We're barreling down the stretch now with our season previews as camps are establishing their rosters. Jobs will be won, hearts will be broken, and some interesting developments can occur out of injury and necessity. Before you know it, the puck will drop on regular season hockey and we'll see how close to the mark (or how far off) we were with our predictions.
And now, the Ottawa Senators
Team M.O.: The team's relied on the "top-six/bottom-six" format of offensive attack (largely due to where their money's being spent) to compete against the other teams in the league and fortifies that with a balanced attack. After making the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals, the team was swept in the Conference Quarterfinals the following season and missed the playoffs completely the year after. A few bodies were moved to give the team a sense of competitiveness and it wasn't necessarily all bad.
Last Season: Fifth in the Eastern Conference, where they were eliminated in 6 games by the then-defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Not bad considering the drama they faced with Dany Heatley's departure and the uncertainty of their goaltending tandem going into the season.
Offense: Jason Spezza battled MCL injuries last season but was managed to increase his rate of production from the season before; while he isn't dishing passes to Heatley anymore, he could break a point-per-game average if he can remain healthy. You have to wonder how much Daniel Alfredsson has left in the tank but if we know anything from following the Detroit Red Wings, don't ever count out a Swede just because of his age; he still remains one of the best top-line forwards in hockey. Milan Michalek's first season in Ottawa left much to be desired thanks to injury issues, he too should expect a bounce back campaign as long as he can stay healthy through camp. Mike Fisher stepped up in a big way for the Sens last season and provides the team with a legitimate second-line center who can probably serve as a top-line guy in a pinch. Alex Kovalev wasn't dominant given his salary but gives the team a scoring winger who gives you second-line production at worst and top-line production at best. Due to how close the team is to the cap, they will likely have internal competition for the remaining scoring forward spot depending on whether or not coach Cory Clouston wants to group Fisher/Kovalev with either a sound two-way guy (Nick Foligno), a playmaker (Peter Regin), or a forward with versatility (Chris Kelly). Regardless of whomever gets that job, the other two will likely find positions on the third unit so it isn't all bad.
Beyond them, Jarkko Ruutu and Chris Neil will continue to find ways to piss off the opposition; with Neil taking on the heavyweights. Jesse Winchester and Ryan Shannon will likely continue in their roles as defensive/energy forwards. The last remaining spots will be battled for by Zack Smith, Ryan Keller, Corey Locke, Roman Wick, and Cody Bass.
I'd love to see another scoring winger on that club but they'd have to find a way to make that fit in their salary structure. Will their Number 6 forward please stand up? And will the guy be able to get 40 points or better?
Defense: Sergei Gonchar defected from the Pittsburgh Penguins and while injuries are a concern, he gives the team a solid point-producer from the blueline. Erik Karlsson was solid in his debut for the Sens and should give the team another point-producing option on defense. People may regard Chris Phillips as a defender of the defensive variety, but he's still good for 20 points or better throughout the course of a season. Chris Campoli gives the team a playmaking defender who's average at the defensive aspects of the game. Matt Carkner's finally made the jump out of the minors and has become the team's enforcer for good reason; not too many people wanna stand up to a dude who's 6'4" and 230 lbs. Since Filip Kuba's down with injuries, Brian Lee and David Hale will likely enter camp as the 6th or 7th defenders respectively and will have until the end of October to prove to the team why they belong there.
All and all, not bad on the Senators for having a legitimate-looking defensive squad.
Goaltending: It's becoming harder to remember when Pascal Leclaire was a solid blue-chip prospect. After sustaining numerous injuries, his campaign last year was anything but magnificent. Nevertheless, he still hasn't run out of racetrack yet to put it all together for a spectacular season. He shouldn't have to deal with a significant brunt of playing time either, as Brian Elliott had a second straight year where had to save the team with his goaltending performance. While Elliott didn't necessarily put up elite individual numbers, the team managed to find a way to win in front of him and sometimes, that's all that counts.
Mike Brodeur was spectacular for the Senators in call up duty last season so the team's good-to-go as far as their goaltending's set.
Management: GM Bryan Murray took over a team that went from Stanley Cup Contender and turned them into a playoff contender, at best. No, the coaching situation hasn't helped, but few of his moves have really done well to fortify the team. In retrospect, maybe he should've just stuck to coaching the team because they at least had a system the players believed in. Cory Clouston's been no slouch though, and last season is any indication, he should do better during his second full-season with the Senators.
Prediction: Third in the Northeast Division and on the playoff bubble.
These guys aren't as great as the Buffalo Sabres or the Boston Bruins, yet I still consider them to be better than both the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. How well they perform will rely largely on the health of key players and the ability of the role players to step up and contribute in ways that defies their job.
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