Ennis Gets a PTO, Big Z Goes Back, and an Addition to the Family

Welcome back friends from one of the last weekends of the off-season. Last week we got a signing, a retirement, and some actual in-person attendance to an almost-Sens game. As meaningful hockey draws nearer, I can almost smell the weak coffee and lukewarm pizza of the concourse that awaits on a Tuesday night in the dead of winter as Ottawa hosts New Jersey or New York or someone. I know you all still need one more domino to fall before you’ll really feel prepared for this season and it brings me great joy to deliver this news. Sens fans, you have waited all summer long with bated breath and we finally have the big announcement you’ve all clamoured for: Tyler Ennis, baby!

Roster update: The #Sens have signed forward Tyler Ennis to a PTO (professional tryout) ahead of the team's training camp which begins this Wednesday @CdnTireCtr.

— Sens Communications (@Media_Sens) September 19, 2021

• That’s right, the 5’9” wonder is back (kind of, maybe) in Ottawa with his eyes on the nicest uniform in the NHL. A favourite around these parts back in 2019 when he scored an impressive 14 goals in 61 games as a Senator, I considered Ennis for my best single-season Senator column a couple weeks back and need to give a shoutout to NostraSpencer for calling this one last week in his Five Thoughts. When it comes to rounding out your forward corps, you could stand to do a lot worse.
• Elsewhere in the NHL, and in keeping with the theme of former Senators returning for a second tour of duty, Zdeno Chara will return to the Islanders as a free agent, signing two decades after New York traded the imposing defender to Ottawa along with a pick that may or may not have panned out. The stupid sexy Islanders now have both the all-time scariest and cutest ex-Senators on their roster heading into this season. Good for them!
• In current Ottawa Senator-related news, Matt Murray and his spouse Christina are expecting their second child:/

Congratulations to Matt and Christina Murray! Child #2 is on the way.
It's a boy! pic.twitter.com/C0PlpcaqAq

— Dean Brown (@PxPOttawa) September 19, 2021

• Over in Edmonton, the Oilers have re-signed their last remaining RFA in Kailer Yamamoto. I assume Yamamoto is either the elite goaltender or great value defensive pairing that the Oilers have desperately needed to get something meaningful out of the McDavid-Draisaitl era in Edmonton, and not just another depth forward.
• In off-ice news, PK Subban will serve as a producer on CBC’s forthcoming series Black Life: A Canadian History. The eight-part documentary will air in 2023 and explore the unique experiences of Black Canadians. Subban didn’t specifically mention if he’ll come to Ottawa at the trade deadline this coming spring or as a free agent next summer but either way, he’ll make a great one-two down Ottawa’s right-side with Artem Zub.
• And finally, for those of you looking for some more reading to accompany your enjoyment of the Senators ongoing rookie showcase, hit up ledroit for some extended coverage and quotes from coach Troy Mann, captain-of-the-day Shane Pinto, and rookie blueliner Max Guenette. Over at the Citizen, Garrioch also covered the rookie showdown with Montreal with some added thoughts on the signing of Logan Brown and the Senators’ ongoing stalemate with Brady Tkachuk. The rookies get back to it tonight (possible broadcast info to follow)./