Fear not, Ottawa Senators fans, the team expects Cody Ceci to be on the blue line for opening night.
Ceci is still a restricted free agent, but Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun that the team expects to reach a deal with the defenseman soon.
"It's taken a bit longer than I anticipated," Dorion said. "I think maybe (J.P. Barry, Ceci's agent) is trying to test me in my first time as GM, even though I've done quite a (few) contracts before. He'll be playing for us Oct. 12. I think in the next few weeks we'll get something done."
Dorion said recent discussions with Barry have been positive.
"J.P and I exchanged emails (Thursday) and they were really positive emails," he said. "We're still looking at different angles and what we can do for a contract but I have a lot of faith."
Ceci enjoyed a breakout season in 2015-16, notching a career high in goals with 10 and points with 26. The 22-year-old no doubt wants a long-term deal, but, given he just completed his third season and only has 56 career points, the Sens will likely want to be cautious.