Many teams were making moves and roster cuts ahead of Tuesday's deadline to submit rosters for opening day.
Not the Ottawa Senators.
The Senators cut three players on Sunday following their final preseason game, and didn't send anybody to injured reserves before the 5 p.m. ET roster deadline on Tuesday, meaning the team is good to go for its season opener on Thursday.
Now, this isn't to say they didn't try to make any moves. General manager Pierre Dorion was attempting to make a deal to bring on another forward before the opener, but just couldn't find the right deal. Because he didn't bring in any new talent, 19-year-old center Logan Brown and 18-year-old forward Alex Formenton will start the season in Ottawa.
“I’ve had a very active past few days,” Dorion told TSN 1200 on Tuesday morning. “If we do anything, it will be at forward. On defense, we’ve got more than enough.”
Brown, who is the son of former NHL defenseman Jeff Brown, was drafted No. 11 overall in the 2016 draft by the Senators. He played last season with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL last season.
Now that he's got a chance to take the ice in the NHL, with many expecting him to see playing time on Thursday, Brown said he's thrilled.
“My goal coming in here was to make the team, and it’s almost a dream come true here,” Brown told the Ottawa Citizen. “Hopefully, I get the chance to play in the home opener, and that’d be really special for me. I’m just trying to take it day by day, and I’m not really trying to look ahead or look into things. If it all works out and I play, like I said, it’s a dream come true.”
The Senators signed Formenton to a three-year entry-level contract on Monday, too. Formenton played in five of Ottawa's six preseason games, scoring one goal and having two assists.
Last season he played for the OHL's London Knights, where he led team rookies with 16 goals, 18 assists and 34 points.
While there is no guarantee either Brown or Forementon will stick around all season — especially if the Senators make a trade later on — coach Guy Boucher said he's excited to give the two young guys a chance.
“We’ll see what’s happening with these two kids and see what we can manage and then we’ll have to reassess it every game," Boucher told the Ottawa Citizen. "I don’t want to put any pressure on them. They’re coming here, giving everything they’ve got, and we’ll see what they’ve got.”
The Senators sent both Thomas Chabot and Ben Harpur to their AHL affiliate on Sunday, and placed Max McCormick on waivers.
Ottawa will open its season on Thursday at home against the Washington Capitals.