Farmer's Almanac: Bell and Zubov Sprouting

Michael Sharp has a pretty solid interview with Ottawa's assistant GM – and Binghamton Senators GM – Tim Murray up on his Binghamton Senators Blog. I check it out frequently, and it’s one of the better AHL blogs you’re going to find. It’s updated frequently, Sharp is responsive to fan feedback, and he often has interviews with the team’s players. In it, Murray touches on the big club’s future plans for Brendan Bell and Ilya Zubov.


I thought Bell played well the last couple games. He certainly hasn’t looked out of place on the Sens’ power play, though Hartsburg had him playing on the 2nd unit by the end of Saturday’s game against the Rangers. While for many Bell’s most memorable moment in a Senator uniform is a brutal turnover that led to a (bad) goal against Martin Gerber in a pre-season game, Murray sounded pleased with what he’s seen so far:

"He's played three pretty good games for us. So, right now he brings a little bit of what we don't have, and that's skating ability, handling the puck, passing the puck, and shooting the puck. And I think that's probably what we were lacking on our back end. And those were the things that he certainly brings to the team. If he can continue to keep it simple and safe in his defensive end, then he has a chance to stick here." -Tim Murray

Pretty nonchalant, but an endorsement none the less. Personally, I’d like to see Bell stick around for a few more games.

I was also impressed with Ilya Zubov during his four-game call-up. He was inches away from his first NHL goal Thursday against Montreal, and the line he was on with Nick Foligno and Cody Bass gave opposing defences trouble on both Thursday and Saturday. Furthermore, Zubov has been lights out this year in Bingo, leading the team in scoring. The B-Sens GM offered a pretty ringing endorsement:

"He got on our second power play, and he played pretty well. His work ethic was obviously much better than last year. His conditioning is much better. He's put in the time. He's put in the time to make us notice him. He produced also then at the American League level to make us notice him.
We consider him a top prospect...I don't know the timetable. I think he's an NHL player, a full-time NHL player. So if that's part-way through this year, if that's next year, I can't really answer that." -Tim Murray

Murray also hinted that Uncle Bryan is shopping some of Ottawa’s roster players in his search for that elusive “puck moving defenceman” . Murray frequently made mention of the possibility that the club might move either a forward and/or a defender or two or off the roster for “a top-end defenceman”. Check out the full article for more.