SNAPSHOTS: The effects of COVID-19 behind him, Alex Formenton regains his speed

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Alex Formenton is feeling better and has regained his legs.

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Of the 10 players who tested positive for COVID-19, the 22-year-old Ottawa Senators winger had many symptoms of the virus, including loss of energy and respiratory problems.

He scored the first low-handed goal of his career in the club’s 5-3 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday at home and has five this season.

“I had a decent amount of symptoms and they were pretty strong so I tried to stay as low as possible when I had COVID-19,” Formenton said after the club’s 40-minute skating Thursday at the Canadian Tire Center.

“It took me a bit to recover, but now I feel good. Towards the end of the quarantine (he started to feel better). We were trying to do high-paced workouts once I started to feel normal, but I tried to make sure I did my best so that when I stepped back on the ice I felt normal. “

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Coach DJ Smith believes that at some point Formenton may be a force in the league. He has good skills, he’s tough, and of course his speed is his best attribute.

“He’s going to be a really good player and COVID-19 took the biggest piece out of him,” Smith said. “His legs weren’t there and he’s one of the fastest guys in the league. Those first three games ago, there were a couple of albums where he would have had a breakaway and he couldn’t find that team.

“He is back now. His racing speed is something else and I see him as a 20+ scorer who can hit, fight, kill penalties and be part of the franchise going forward. “

ONE UP, ONE DOWN

After sending Lassi Thomson back to Belleville on Wednesday, the club called up Jacob Bernard-Docker to take his spot on the roster on Thursday.

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There’s no guarantee Bernard-Docker will suit the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, but he’s been playing more than 20 minutes a night in Belleville. This is the second time that 21-year-old Bernard-Docker has been recalled this season.

“I think I have taken a few steps,” said Bernard-Docker. “Defensively, with my stick, (assistant David Bell) has been working with my stick and my pivots on defense. I’ve been feeling a bit uncomfortable in that regard, so I just try to move the chains every day and keep making progress. “

Smith said the reports on Bernard-Docker are good. He has two goals and three points in 18 games with Belleville this season, but he is not an offensive defender and is expected to be reliable.

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“He’s been very good the last three or four games,” Smith said. “You never know when the time is right to raise a boy, but we certainly want to reward the boys who are playing better there. By all accounts, he has been the best right defender. “

Bernard-Docker skated with veteran Michael Del Zotto during Thursday’s 40-minute skating, so it’s hard to say if he will play the Bolts.

“He’s going to play at some point here,” Smith said. “We will take a look at practice again (Friday) and then we will make that decision because we have eight guys.”

THOMSON WILL RETURN

As for Thomson, it was no surprise to see him sent back to Belleville.

His ice time had slipped in the last four games and the best thing for his development is to give him a big role in Belleville. Thomson played a lot for the AHL before he was called up.

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Smith said general manager Pierre Dorion gave winger Drake Batherson and center Josh Norris a taste of the NHL before settling here full time.

“When he got here, it was going to be a 10-game test to see where he was and he played that extra game because it was a straight game,” Smith said. “It’s all part of the process and it’s probably ahead of where we think it would be right now.

“If you look at how Pierre handled Drake and Norris and these guys, Drake had ups and downs a bunch of times and then they became full-time NHL members.

“Thomson did a lot of good things, but you could see as the games progressed that he started to lose a little bit of confidence and the NHL can do that for you. This is all part of the process, you go back down, you regain your confidence and then you go back up. “

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THE LAST WORDS

As Team Canada begins their training camp in Calgary on Thursday for the junior world championships later this month in Edmonton and Red Deer, Ottawa drat pick Ridly Greig is among the 35 invited.

Selected 28th overall by the Senators in the 2020 NHL draft, Greig has 14 goals and 28 points in 19 games this season with WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. Former NHL general manager Craig Button compares Greig to Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri.

Greig didn’t make the team last year, but he should be on the final roster this Christmas.

“He’s outstanding in his ability to make a difference on the puck, off the puck, on offense, defense and everywhere,” said Button, TSN’s director of exploration. “He refuses to stay behind and fights through resistance. It is not denied.

“When you look at the players trying to change the game in favor of your team, that’s Ridly Greig.”