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That’s because Dorion and coach Guy Boucher will want the lineup pretty much in place and the focus on getting ready for the regular season when the Senators close out the preseason next week with a Wednesday game in Winnipeg and a Saturday game in Montreal.

“The last two games, we’re going to try to play as much with our team as we can,” Boucher said. “Brassard won’t play any (pre-season) games so there’s going to be a spot there for sure so we’re going to have a young guy there and I suspect right now there’s going to be many guys fighting for that one or two spots.”

Boucher said if roster decisions had to be made today, they’d be pretty difficult.

“Right now there’s not one guy, from the guys that are here (in the NHL group) and the guys we’re going to take from the other group for (Saturday at home), they all have a legitimate chance of making (the team),” Boucher said.

Ideally, the club would like to make some moves before heading to Prince Edward Island on Sunday to face the New Jersey Devils on Monday in Summerside.

“We’re going to keep the guys who are really close to making our team,” Boucher said. “Maybe some guys have done so well we have to keep them and then maybe some guys who might be fading out don’t. I’d love to tell you because then it would accelerate my process, and I’d like to tell you right now I know exactly what I want, let’s go and we’ve got our team.

“It’s not a question of giving our guys some ice time, it really is a question of, ‘Who are we keeping?’ It really is that. None of them are closer than any other. They’re all as close and they’re all as far.”

The good news is the Senators have options.

bgarrioch@postmedia.com

Twitter: @sungarrioch