Almost time to get back to work

This is our last Monday edition of Links, News, and Notes before the Labor Day Long Weekend, which marks the unofficial end of summer. I’m ready to get the Ottawa Senators back in my life, but I’m also not ready for summer to be over. Help?

Anyway, here’s the latest news from the hockey world:

-The Ottawa Senators have really made an effort to promote Jake Sanderson this offseason, and why not? The affable blue-liner took a big step forward last season and now seems poised to become one of the “faces of the franchise.” On Friday, the team released a new edition of Bell Breakaway , which gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of the team. I have to admit, I laughed a little when Sanderson said he loves to cook, immediately followed by whipping up the bland-looking meal of ground beef, sweet potatoes, and mashed avocado that he says he eats every night. The fact that Sanderson actually cooks for himself probably puts him miles ahead of most pros.

-How do you know the season is fast approaching? The ice is back in at the Canadian Tire Centre, and with the new rink comes a flashy new look to the centre ice:

-In the Western Conference, the Nashville Predators traded star goalie Yaroslav Askorov to the San Jose Sharks on Friday. In exchange for Askarov, Nolan Burke and a 2025 third-round pick, the Predators received David Edstrom, a conditional 2025 first-round pick, and Magnus Chrona. Ryan Clark breaks down what, at first glance at least, seems like a fairly small compensation for a goalie who was once considered a can’t-miss prospect.

– Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts has some interesting stuff about expansion and the Carolina Hurricanes’ machinations regarding the roster, but there’s no mention of the Sens.

– The AHL mandated neck protection for all its players on Friday, to which I say: fine. I’ve seen the same polls the rest of you have shown, which show that players are largely against making the same protection mandatory in the NHL, but at some point you have to take some decisions about player safety out of the hands of the players, as crazy as that may seem. Before helmets were mandated, they were very much against them—Craig McTavish famously didn’t wear a helmet until the 1996-97 season—but I don’t think there’s much of an argument today that players aren’t much safer wearing them.

-After a somewhat unexpected departure from the Hurricanes organization, Don Waddell has landed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he promises to change the culture of the organization. All I can say is that I think he has a pretty big job ahead of him!

-Finally, in a bit of offseason nonsense, several NHL Athletic staffers venture some deliberately outrageous predictions. Of all the outrageous announcements, Jake Guentzels is the one that intrigues the most to win the Maurice Ricard Trophy. If he plays with Nikita Kucherov all season, which seems likely, Guentzels is going to score a LOT.