The injuries to Dzingel and Formenton are having a bit of a ripple effect on the forward lines but they do create some opportunities for players to step up. Notably, Colin White and Mikkel Boedker could see their names climb the depth chart as the pair were flanking Matt Duchene in a top 6 role at Friday's skate.
Meanwhile, Magnus Paajarvi found himself in Formenton's spot on a line with Chris Tierney and Bobby Ryan yesterday and could see an increased role today against the Kings.
"Everybody has to step up," said Paajarvi about the recent rash of injuries. "It's going to happen throughout the year and it's important for the young guys to learn that teams don't go through the whole season without some injuries. It's a matter of focusing on what you can control and finding ways to help this team win games."
Sens head coach Guy Boucher recently praised Paajarvi on the leadership role he's taken with the team this season. The 27-year-old Swede isn't too far removed from being a young player in the NHL but has embraced the opportunity to be a leader in Ottawa.
"I came from St. Louis where we had a lot of veterans that all had hundreds of NHL games under their belt," he said. "I learned a lot from the guys there especially Alex Steen who's a guy that I really look up to when it comes to leadership qualities."
"When I look around the room this season, there are a lot of 18, 19 and 20-year-old guys running around and I start to feel old," Paajarvi joked. "I've really tried to follow in the footsteps of the guys who helped me out when I was a young player in this league and I think it's been going well so far. We're really making an effort to grow this team and I'm happy to step up and be a part of the leadership group to help make that happen."
Here's a look at the line rushes from yesterday's practice:
Boedker - Duchene - White
Tkachuk - Smith - Stone
Paajarvi - Tierney - Ryan
Paul - Pyatt - Carey
