The clock is ticking on Simon Lajeunesse's chances of signing with the Senators, and he has plenty of time on his hands to watch it. A second-round pick of the Senators, the Val d'Or Foreurs goalie has until June 1 to sign a contract with the team. If not, he'll go back into the draft and risk losing money the way fellow Ottawa goalie prospect Mathieu Chouinard did when he was chosen again by the team in a later round last spring. Lajeunesse, who has lost his starting job in Val d'Or to rookie Maxime Daigneault, anticipates coming to terms with the Senators before the end of the month. It's just about trying to get more money.
Agents are always after the best deal.
I'm sure Ottawa would like to see me play now, but I think it will get done. The Foreurs are extremely swift, especially captain Brandon Reid. C Simon Gamache, who broke Mario Lemieux' playoff scoring record this season, has shown tremendous puck skills here. Stephane Veilleux is another often seen jumping on the boards in front of the bench, a practice of Val d'Or scorers after a goal. The 67's best course of action is to put pressure on a suspect defence and maintain discipline.