Article content continued

New Jersey’s Cory Schneider, who spent four years in Vancouver as Roberto Luongo’s backup, can certainly talk about that. So can Toronto’s Jonathan Bernier and San Jose’s Martin Jones, who both played behind Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles before being traded.

O’Connor won’t face nearly the same challenges in Ottawa, where Hammond has to prove last season was not a fluke and Craig Anderson has to try and win back the No. 1 job, but the same cannot be said of Canadiens prospect Zach Fucale. With Carey Price entrenched as the No. 1 goalie, it would appear that Fucale will not be getting into any games anytime soon.

Then again, Price was drafted three years after José Theodore won the Hart and Vezina Trophies.

“It doesn’t change my expectations,” said Fucale, who was selected 36th overall in 2013 and won a gold medal at the 2015 World Junior Championships. “If you look at every team in the league, every team has a good starter, every team has good goalies in the organization. My goal stays the same. I one day want to play in the NHL, but I want to take it one step at a time.”

O’Connor might be hoping for a quicker path to the NHL. The 6-foot-5 goalie, who had a breakout year playing with Jack Eichel for Boston University, said he chose to sign with the Senators over the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks because it seemed like the best chance of breaking in. But first he will try to win the No. 1 job with the team’s minor-league affiliate.

“He’s not looking for a fast track for someone to promise him he’ll be the backup in the NHL right away,” said Binghamton Senators head coach Luke Richardson. “He’s a mature guy, he’s willing to work at it and I think that’s why he made the decision to come here.”