Bet On NHL Hockey Ottawa Senators Season Preview
It seems an eternity ago that the Ottawa Senators were one of the NHL’s best teams, year-in, year-out. Now, wallowing in at the bottom of the Northeast Division, they look more like the laughing stock they were as an expansion team in the mid 1990s.
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Are they doomed to dwell in the basement another season or is there reason for hope?
OTTAWA SENATORS
Stanley Cup odds: +6000
Have you ever heard of Bobby Butler, Zack Smith, Colin Greening or Erik Condra? All four of those forwards are slated to start the 2011-12 season on the Senators’ roster. Butler looks like he’ll be a top-six forward. Regardless of what kind of upside these youngsters showed late last season, it’s downright frightening that the Sens are depending on them for big roles.
Up front, only Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Chris Neil remain from the glory days. Milan Michalek and Nick Foligno chip in with their speed. First-round pick Mike Zibanejad and Blue Jackets castoff Nikita Filatov at least have the talent to be first-line players someday. But, overall, the forward situation looks grim for Ottawa. This team scored the second-fewest goals in the league last season and may even be hard-pressed to maintain its lofty offensive rank of 29th this season.
The Sens’ defense looks adequate. Chris Phillips could be making more money or playing more meaningful hockey elsewhere but has chosen to grind it out in Ottawa so he can stay closer to his family. He’ll continue to mentor blue-chipper Erik Karlsson. The Swedish defender made the All-Star team and tallied 13 goals and 45 points last season. He’s an elite talent, a guy Ottawa can build around, but was a minus-30 last season and clearly still has a lot to learn. [ad-4437448]
Also helping out among Ottawa’s defense are big-shooting veterans Sergei Gonchar and Filip Kuba. Each of these guys could help a contending team’s power play; it’s a shame that they’re stuck rotting away in Ottawa.
Ottawa’s goaltending situation is…interesting. It acquired Craig Anderson for Brian Elliott in a swap of underachieving netminders last season. Anderson went nuts, going 11-4-1 with a 2.05 goals against average and .939 save percentage after the trade. He earned himself a contract extension.
It’s funny, though – Ottawa is so bad that Anderson hurts them. His amazing play cost them a top-three draft pick last season and it’s possible he’ll keep them out of last overall again. The 30-year-old has played great for Ottawa but you wonder if a team this bad is better off tanking.
You never know what can happen, It’s possible that the light will go on for Filatov, Zibanejad will be an impact rookie, Anderson will stand on his head and Karlsson will become a Norris Trophy candidate. Stranger things have happened; look at Colorado two seasons ago.
But I’m a betting man and I’m betting that most of those things don’t happen to Ottawa this season. In fact, I believe the Sens are as strong a bet as any team to finish dead last in the Eastern Conference.
Prediction:5th, Northeast Division
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