SEARCH
                 


Senators bring back veteran forward and add former fifth overall pick to PTO's

PUBLICATION
Cooper Godin
September 15, 2022  (11:59)
SHARE THIS STORY

A day after signing Tyler Motte to a one-year contract, the Ottawa Senators aren't done looking to beef up their forward group ahead of training camp next week.

According to Ian Mendes of The Athletic, the Senators are bringing back veteran forward Derick Brassard, as well as signing 2014 fifth overall pick Michael Dal Colle to professional tryout contracts.

Brassard, who turns 35 next month, played parts of two seasons with the Senators from 2016 until 2018, when he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He split the 2021-22 season between Philadelphia and Edmonton, tallying nineteen points (eight goals, eleven assists) in 46 games.

Despite a lot of depth at the center position, Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion wanted to give Brassard an opportunity and create competition among his group.

"Right now, I would say we have centers penciled in and having a healthy competition in that position is something that we always look forward to. And he's going to come in and he's going to play exhibition games at center. And see what he's got left." Dorion said.

As for Michael Dal Colle, who turned 26 in June, he hasn't lived up to the hype that a fifth overall pick should. But the Woodbridge (Ontario) native now has the opportunity to reunite with Senators bench boss D.J. Smith, who was Dal Colle's Head Coach for his first three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Oshawa Generals.

Dal Colle spent the majority of the 2021-22 season in the AHL with Bridgeport, putting up 22 points (nine goals, thirteen assists), eight penalty minutes and was a minus-two in 39 games. In 112 NHL games, all with the Islanders, he's recorded 21 points (eight goals, thirteen assists).