It was a day to celebrate for a pair of Ottawa Senators.
Fresh from a 16-game stint last season, Mark Kastelic made his mark during training camp. There was no stopping the 23-year-old from earning the fourth-line centre role who was in stiff competition with Dylan Gambrell.
Mark Kastelic impressed from the outset, earning second fittest Senator honours during medicals- missing by a single digit of catching Josh Norris. The Senators 2019 125th overall selection called Norris, “a freak of nature,” claiming he’d never seen anyone leap with a higher vertical.
Last week Senators’ head coach D.J. Smith noted, “It’s going to come right down to the end for him (Kastelic), and it’s a matter of how many minutes we can get him. He’s going to play in the National Hockey League. He’s too big, he’s too strong and his will is too good. You can see he’s got presence out there.”
“Guys over time aren’t going to enjoy playing against him. It’s just what’s best for his career right now? Certainly, he’s taken a step from a year ago. Is it going to be a month, two months in, Christmastime? I think the exhibition can’t give us the exact timetable, but I think we know we’ve got a real good one in him,” Smith added.
Well, that time is now for Mark Kastelic. How long he remains in with the club is an unknown. The Phoenix resident is one of few Senators’ players that do not require waivers to be assigned to their American League affiliate in Belleville. But for the time being, he’s cemented his spot on the roster.
“One thing that always sticks in my head is; my grandpa (former NHL defenseman Pat Stapleton) told me, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” So, that’s something I’ve always thought of throughout my career. Whether I make team or not, that’s always the goal, but nothing can discourage me from getting to where I want to be,” Kastelic declared at the Senators Fanfest event a couple of weeks ago.
Brassard is Back In Ottawa For Another Year
For Derick Brassard, it was Ottawa or bust. The 35-year-old entered camp on a professional try-out. He did everything asked of him and then some. The part-owner of the Gatineau Olympiques and Ottawa resident recorded one goal, and two assists in four games, and made it his mission to play a mentor role with the club.
After playing two seasons with the team including a 19-game playoff run in 2017, Brassard received word from his head coach that he was officially an Ottawa Senator for the second time.
Forty-nine games shy of 1000, Brassard agreed to a one-year, $750,000 deal.
From the @Senators Twitter account, Brassard said, “I’m excited to be back here and have a chance to play with those guys. It’s been great meeting all the new young guys, and seeing the energy they bring on the ice.”
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