Ottawa Senators: Kuba Breaks Leg, What Does This Mean For The Team?

News from the first day of Senators training camp was not good. 

Just ten minutes into the team's first practise of the year, defensemen Filip Kuba caught a rut in the ice falling and breaking his leg. Let's hope, for the sake of the team, that this is not a sign of things to come.

Kuba will be out an expected six weeks, roughly the first ten games of the regular schedule.

 There is a silver lining in this story. First of all, the defensive lineup going into training camp with all six roster spots a lock (Gonchar, Campoli, Karlsson, Carkner, Phillips and of course, Kuba). Now that there is spot available, the up-and-comers like Brian Lee and Jared Cowan will not only get a chance to get some more ice time during pre-season but they will be competing for a spot on the team, maybe impress Brian Murray enough to keep them for longer. 

If either Cowan or Lee can prove themselves as not a defensive liability, with some offensive upside, maybe a shake up will be needed for a team that many experts have picked to be out of the playoff picture. 

Also, this helps other defensemen on the team, take Erik Karlsson for example. Karlsson will be given more ice time during both pre-season and the start of regular season. This will only help the young superstar's confidence and overall game. 

The Kuba injury is no doubt a sad situation for the whole organization, but there is a case for optimism.

Side Note: Stop Hating on Spezza! The man's season was weak yes, but it was littered with injuries yet was still almost a point per game player (57 points in 60 games). He is not defensive player and never will be, he will give the puck up on occasion but that is the price to pay when you have a player with his skill set.