Brown hoping to stick with Senators

OTTAWA -- Logan Brown has his sights on making the Ottawa Senators roster out of training camp for the second consecutive season.

But this time, he hopes his stay in the NHL is permanent.
The 20-year-old center, selected by the Senators with the No. 11 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, had one assist in four games with Ottawa last season, but was sent back to Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League on Oct. 25, 2017, with some specific instructions from the Senators.
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"Just get faster, stronger, bigger. It's what everyone needs," Brown (6-foot-6, 220 pounds) said. "It's the little things in the game that I've got to work on. That was the message, that I took a lot of steps, but I've got to make some more to make the team.
"I'm coming to camp to make the team, so I'm doing everything I can to put myself in a good position."
Brown had 48 points (22 goals, 26 assists) in 32 regular-season games with Windsor and Kitchener of the OHL last season and 27 points (five goals, 22 assists) in 19 playoff games for Kitchener, which acquired him in a trade on Jan. 7.
Brown also had an assist in three games with the United States in the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship before his tournament was cut short because of a lower-body injury.

"We were looking for a guy like that," Kitchener general manager Mike McKenzie said. "A big, offensive center that could go up against pretty much any line or center in the league.
"Coming off the injury, it took him a little time to get back into game shape and get comfortable with his new surroundings. But once he did and once we got into the playoffs, he played real well for us and was a key part of our offensive attack."
There will be an opportunity for Brown to make his mark with the Senators after their disappointing season led to them trading some veteran players, including center Derick Brassard to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 23, which could provide an opening in the lineup Brown can take advantage of.
"I know that's his goal for sure," McKenzie said. "To play there and be with that team in Ottawa instead of having to spend time in the American [Hockey] League.
"It's up to him to run with it. He's definitely got the vision, hockey sense and playmaking ability to do that. But for big guys, the question has always been, 'Can they keep up with the pace of an NHL game?'"
Brown, the son of Jeff Brown, who played 13 NHL seasons as a defenseman, is also intrigued by the possibility of playing with an old friend, forward Brady Tkachuk, who Ottawa selected with the No. 4 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
"We used to play on the same line together (with the St. Louis Junior Blues)," Brown said. "We were best friends back in the day. … Hopefully we get a chance to play together this year."