Sens pest Ruutu showing offensive flare

THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA — After seven seasons in the NHL, Jarkko Ruutu has earned the reputation of being an agitator and a pest. This year, the Ottawa Senators winger is also showing something else — a little offensive flare.

Ruutu has four goals and seven points through 12 games and is fifth in scoring for the Senators. He’s on pace to score 27 goals, easily eclipsing the career-high 10 he had in 2005-06.

However,

Leclaire drops Sens debut in Halifax

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HALIFAX — The Senators finally got their first look at new goaltender Pascal Leclaire.

Leclaire stopped 14 of 16 shots Tuesday as Ottawa fell 3-1 to the Florida Panthers in both teams’ NHL pre-season opener Halifax.

“It was good to get that first one in. It’s totally different from practice and I’m glad it’s done,” said Leclaire, who was acquired at the March trade deadline from Columbus

Sens sign former KHL goalie Chiodo

The Ottawa Senators announced Thursday they have signed free-agent goaltender Andy Chiodo to a one-year, two-way contract.

Chiodo, 26, spent last season with Dynamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, where he posted a 6-11-3 record with a 3.66 goals-against average in 26 games.

Chiodo has played in eight career National Hockey League games, all of them during the 2003-04 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he posted

Date for Heatley deal set by Sens

By IAN MENDES
Sportsnet.ca

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And on Monday, the Senators general manager hinted that at least one team could be close to offering a package that would interest him.

“I’m doing a lot of the asking. Nobody has really agreed at the moment. But one team is getting close to where I want to be,” Murray told reporters. “I guess I can take an offer that’s been made, but it’s not one

Outgoing Sens prez takes high road

OTTAWA — Roy Mlakar took over as president of the Senators at a low point for the franchise and on Wednesday, he took the high road in discussing his departure from Ottawa.

After 13 years with the club, it was announced earlier this week that Mlakar’s contract wasn’t renewed as part of a front-office shakeup following a disappointing season in which the Senators missed the playoffs for the first time since his arrival in 1996.

Sens CEO Mlakar out at end of June

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators are making some front-office changes.

President and CEO Roy Mlakar will leave the job when his contract expires at the end of the month, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk announced Monday.

Melnyk has promoted chief operating officer Cyril Leeder to president of the club and Senators Sports & Entertainment.

Joining Leeder on the executive team will be Erin Crowe, who will serve as executive

Free agency likely for Sens’ Neil

By IAN MENDES
Sportsnet.ca

“If Ottawa has no further talks planned with us, then I would say it is almost certain that Chris Neil will be entering the FA market on July 1st,” Neil’s agent Todd Reynolds told Sportsnet on Wednesday.

The two sides spoke in the middle of last month, but have not had any significant communication since then. Murray suggested that both sides have moved in their negotiations that have lasted several

Playoff-less Sens miss out on Bozak

OTTAWA — Daniel Alfredsson was just a rookie the last time the Ottawa Senators missed the playoffs. With the exception of the lockout year, longtime teammate Chris Phillips has never endured a spring without a post-season game to look forward to.

As a result, the concept of simply playing out the regular-season stretch is a foreign one to both NHL veterans. However, it’s the reality they have to accept following a mostly forgettable

Tocchet no fan of Sens’ Ruutu

By IAN MENDES
Sportsnet.ca

The Tampa Bay Lightning head coach was upset with the Senators forward in the third period of Sunday’s game, when he felt that Ryan Craig was submarined on a hit by Ruutu.

Tocchet, who played 18 seasons in the NHL with a reputation of being one of the toughest forwards around, suggested that he would have taken on Ruutu himself – if he wasn’t the one behind the bench.

“Craig’s had two

Sens hope Leclaire can solve woes

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OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators have already written off their playoff hopes for this year, but that didn’t stop general manager Bryan Murray from addressing a long-standing thorn in his team’s side before Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline.

Murray obtained goaltender Pascal Leclaire and a second-round pick in the upcoming draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Antoine