"Mika Zibanejad, the Ottawa Senators' prized rookie, will play his ninth NHL game here tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Then general manager Bryan Murray will have a big decision to make: Keep the 18-year-old centre here all season and trigger the first year of his contract or send him back to Sweden and delay his NHL career for one season.

It'll be a tricky decision. There are many pros and cons to either decision.

Murray can actually hold off making it for as long as he wants. All he has to do is stick Zibanejad in the press box for a few games while he decides.

But Murray said on Monday he's not inclined to do that and expects to come to a decision by the weekend, if just to end the uncertainty for both Zibanejad and the team.

In Murray's eyes, Zibanejad's play has been mixed."