For some time, we have known that Ann Arbour would host an outdoor game to make up for the lockout wiping out the one that was previously scheduled for this season. And while there have been rumblings of additional games in cities like Los Angeles, nothing really seemed certain until tonight's Insider Trading segment which discussed a prospective series of NHL games that would be played outdoors during the 2013/14 season.

Considering how much revenue these types of events generate, it's not a surprise to see the league try and profit on this venture. It is however somewhat surprising to see the Senators be mentioned as an opponent for the Vancouver Canucks in the Heritage Classic game on March 2nd, 2014.

There's been talk of the Canucks hosting an outdoor (indoor?) game at the newly refurbished BC Place for a few years now, and considering Ottawa and Vancouver are the only Canadian teams (save Winnipeg) yet to play outdoors, this matcup seemed a little inevitable. If not in Vancouver than maybe at a refurbished Landsdowne in 2017.

Of course the caveat here is that this schedule of events is subject to change, but man, it'd be fantastic if this came to fruition. Would we see special new/old sweaters from the Sens and Canucks, or would they just wear their "Heritage" and Millonaires duds?

Road trip, anyone?

Having led his teammates through the morning stretch at practice today, Senators sophomore defenseman Jared Cowen announced to the media that he would be in the lineup versus Carolina.

Cowen, if you'll remember started the the locked out season playing in Binghamton. His stint with the B-Sens only lasted three games before a tear in his hip labrum necessitated surgery. With recovery pegged at 6-9 months the common belief was that his season was done.

Cowen: "From the time they told me I wasn’t going to play this year, I always had in the back of my mind, ‘Screw that – I want to play.’"

— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) March 27, 2013

As awesome as it is to see Cowen back in the lineup ahead of schedule, one wonders and hopes that he hasn't rushed things and is 100%, or close to it.

Ottawa is fortunate to have Cowen back with seven games left in the regular season. Though he had been skating on his own and with the team these past few weeks, this number of games should be enough time for him to get back into game shape and hone his timing.

As a rookie, Cowen tallied 5 goals and 17 points in 82 games, playing on the team's second pairing with Sergei Gonchar. During today's practice, Paul MacLean had him paired with Eric Gryba -- an indication that the coaching staff is going to break him in slowly (or quickly, depending on what you think of Gryba and his limitations). But with Wiercioch's surprising emergence as a top four option, there's no guarantee Cowen winds up alongside his old partner.

Here are Gonchar's WOWY's (with or without you) with Wiercioch in 2012/13:

And with Cowen in 2011/12:

While Wiercicoh plays more on the power-play and Cowen more shorthanded, the interesting thing is that MacLean's usage of both players in their rookie season's 5on5 has been very similar as far as zonestarts and quality of competiton -- which makes this sort of comparison pretty fair. Gonchar and Wiercicoh has obviously produced great results here, which is not to say that Cowen-Gonchar is a bad option, especially if the coaching staff is looking for more "balance".

In any case Mac's got more options, which is a welcome change.

As a head coach for a minor league affilitate, it has to be somewhat of a bittersweet feeling to help graduate so many prospects to the NHL, with Pageau the latest to look great in his debut.

On one hand, there has to be some personal gratification knowing that you had some hand in the development of the 14 rookies who have dressed for a game with the Ottawa Senators this season.

On the other, thanks to absurd number of injuries that have befallen many of Ottawa’s best players has created a steady movement of players between the parent organization and its affiliate. With so many of his best players being recalled to fill the ranks in Ottawa, one would not have blamed for Richardson for being a bit disappointed to see the talent level of his team diminish. But to his and his players’ credit, they have managed to stay competitive.  

So it must be a foreign feeling for Luke Richardson as his roster is supplemented with CHL-products whose junior careers are now over.

Jakub Culek joined the B-Sens on March 27th after his season with Cape Breton came to an end. And this week, first rounders Matt Puempel and Cody Ceci will assuredly join the team now that their respective junior teams have been eliminated from the OHL playoffs.

The B-Sens do not play again until they play three games in three days starting this Friday versus Manchester, so that gives Puempel and Ceci an extra few days to get settled in Binghamton.

When the Sens shocked the hockey world last season by making the playoffs in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, Zack Smith was a big part of it. He improved tremendously on his 2010-11 season, scoring 17 more points, and solidified himself as a gritty third-line center with some offensive ability. His 2011-12 season gained him a ton of praise from the team and fans alike, while earning a four-year, 7.55M$ extension, which kicks in next year.

But after going goal-less in the first 23 games of the season, and with just 4 goals total to date, Zack Smith has been on the receiving end of some criticism for his lack of production.

Me: So, is tonight the night? Milan Michalek: Yes. Me: I can go ahead and report it? Michalek: Yes. #Sens #LD

— Sylvain St-Laurent (@Syl_St_Laurent) April 12, 2013

For the first time since March 8^th, Milan Michalek will be back in the lineup for tonight’s pivotal matchup that will help determine the playoff fates for the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils.

Michalek, who has missed 25 of Ottawa’s last 27 games tried to rehabilitate and play through the pain and inflammation that some bone chips in his right knee had created, but eventually he elected to have arthroscopic surgery on March 19^th.

The timing of his return could not be better. Having only pushed 9 goals past goaltenders in their past six games (not including Alfie’s EN goal last night), the Senators whatever production Michalek can provide right now. Amongst players who have played in 10+ games for the Senators this season, only Erik Karlsson has a higher points-per-game rate (0.71) than Michalek (0.67). The Sens could certainly use Michalek’s net-front presence on a power play that only has two goals in its last 27 opportunities (7.4%).

There is not any clear indication of who would get bumped from or down the lineup to make room for the player. The nom du jour seems to be Guillaume Latendresse, but we’ll have to wait and see to find out.  

I completely understand the complaints at around the time of the surgery that Michalek should have had the procedure from the outset. Fans making the argument that any expectations for success this season were gone the moment that Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza were felled by their respective injuries weren’t without reason.

But, like I wrote at the time…

I can’t blame a player for wanting to delay surgery; especially given the circumstances. His already short-manned team was fighting for a playoff spot, and he wanted to compete and hopefully give the team the best opportunity to win in the interim. The parallels to how his 2009/10 season ended are obvious.

So welcome back to the fold Milan, and if it’s not too much to ask, please fix the team’s goal scoring woes.

In somewhat of an eyebrow raising move, the Ottawa Senators recalled Jean-Gabriel Pageau from the Binghamton Senators this afternoon. It's unexpected in the sense that Milan Michalek's skating again with the team and many have speculated that he could make a return as soon as tomorrow night in Philadelphia.

Pageau's presence gives the roster 14 forwards, 15 if you count Michalek as being 'close'. To this point, I have yet to see the organization announce an injury or make a corresponding roster move. It's worth noting however that NHL rosters were allowed to expand as of April 3rd at 12 am, so there simply may not be a correlated roster move. There is the likelihood that there is an undisclosed injury or that Pageau could fill in for someone as a game time replacement. Mika Zibanejad was shaken up last night in the third after receiving a blow to the back of his head, but he did have a number of shifts after the incident and was on the ice to conclude the game. Or better yet, maybe Pageau's promotion signifies the end of the Matt Kassian experiment.

Whatever the case, the backstory on Pageau is that he was Ottawa's fourth round selection (96th overall) from the 2011 NHL Draft. He'll be the second pick from the Senators '11 draft class to debut in the NHL - ahead of two of the team's first rounders, Matt Puempel and Stefan Noesen as well as second rounder Shane Prince. A surprising turn of events for a player who was considered somewhat of a surprise during Binghamton's training camp this past fall. 

"You know what, everyone has been impressive. I’ve been really impressed with the whole group. We have Jean-Gabriel Pageau from our local neighbours in Gatineau. He played junior there and then got traded last year and finished his career in the Q last year.  He has been great. He has stepped up his offseason conditioning with a lot the guys here around Ottawa and it has really helped. He has been very poised defensively; which is kind of a surprise to me because of his age and his size. At this level, he has played in all three exhibition games and he has contributed offensively, so with the injury to Stephane Da Costa, it has given him an opportunity to start the season with us and he made a real case to make it very difficult to make any movements on him (when Da Costa gets healthy)." ~ Luke Richardson speaking on Team 1200's The Drive on October 13th, 2012. 

As I noted on Twitter, assuming he dresses and gets into a game, Pageau will become the 14th rookie to appear in a game with the Senators this season. 

In his first full professional season, the 5'9", 165 lb prospect had 7 goals and 29 points in 69 games for the B-Sens - good enough to be tied for 5th in team scoring behind Stephane Da Costa, Shane Prince, Cole Schneider and Mark Stone. The promotion is a nice reward for Pageau and it will be nice to get a first-hand look at the player, but nobody should be expecting miracles here.