Ottawa Senators assign rookie forward Mika Zibanejad to Binghamton of the AHL

OTTAWA - Mika Zibanejad's stint on the top line of the Ottawa Senators was brief.

The rookie forward caused a minor stir Tuesday when he skated with Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek at practice.

But the Senators, who open their first-round series against the Rangers in New York on Thursday, assigned the 18-year-old Swede to Binghamton of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

Zibanejad was taken sixth overall at June's draft and made the Senators out of training camp. He recorded one assist and two penalty minutes in nine games before being loaned to Djurgarden of the Swedish Elite League.

In 26 regular season games with Djurgarden, Zibanejad recorded five goals, eight assists and four penalty minutes.

The Binghamton Senators, poised to miss the AHL playoffs after winning the Calder Cup last season, take on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday and Norfolk on Saturday to finish their season.

Zibanejad could return to the NHL club after the AHL regular season ends, but suiting up for a game with Ottawa would burn a year of his three-year entry-level contract.