Yesterday we took a look at veteran Sergei Gonchar. Today we shift the focus to one of the young stars in Erik Karlsson.  Coming off an All Star season where he racked up an impressive 13 goals and 32 assists in 75 games, Karlsson figures to be a key player on the Sens back end next year.

Here is what I expect from EK in 2011/2012.

With the start of a new NHL season now just a little over a month away, the excitement is building in the Nation's Capital.  For the Senators, it will be their 20th season in the league and one that should be an exciting for fans in this city.

The Sens are a rebuilding hockey club but that doesn't mean they won't be a competitive one.  Over the next month or so, I will feature a number of players that will be key to the team's success heading into next season and even take a shot at some predictions.

(UPDATE 12:30 PM)- It has been brought to my attention that a number of readers are having trouble with the current poll. Trying to sort out the issue and get the poll up and running.  Thanks for your patience, folks!

Another quiet day in the Sens world aside from the news that Andre Benoit has signed in the KHL.  Working on putting up a poll for the SensChirp Search contest but in the meantime, I thought a repost of this video might be a good idea. Had this up on the home page for a bit but some of you may have missed it.

Keep an eye out for the poll on the next contributor at some point this afternoon.

The title of this article may be a bit of a stretch.

As we sit in the middle of August, there really isn't a whole lot of news or notes that are Ottawa Senators related.  With that said, Junior training camps are open and there are a handful of Sens prospects that are involved.  Here is a quick recap on that front and a couple other points of interest.

It has taken a little bit longer than I initially anticipated, but it's finally time for the last entry in Round 2 of the SensChirp Search.

Each of the three finalists has taken a little different approach with their second submission and the feedback in the comment section has been generally positive.  The would-be bloggers have also got a healthy dose of the criticism that comes with a blog as well.

Alex Kovalev has signed a contract to play in the KHL next season but that certainly doesn't mean he has forgotten his time here in Ottawa.

In an interview translated by Dmitry Chesnokov of Yahoo Sports, Kovalev took shots at the Ottawa media and at former coach, Cory Clouston.

Apologies for the delay in getting this piece up.

Last week, we saw one of the three finalists take a creative approach to the subject of the Sens rebuild in an article that caused plenty of discussion in the comment section.  Today we have something a little different.  This article takes a more analytical approach in assessing the potential of Robin Lehner.

With yesterday's launch, the countdown to the Ottawa Senators 20th Season in the NHL is officially on.  In just 46 days, the Sens will take on the rival Leafs in the team's first preseason game.

With that in mind, it's time to start thinking about some of the more interesting story lines heading into next season.  There will be a number of exciting things going on off the ice, but the on-ice product proves to be just as interesting.