I’m not certain if he’s on any other NHL team’s radar, but if there’s a team looking to pick up a depth defenseman who’s really one of the NHL’s good guys Mark Borowiecki might be available.
Still, if you’re not a Senators fan, you might not even know who Borowiecki is. So, here’s a primer.
Borowiecki is a 30-year-old Ottawa native and an Ottawa Senators’ defenseman. He was drafted as a long shot during the fifth round (139th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Although he’s not blessed with the greatest talent, he’s been around; but, now he’s become a regular bottom-pairing defenseman and is playing in his ninth season with the Senators.
Given that the team is likely to become sellers at the upcoming trade deadline and because his contract is expiring this July, Borowiecki might be on the trading block.
Really, what should the Senators do with him? Do they trade him for a draft pick? Do they let him simply leave as a free agent? Or, do they keep him around and give him an extension?
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Why I Like Boroweicki: Reason #1, He Sticks Up for His Teammates
I like Mark Borowiecki. Here’s why. First, he sticks up for his teammates. Here’s that story.
Early in the preseason, during an exhibition game prior to the 2019-20 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Borowiecki’s teammate Scott Sabourin was harshly dissed by Maple Leafs young star Auston Matthews.
To offer a bit of the backstory, Sabourin is himself a journeyman 27-year-old hockey player who had never played an NHL game but has previously suited up with eight different minor league teams – all over North America from the Manchester Monarchs to the Iowa Wild to the Stockton Heat. Finally in a tryout with the Ottawa Senators, when Sabourin was desperately trying to make the team, obviously he did something to irritate Matthews.
Without saying a word, Matthews “roasted Sabourin” when he skated up to Sabourin and looked over his back to see what his name was – sort of like saying “Who do you think you are anyway, you unknown?”
The veteran Borowiecki, whose reputation is also as a tough player, wasn’t impressed. But instead of being physical with Matthews, he went public to remind the 22-year-old Maple Leafs superstar that his actions were less than considerate. He reminded Matthews to remember how really fortunate he was, saying “we’re not all blessed to have Auston Matthews’ talent.”
He then asked if Matthews, as the 2016 first overall pick in the Entry Draft, appreciated the kind of role Sabourin’s (and others like him) been forced to play throughout his career even to have a chance to play at the NHL level. Really, if Matthews thinks about it, the upstairs/downstairs salary cap Maple Leafs team structure necessitates that Toronto has to fill a roster with entry-level or league-minimum salaries because they have so many multi-million dollar men.
Not that there’s any note if what Boroweicki said meant anything to Matthews. And, if I were to guess, I’d say that it probably didn’t. But, Sabourin did make the Senators roster and, although he’s not playing regularly, he’s been in 19 games this season and has a goal and two assists.
Furthermore, he’s probably in heaven salary-wise for him at $700,000 (league minimum). In contrast, Matthews salary is $11,634,000. That salary, over an 82-game schedule, pays him just under $142,000 per game. Doing the simple math, that means Matthews makes more in five games than Sabourin makes in his entire season.
Why I Like Boroweicki: Reason #2, He’s a Superhero
The second reason I like Boroweicki is that he’s a superhero. Perhaps, I’m overstating it, but in early December when the Senators were visiting the Vancouver Canucks, Boroweicki was out for a Sunday walk before the game. When he saw someone breaking into a parked car, he confronted the person and wrestled away what the person stole. Although the person got away on a bicycle, Boroweicki was able to return the almost-stolen property to the woman who owned the car.
As “Boro-cop” suggested: “I’m a mediocre fighter on the ice, but I’m very confident handling myself off the ice. I wasn’t too worried about anything that would happen. Honestly, … it was the right thing to do at the time. I’m happy I was there.”
Borowiecki said he got a “nice text” from the woman who owned the car; however, she was surprised that he played for the Senators. After all, she noted, “I’m actually a huge Leafs fan.”
I’m Hoping Borowiecki Sticks Around for Another Season
Borowiecki’s currently having his best NHL season, but really seven goals and 18 points in 50 games for the season aren’t much for scoring. What he does better than almost anyone in the NHL is to hit opponents.
Still, for me, it comes back to the fact that Borowiecki is just one of the good guys in the NHL. He’s become a Senators’ fan favorite because there are redundant stories of his genuine niceness and humility. He’s a veteran influence on the young Senators players, which seems necessary for a team that’s rebuilding. And, his salary is at a meager (for NHL standards) $1.2 million.
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In the final analysis, I hope the Senators re-up Borowiecki for at least another season. He’s worth having around for, oh my gosh I can’t even believe I’m saying this, the “intangibles.”
