Marc Methot has been logging heavy minutes for the Senators of late. He totaled 27:58 of ice time versus the New York Islanders on Sunday in a shootout defeat and he saw 25:23 in Saturday's regulation loss to Philadelphia. Sergei Gonchar and Eric Gryba have also been seeing plenty of ice time, as the three of them try to make up for the minutes lost by workhorse defender Erik Karlsson.

Marc Methot scored a goal in Ottawa's 2-1 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday. It was Methot's first goal and fourth point in 21 games this season. Colin Greening assisted on the goal.

Ottawa-native Marc Methot is looking forward to playing in the Senators' home opener. Methot was acquired by Ottawa from the Columbus Blue Jackets over the summer. "Ever since I've been in the NHL or even just drafted, going through junior, it's always been a dream of mine to play here," Methot said. "I mean, who wouldn't want to play in their home town in front of people that you grew up around, especially (with) Ottawa being a hockey town?" Methot registered an assist in the Senators' season opener.

There is a very strong chance that Marc Methot will be paired with wunderkind Erik Karlsson on the Senators' blueline. If that turns out to be the case, Methot could not only have a strong plus/minus rating he could also have a few gimme points just by association with the most dominant offensive rearguard in the NHL. If you are at the end of your draft and looking for a fill in blueliner, Methot may be a good choice.

Marc Methot will be making his Ottawa Senators debut this season. The Ottawa-native was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets last July in exchange for Nick Foligno. Methot skated in 46 games with the Blue Jackets last season because of injury, but should be an adequate replacement for free agent defender Filip Kuba on the Senators back end. However, his fantasy value is very limited.

Marc Methot is growing more frustrated and jaded with every meeting that takes place between the NHLPA and the NHL. He used to get excited and hopeful with each new development in the negotiation process, but now he's becoming much more guarded. The Ottawa native is still waiting to make his Senators debut and he said the lockout has made it hard for him to stay motivated. Methot is taking a wait-and-see approach with Tuesday's player/owner meeting, but he's all for it if it can help "[change] the dynamic of the conversation."

Marc Methot thoroughly enjoyed his trip to the Northwest Territories for three charity games. "That's the one small bright spot (of the lockout), we get to go around and play in front of these people that aren't exposed to much NHL in person," he said. "It doesn't matter if it's all-star style no hitting, we're still there and they can see were having a good time on the ice. Sometimes that might be more entertaining, just to see us messing around and having a good time out there. Especially for the kids, they can see us skating and that we're just like them, in a sense, especially with (Nashville's Jordin) Tootoo, growing up where he grew up and making it to the NHL. That shows there's a lot of hope for these kids that want to play hockey. It's a positive thing." The players also got to take in some of the culture while they were up in Yellowknife and its surrounding areas. Methot said he liked getting the opportunity to go on a dogsled ride.

Marc Methot is not getting his hopes up for a speedy labor resolution despite the NHL and NHLPA meeting for a third straight day on Thursday. "We're optimistic that we're talking, but we know not to get ahead of ourselves," he said. "We've had our little meetings before and everyone was left down afterwards. You've got to keep your guard up." The Ottawa defenseman is encouraged by the number of key players on both sides that are involved in the recent negotiations though because "It shows the talks are becoming more real and more meaningful."

Marc Methot has been skating three times a week at Sensplex. "I know people don't feel sorry for us, but we're skating here and we've got five or six players on the ice, and one goaltender ... for a lot of people that have played the game, they understand that's painful," said Methot referring to his lockout situation. "Showing up, it's hard to stay really motivated to skate, and ultimately we have to be out there on the ice skating as much as we can, because you never know when the season starts, so we're in a tough spot. It isn't fun right now, I can honestly say that." The former Columbus defenseman and Ottawa-native is eager to play his first season with the Senators, but the NHL lockout has delayed his home-coming debut.

Marc Methot has started taking boxing lessons. With the lockout underway, players have a lot more free time on their hands and many are trying to do whatever it takes to stay in shape. "It's just about being able to defend your teammate and depending on who I'm playing with, I might have to do that a little more often," said Methot. He said his agent is "looking around" at other leagues in the meantime.