Silver Nuggets: Brust off to Germany; few free agents left in Ottawa

We're looking at another hot week in Ottawa, Sens fans, but we'll get through it. My heart goes out to those of you who don't have air conditioning, or have lost the electricity needed to power your AC after last night's crazy windstorm.

On to the Ottawa Senators. After a series of signings, the Sens have just one restricted free agent awaiting a contract: Kaspars Daugavins. There are also three unrestricted free agents, but neither Pascal Leclaire nor Mike Brodeur will likely be back, and you've got to think that even if the Sens are trying hard to re-sign Andre Benoit, there have to be other opportunities for the veteran D-man. Time will tell.

Onto today's links! Happy Monday, everyone.

Senators links:

• As was mentioned yesterday, Barry Brust has left the B-Sens to play in Germany next year. (Press & Sun Bulletin)
• Two articles from SenShot's Tony Mendes today, the first chronicling the departures of many key Binghamton Senators... (SenShot)
• ... and the second chronicling the additions of what will be many key players for this year's B-Sens roster. (SenShot)
• This fan video about the Sens' rebuild is kind of cool, but using audio from Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" campaign describing the hard times faced by the city of Detroit seems... maybe a little misguided. Ottawa knows little about being to hell and back. (Sens Town)
• Some folks liked the Zenon Konopka signing, even putting it in the top five free agent signings of the off-season. (PensBurgh)

General hockey links:

• First up, a must-read essay on respect and the legacy of Derek Boogaard. Seriously, everyone should read this post. (Hockey Wilderness)
• Remember Andrej Meszaros, the guy who fell off the map after being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning? He had a bounce-back year last season with the Philadelphia Flyers, and was named the team's most outstanding defenceman (although, like his time in Ottawa, he played some easy minutes for the most part). And he's recovered from off-season wrist surgery. (Broad Street Hockey)
• This reaction of a couple of Winnipeg Jets fans to their team's first draft choice in over a decade was pretty hilarious. "WHO?!?!" (Hockey This Week)
• As of writing this, San Jose Sharks had voted Dany Heatley third among players they'd miss next season, after Devin Setoguchi and--seriously--Ian White. (Fear the Fin)
• I know we were (read: I was) considering signing Brendan Morrison to join Ottawa's top six forward group, but he's signed on for another year with the Calgary Flames. Just $1.25M. (Matchsticks & Gasoline)
• Looks like Chris Campoli and his agent are continuing to play hardball in contract negotiations, but as a result the Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they won't continue to pursue re-signing the RFA defenceman. He's headed to arbitration, so the Hawks will either trade him before then or he'll become a UFA. (CBS Chicago)
• A look at the South Korean hockey program seven years before they make their Olympic debut in Pyeongchang. (Puck Worlds)