Just one potential change to tonight's line-up but we'll have to wait until after warm-up to see if Jayce Hawryluk will draw into his first game with the Senators. Hawryluk was claimed off waivers from Florida on Monday and has skated a few times with the team since arriving in Ottawa but head coach D.J. Smith wasn't certain he would draw in tonight against the Jets.
Smith is no stranger to the Panthers' 2014 second round pick as the pair have crossed paths on a few occasions over the years and the Senators bench boss is excited about the opportunity that exists for young players like Hawryluk within the team's rebuild.
"I had him at the Ivan Hlinka years ago and then I thought he played really well in Florida last year when he played against us in Toronto. He finished his checks on the high-end players and he was a presence out there," said Smith. "This year it certainly hasn't gone his way and he got hurt but we're looking for him to provide some energy and play hard every night."
The Sens will also welcome back a familiar face on the opposition tonight as Dylan DeMelo is set to make his debut for the Jets. Winnipeg acquired DeMelo on Tuesday for a 2020 third-round draft pick and his former teammates shared some words about not allowing the 26-year-old defender to get his first goal of the season in his first game with his new club.
"Not if I or any of the boys have anything to say about it," long-time teammate Chris Tierney joked this morning. "We'll make sure to get in his lanes so that he doesn't get one on us but you never know. I've seen him score in this building before obviously so I'm looking forward to it."
