Can the Ottawa Senators Steal the Northeast?
Before the 2007-08 season, you could argue that the Ottawa Senators were the class of the Eastern Conference. The club made the Stanley Cup finals in 2007 on the backs of their first line, containing Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Daniel Alfredsson. However, with Heatley gone and Alfredsson aging, they have undergone major changes, which they hope will get them back to the big dance.
Since the 2007 playoffs, the Senators have struggled to regain their form.
In 2007-08, they finished seventh in the conference and lost in the Eastern Conference quarter-finals to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Things only got worse during the 2008-09 season when the Sens finished 11th in the East, missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
In 2009-10, the Sens seemed to once again find their groove. They lost their sniper Heatley after the superstar demanded a trade. Nevertheless, new coach Cory Clouston built a strong game plan and restored confidence in Canada’s capital.
Last season, the Senators finished second in the Northeast and fifth in the conference. Without Heatley, the team scored by committee with veteran Mike Fisher leading the way with 25 goals.
Departures
The Senators chose to buy-out forward Jonathan Cheechoo, who they received from the San Jose Sharks in the Heatley trade. General Manager Bryan Murray was also forced to lose shut-down defenseman Anton Volchenkov.
Arrivals
Murray addressed his weak defence by bringing in veteran puck moving defender Sergei Gonchar. While upfront he chose to remain with the status quo.
Forwards
Upfront, the Senators have a quality club. Their first line of Spezza, Alfredsson, and Milan Michalek seemed to click at the end of the season, and will hopefully carry their strong play into 2010-11.
The secondary scoring for the Senators was limited to Fisher last year, and if they hope to improve in the standings, they will have to get more from Alexei Kovalev, who was brought in to replace Heatley. It’s likely that youngster Peter Regin will join Fisher and Kovalev on the second line to start the season.
Ottawa’s top-six forwards are supported by exceptional depth players. The third line shut-down unit is likely to contain centre Chris Kelly, Chris Neil, and either Nick Faligno or Ryan Shannon. The fourth unit will house super-pest Jarkko Ruutu, Jesse Winchester, and one of Foligno or Shannon.
The Senators are a strong team upfront, but no longer posses the killer first line they had when they made their fun to the Cup Final. They will need scoring to come from both their second and third lines, if they hope to be competitive.
Defence
Since they finished 11th two years ago, the Senators have been building a strong core at the back-end.
Gonchar will join a very deep and relatively young defence-core. Filip Kuba is likely to join Gonchar in the first pair, which should also be their first power play unit. The second pairing is likely to feature shut-down defender Chris Phillips, teamed-up with youngster Erik Karlsson.
After the top two pairings, it will be a battle for the fifth and sixth spots. Chris Campoli, Brian Lee, Matt Carkner, and David Hale will all be vying for the third pairing at this year’s camp.
Goaltending
The crease has been a question Senators management has struggled with for 10 years, and this year is no different.
It will be a battle between Brian Elliott and Pascal Leclaire for the starting job. With the two expected to share time for the majority of season.
Can they win the Northeast?
The Northeast is a highly competitive division and each of its five teams have improved since July. There is no doubt that the Sens have the talent to win the conference. However, if they wish to challenge the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres they will need an entire team effort.
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