Sounds like Bobby Ryan will be getting top-line minutes in Ottawa this season.
In speaking with the Ottawa Sun, Sens GM Bryan Murray said Ryan would likely play in a top three role next season, meaning he’d be with Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek, who occasionally played on the aforementioned “SAM” line along with former team captain Daniel Alfredsson, now in Detroit.
“I think he likes to play the left side more than the right side,” Murray said of Ryan. “I know Milan can play the right side pretty well too.
“I would think he’s probably in our Top 3, so therefore probably with Spezz.”
There was some thought Ottawa would keep Spezza and Michalek with Colin Greening -- the trio performed well together last season -- and put Ryan on a line centered by Kyle Turris, along with newly-acquired LW/RW Clarke MacArthur.
But loading up the No. 1 line appears to be the way Ottawa will go.
In other news, it doesn’t sound as though Murray will be looking to make any more trades in the near future.
“We’ve got bodies, and if we have to do something, we’ll have to go try and go do it,” said Murray. “But I don’t want to give up more kids right now if I can help it.”
Related to Murray’s goal of keeping the “kids” -- who are playing on cheaper, entry-level deals -- embattled Sens owner Eugene Melynk got more bad financial news on Tuesday, as his plan to build a casino was scuttled by the city.
Melnyk had hoped the casino project would offset the “substantial losses” of the hockey club.