Ottawa hopes they won't be "Lehtin" many in!

The Ottawa Senators acquired veteran forward Jere Lehtinen from the Phoenix Coyotes yesterday for forward Alexei Morozov. Morozov and Lehtinen have posted very similar numbers prior to the trade with Morozov having 1 goal and 9 assists and Lehtinen with 2 goals and 10 assists. However, with the Senators Powerplay in the top 5 in the league and their offensive statistics just skyrocketing, their major concern is their PK which is in the middle of the league and needs improvement to get the grinding Senators into a playoff spot.

Lehtinen will fit in on the 2nd line where his leadership and experience will hopefully help young defenders Andreas Holmqvist and Ryan Whitney develop their skills. Jere's 85 DF rating will hopefully kill penalties and provide some extra defense for goalie Roman Turek as the season rolls onward.

"It was sad to see Morozov go but Schmucky is making decisions to try to get us into the playoffs this year and so far, it's working. Lehtinen is a playoff veteran and very solid defensive forward, something this team has been missing for quite a while." Coach Jaques Martin said at this morning's press conference.

Jere is expected to be in the lineup tonight against the Florida Panthers who have been roaming around the top of the conference all season so far and are coming off a close loss to the Canucks so this should be a tight game!