Training camp and the preseason represent times of opportunity. Incumbents are competing for more significant minutes or roles. Unsigned players on PTOs are fighting for another professional contract.
Prospects are trying to reward the organization’s faith in them. Players destined to start the season in Belleville are jockeying to position themselves for the first prospective recall.
In Tyler Kleven’s case, the situation is slightly different. Following offseason deals that saw the Senators move on from two natural left-shot defenceman in Jakob Chychrun and Erik Brannstrom, the organization has cleared a natural path for him to become an NHL regular.
With a unique opportunity before him, the offseason’s transactions were not lost on Kleven.
“Yeah, I mean moving two left-handed defensemen, obviously you always want to be on the big team, “said Kleven. “I thought that was a good sign that it was probably going to be an opportunity for me at camp. Now, I’m just here and I’m going to make the most of it and prove that I can play that third (pairing) role.”
Kleven spent most of the offseason training in North Dakota where he enjoyed his summer with friends and family. He eventually returned to the nation’s capital where he trained with Claude Giroux and Tony Greco.
Considering that Kleven has only 17 games of NHL experience, it may seem odd to pencil him as the de facto favourite for the third-pairing role on the left side.
That is by design.
Earlier this offseason, general manager Steve Staios appeared on the Coming in Hot Podcast, explaining that Kleven’s absence from the parent roster last season was purposeful and not a reflection of his development in Belleville.
“Tyler Kleven was a player that I kept down in Belleville last year,” said Staios. “He probably could have come up and played more games, and that comes from the experience of not rushing a player along. And when he did come up and play, he played well enough to stay.”
Not receiving an extended look in Ottawa did not bother Kleven. He recognized and understood the development path the organization preferred.
“I think that it’s all part of the process,” Kleven maturely explained. “I could have probably come up here and played in minimal minutes but I was down there, I played 25 minutes a night, I was powerplay, penalty kill, I was playing big moments, and I got to experience the playoffs. And I want to bring that to Ottawa now.
“I think that the jump from college to the NHL is pretty big. Just being able to understand how to manage your body and all that kind of stuff was very beneficial being down there last year. It’s also a privilege to be in the NHL. I got a little experience in that, and now I want to be here full-time.”
The only message the Senators had for Kleven was just to be himself.
“They brought me here for a reason: to be that shutdown guy,” Kleven stated. “I don’t really know if there’s much more I can do over the summer other than getting into the gym. I know my role and I know how I can help the team and I just want to be given an opportunity.”
That opportunity is right there for him and he certainly recognizes the organization’s philosophical pivot to having a bigger and more physical blue line.
This shift presents an advantage that he is looking to exploit.
“Yeah, if you look at some of the best playoff teams like the Boston Bruins, their (defence) core is massive and the same thing with their forwards,” Kleven stated. “They’ve got a lot of big forwards with a lot of grit. That’s why they win games. The NHL is not full of skilled guys all the time. There’s a lot of grit to the game and the playoffs especially – just got to dump pucks in and win battles.
“That’s my game. That’s what I love to do. So that’s what I want to bring to the team.”
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