

The Senators are hopeful they can play an 82-game schedule, but their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday was postponed due to capacity limits in Canada. At this point, the club is still scheduled to face Minnesota Wild Monday.

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The club sold more than 16,000 seats for visits from Bruins and Penguins this week.

“I am very confident that we will have the opportunity to play all these games,” said Dorion.

With the uncertainty, the Senators have not added any players to a taxi squad because they are not really sure when they will play again. The club hopes to go to Seattle and western Canada next week and will bring in additional players.

“The taxi squad is not mandatory, but we will have additional players when we go on the road,” said Dorion. “We will assess the situation once we know when we are going to play again. With the proximity of Belleville, it is something that is not necessary for us at this time. “

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