Senators hugely criticized for putting $5M in the stands on opening night!

I would love to be paid this much to see on a bench and watch hockey. Ottawa Senators head coach DJ Smith confirmed that both Colin White and Alex Galchenyuk will be scratches for the team’s opening game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night.

The team used the following lines during Friday’s gameday skate, in protection to tonight’s contest, the first of the season for the Senators: 

Tkachuk–Norris–Batherson
Stützle–Stepan-Dadonov
Paul –Tierney – C.Brown
Paquette–Anisimov–Watson

Chabot-Gudbranson
Wolanin-Zaitsev
Coburn-J.Brown

Murray
Hogberg

This means that White, who signed a six-year, $28.5 million contract in the summer of 2019, has not managed to impress Smith despite his heavy price tag. 

When asked about White being a healthy scratch tonight, Smith simply replied that others had done better than him so far. 

“Ultimately it’s my decision. The four centres that are ahead of him right now had very good camps.”

As for Galchenyuk, it comes at less of a surprise. Earlier this week, we had already gotten the sense that he could end up on the taxi squad as he had been skating with the fifth line days into camp. The first four left wingers of the group led by D.J. Smith most sessions were Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stuetzle, Nick Paul and Cedric Paquette.

After he was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Arizona Coyotes back in June 2018, Galchenyuk wore the Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild uniforms before signing a contract as free agent with the Sens on October 28. In the last season, he scored 24 points, including eight goals, in 59 games.

It’s been a tough go for the forward, and it may just get even harder… 

Good news for the Senators, though, Tim Stützle, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, will make his NHL debut tonight on his 19th birthday.