The Senators awoke Monday morning four points back of Pittsburgh for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Things didn’t get much better from there.
Just a short while ago, Ottawa GM Bryan Murray told reporters that No. 1 center Kyle Turris would be shut down indefinitely to deal with a high ankle sprain.
Turris, who has struggled throughout the year while trying to play through the injury, has 13 goals and 30 points through 57 games. He’s been sidelined recently, after it became clear the ailment was affecting his play significantly -- last year, Turris was outstanding and a huge part of Ottawa’s late-season playoff surge, finishing with career highs in assists (40) and points (64).
Where Ottawa goes from here remains to be seen.
Murray could try to broker a deal ahead of today’s 3 p.m. EST trade deadline, but it’s highly unlikely he could land a player of Turris’ pedigree without paying a serious price.
It’s also unclear if Ottawa would still be in buyer’s mode, as the team hasn’t exactly taken off following the big Dion Phaneuf blockbuster -- the Sens are just 5-4-0 in nine games with the ex-Leafs captain in the fold.