-The big news of the day is that the Sens have signed Kyle Turris to a five year extension with a 3.5 million cap hit. This is a contract based on potential, as Turris‘ has yet to crest the 30-point plateau in three NHL seasons (he spent one full year in the AHL). It’s a reasonable risk for the third overall pick in the 2007 draft; if it doesn’t work out the amount isn’t so high that he couldn’t be moved. The other thing it confirms is that the Sens don’t see Mika Zibanejad playing center in the NHL or that someone like Stephane Da Costa could fill that role.
–Allan Muir doesn’t like Ottawa’s off season moves (giving them a “D” grade) because…they let Zenon Konopka and Matt Carkner walk! Yikes! Muir also makes the oft-debunked assertion that the Sens are in trouble of being below the cap floor. Nichols deconstructs the player-by-player criticisms provided, but to me the article smells of lazy journalism–the comments are straight out of Don Brennan’s columns where undoubtedly his ideas originate (especially here).
–Patrick Wiercioch talks about improving his strength and conditioning this summer:
Working with Schwarzy [Chris Schwartz] and retooling, it’s been huge. It’s a considerable amount of weight to put on over the course of the summer … but it’s been progressive. It’s been one or two pounds a week or every two weeks. It hasn’t been a jump from one period or another. It’s been slow, it’s been progressive, it’s been a process since the end of May. That’s something (the Senators) wanted me to do, to put in the time, put in the effort and I think it’s been really good. Both Kyle and I have really benefited from working with Schwarzy in the weight room and off the ice, too.
He also talked about the injury that derailed his sophomore season in Binghamton:
[It was] a pretty serious fracture in the back of my neck with a lot of internal bleeding that was cause for a lot of panic and concern. It was a while [before it improved]. When you’re living it, you don’t really think about how serious it was. But once you can move a step past it and reflect on it, and you see how serious it was and what could have happened from it … there’s definitely things that you struggle with daily. You’re still at that point where you feel lucky to be alive. Hopefully, something like this doesn’t ever happen to me again, yet alone anyone else. I think you always appreciate the game because it’s fun and it’s something that you love to do. But when something like that happens and it could be taken away from you that quickly, then you realize how fragile you are.
This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)
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eyeonthesens 
I don’t agree that the Turis signing relates to Murray’s perception regarding Z’s future potential to play centre. Whether he could or could not has no bearing on how the Sens deal with Turris. Either are long term assets or tradable players.
There are 3 more years on Spezza’s current deal and with the Turris extension 6 more for him. Zibanejad could be a third line pivot I suppose, but he’s not expected to top out as a third line forward. The only way the situation changes is if either Turris or Spezza get moved.