Marc Methot’s tumultuous season will take another turn tonight, as the veteran defenseman will dress for the first time since Dec. 6 and play in just his third game of the year when the Sens take on the Avs in Colorado.
Methot, 29, has missed extensive time with a lingering back injury, which put a crimp on contract extension talks. Those talks, as you may remember, got pretty contentious -- prior to the season starting, Sens assistant GM Pierre Dorion expressed anger after Methot’s agent, Larry Kelly, leaked what Dorion called “false” contract details.
That leak seemed to stall negotiations and, in mid-November, trade rumors started to pop around Methot -- an unrestricted free agent at season’s end -- with the likes of Detroit and Anaheim reportedly in the mix.
So, back to tonight.
Methot will draw in and give both the Sens and scouts an extended look at where he’s at physically. When healthy, Methot can contribute on the back end; he scored a career-high six goals and 23 points last season while averaging 21:45 TOI per game.There’s no room for error with Methot. Player must be 100% healthy. Be in top shape and playing heavy minutes come Feb. 1st. #MarchTradeDL
— Shawn Simpson (@TSNSimmer) January 8, 2015If Ottawa is unwilling to meet his contract demands -- and given the internal payroll cap, that’s quite possible -- Methot could be on the move. Per ESPN sources, Sens GM Bryan Murray is making calls around the league in the hopes of adding offense and the veteran defenseman could be an asset to exchange in a potential deal.
