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After missing on Nieto, Sens still looking for forward help

2011 NHL Entry Draft - Round One

ST. PAUL, MN - JUNE 24: (L-R) Pierre Dorion, Matt Puempel, Greg Royce, and George Fargher stand on stage after Puempel is chosen as the 24th overall pick by the Ottawa Senators during day one at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center on June 24, 2011 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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It’s no secret Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion’s in the market for depth up front -- per the Citizen, the Sens put in a waiver claim for former Sharks winger Matt Nieto, only for him to be claimed by the Avalanche.

So the search continues.

More:

Later this week [Dorion will] sit down with the members of the pro scouting staff to see what might be available before the trade deadline set for March 1 at 3 p.m. EST.

Ideally, before the end of the season, Dorion would like to add another forward to help Ottawa make the playoffs.

Make no mistake, Dorion has been working the phones hard for the last month or so trying to bring in forward depth.

Ottawa’s had issues finding the back of the net this season, and currently sits 22nd in the NHL in goals per game. Bobby Ryan is on pace for 16 tallies after scoring 22 last year, and Derick Brassard has slowed after a hot start -- five points through his first seven games, just 13 over his last 32.

Former first-round pick Curtis Lazar has struggled with health and finding any sort of rhythm, and is pointless through 19 games. The club also probably expected a bit more from 24-year-old Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who’s on pace for 27 points after racking up a career-high 43 last season.

Yes, some of these numbers have to do with the more structured, less high-event hockey the Sens have played under Guy Boucher. They’ve dramatically cut their goals against and are middle-of-the-pack in terms of shots surrendered.

But it’s also obvious the club isn’t getting enough from its forwards. Injuries to regulars like Mark Stone and Zack Smith have also proven costly, and Dorion still doesn’t have a clear picture on the return of Clarke MacArthur, who hasn’t played this year due to concussion issues.

Should MacArthur return, it would be a shot in the arm offensively. He’s scored 40 combined goals over the last two years in Ottawa.

Dorion may, however, try to further bolster his forward group. The Sens are right in the thick of the playoff race, and almost certainly project to be buyers at the deadline. Names already out there include Arizona’s Martin Hanzal and Colorado’s Jarome Iginla, though it’s unclear if either would be a fit.

It will be interesting to see if they kick the tires on any of Boucher’s ex-players from his time in Tampa Bay -- like Teddy Purcell, who is currently languishing with the Kings’ AHL affiliate.