The Ottawa Senators fans can relax as their club has locked up a major piece of their offensive future for at least the next half decade.

Just prior to the open of the season (hours before), the Senators locked up winger Dany Heatley to a long term deal in order to prevent him from reaching free agency. With the threat of potential offer sheets looming, the Senators acted and signed their prize center Jason Spezza to a long term deal.

Spezza and the Senators agreed on a 7 year deal worth $49 million, which included a no movement clause (so for the next 7 years, Spezza cannot use the bathroom... I'm here all week!). The signing of Spezza has many rumor mongers believing that Senators defenceman Wade Redden will not be back with the club next season, unless he's willing to play at a discount (I think he is currently making $6.5 million per year). In any case, the Senators did the right thing in locking these two up... otherwise risking what the Buffalo Sabres went through last July, and how that has affected their play this year.

Quick Shave:
So anyone remember Bosh's playoff surprise picks a month ago? I'm sure you can all remember laughing at the Bosher, but right now, this prognosticator is looking pretty good. The Philadelphia Flyers, and the Los Angeles Kings are both sitting in first place in the respective divisions (Atlantic, and Pacific). If you haven't had a chance to watch either team yet this season, give them a look. The Flyers are a faster team this year, but are playing with an edge not seen since their Broadstreet Bullies days (hence Colin Campbell has been handing out suspensions to the club faster than flu shots), and the Los Angeles Kings have a couple of lines loaded with offensive talent, and seemed to have finally found some consistency in the net.

Rumors are floating around, as they always are, but some of the more interesting ones, include the firing of some more head coaches. Specifically John Tortorella off the Tampa Bay Lightning whose club is currently elbows deep in a four game losing streak, and Ron Wilson of the San Jose Sharks, a team that was picked to win the Stanley Cup and is barely playing .500 hockey. New York Rangers head coach Tom Renney's name has also been popping up, but the play of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist may be saving his job.

Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh