Sens head coach Guy Boucher provided a few updates following this morning's skate and confirmed that he'll be using 12 forwards and 6 defencemen tonight against the Oilers. Rudolfs Balcers, who was the healthy scratch against the Capitals in their last game, appears to have come down with an illness and won't be available tonight so the Sens have reached out to Belleville and recalled Drake Batherson. Batherson has appeared in 19 games for the Senators this season and registered 8 points (3G, 5A) over that span.
"He's going to get another opportunity here," said Boucher about recalling Batherson. "I've always liked his game so I'm sure he going to come in and help us."
With Batherson in, Christian Wolanin will be the odd man out tonight. It's unclear how the forward lines will look as the coach also shared that he's looking to see what kind of chemistry Brady Tkachuk and Chris Tierney can generate which indicates that there could be some slight shuffling to come. One thing that Boucher did relay was his first impressions on the new forwards in his line-up.
"All three have contributed," said Boucher about the recent additions of Anthony Duclair, Oscar Lindberg and Brian Gibbons. "If they're better than some of our guys then they're going to take their spot. Merit is the #1 teacher. It's not about where you're drafted, it's not your age...if you deserve it then you should get it. If you deserve it and you don't get it, then you're not teaching anybody anything."
