OTTAWA – It’s hard to believe that the Ottawa Senators, who just came off of a Stanley Cup run in 2007, could fall as hard and as fast as they did, especially when you consider the ‘Sens got off to one of the best starts in NHL history to start a season. Ottawa were the odds on favorite to win the conference as the team went on cruise control until the Senators crashed and burned as one thing after another fell apart for the team.
Now, the Senators might be doing some house cleaning by making some trades to help improve the club and remove some dead weight that appears to he holding them back.
Photos courtesy of the NHL
On offense the Senators are still a solid bunch, but players such as Jason Spezza are under fire to perform better. The good news for Ottawa is Daniel Alfredsson is not one of those players. Danny Heatley had another great season scoring 41 goals, but the ‘Sens could use a touch of grit up front to take some of the pressure off of the big three.
The blueline is solid, but may be losing a key component in Wade Redden. They could also possibly lose Andrej Meszaros who is an RFA (restricted free agent) but unless someone blows the Senators away with an offer sheet, Ottawa may be forced to trade him and get some quality compensation for him instead of only draft picks.
In the system the ‘Sens have a very good crop of forwards, but are in need of some depth on the blueline, which would take a major hit if they lose one or both of there defenseman in free agency. The draft will surely be used to help in this department, but will it be used with the 18th over pick?
Goaltending is an issue and the team will be pressed to find a replacement for Ray Emery and Martin Gerber. The draft won’t solve their immediate replacement for one of those players but should help down the line should some of the other prospects the Senators have in the system fail to pan out.
Photos courtesy of the NHL
Having the draft in Ottawa this year will surely put some added pressure on the team, especially if neither of the top-rated goaltenders (Thomas McCollum (Guelph) and Chet Pickard (Tri-City) are still on the board. Both goalies’ favorite NHL goaltender is Roberto Luongo, and both are relatively the same size. Some think Pickard might be the better goaltender, but realistically neither has a true edge over the other and beauty will be in the eye of the beholder. McCollum is rated first by CSS while Pickard is rated second.
Unless the ‘Sens see defenseman who is head and shoulders over both goalies, look for Ottawa to make the following announcement in front of a very loud home audience.
“With the 18th pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the Ottawa Senators select, from the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League, goaltender Thomas McCollum.”
Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com
