WARREN: Dreaming of Dubois and the intrigue of the Senators centre ice position

Something didn’t click with Guy Boucher, and something hasn’t yet connected with Smith, who was also familiar with Brown when both were in the OHL.

Dare we suggest that if Columbus has any interest in Brown whatsoever, he could be part of a package — oh, yes, it would be a mighty package, including multiple top draft picks and prospects — for Dubois.

Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen will have countless offers in front of him and anyone in the Senators organization not named Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot or Tim Stuetzle should be in play.

Perhaps, somewhere down the road, Stuetzle moves from the wing to the centre and puts himself into consideration for a top centre spot, but Smith says he’ll be careful before giving him too much, too soon.

As for what game the Senators are playing with centre Colin White, it’s a bit of a mystery.

The way practice lines looked Thursday — he was with Alex Galchenyuk and Michael Haley — it would appear he won’t be in the lineup Friday.

Smith, however, says there could be changes and final decisions won’t be made until Friday morning. If he doesn’t play Friday, he could very well be in Saturday in the back-to-back against the Maple Leafs.

White has been around the organization even longer than Brown, a first round pick back in 2015.

The hope was that he could eventually become a solid two-way centre and he showed enough promise that he was signed to a six-year, $28.5 million deal before the 2019-20 season. That contract, with four years and more than $23 million remaining, isn’t moving anywhere.