It wasn’t an especially busy week in Ottawa Senators news, but at least one tangible matter seems to have been solved: Kaspars Daugavins has been re-signed. The contract is slightly higher than his qualifying offer (600k, www.capgeek.com/players/ display.php?id=1332), with the biggest difference his AHL salary (105k). It’s not clear how this impacts the tryout contract he signed in the KHL, but the increase in salary in the minors might be enough for Daugavins to remain in North America (indeed, the tryout could have simply been leverage for negotiations). Binghamton beat writer Joy Lindsay believes the contract confirms his return (www.pressconnects.com/apps/ pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=551340dd39644ae695cca9fe0180e879 &plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=551340dd39644ae695cca9fe0180 e879&plckPostId=Blog%3a551340dd39644ae695cca9fe0180e879Post%3afc7abbf0-c68d-43fa-b3c6-a097dfe8c606&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=persona Script&plckElementId=personaDest). Daugavins had a slow start to the 2010-11 season, but finished the year with 54 points and added 20 in the playoffs. Injury prevented him from earning a call-up with Ottawa and should he return to Binghamton he would play a key role.
Former Sen Alex Kovalev complained in a Russian newspaper about both former coach Cory Clouston (“In two seasons I still couldn’t understand the ideas of our coach Cory Clouston…It seemed that he scoffed at some players. You have to treat players kindly. If you leave someone on the bench, you should explain why it happened. This is coach’s job. But when a player is benched and doesn’t understand what is happening, he becomes lost“, http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=373439) and the Ottawa sports writers (“Ottawa journalists don’t watch hockey at all. When they fly with the team and go through the (metal detector) at an airport, their bags are filled with beer. You realize right away what these people do when they write about the NHL. Let them make up nonsense about me“). Whatever fans might think of the Ottawa writers, the comment can be taken with a grain of salt. Kovalev‘s complaint about Clouston simply echoes everything else that has been said about him. Despite the coach and despite the journalists, Kovalev would do better to take responsibility for his poor performance and move on.
Ottawa prospect Mark Stone made a strong impression at Hockey Canada’s WJC camp (http://senators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=585859&navid=DL|OTT|home). Stone displayed good chemistry with Jonathan Huberdeau and Ryan Johansen and with a solid start in the WHL should have a good shot to make the team. Matt Puempel, presumably, did not make much of an impression. Both the American (Shane Prince and Stefan Noesen) and Swedish (Mika Zibanejad and Fredrik Claesson) camps are still ongoing.
Finally, here’s an article on Sens prospect Darren Kramer: www.prrecordgazette.com/ ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3240308
Stephane Da Costa will be my next rookie profile.
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eyeonthesens 
Alex seems to be a cry baby…. what he needs to do is play at his best and forget the blame game, coaches do not score goals.