With the NHL season now less than a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Ottawa Senators.
Last Season: 44-28-10 record (98 points), second in Atlantic Division (lost to Pittsburgh in third round)
Remaining Cap Space: $4.81MM per CapFriendly
Key Newcomers: D Johnny Oduya (free agency, Chicago), F Nate Thompson (free agency, Anaheim)
Key Departures: F Chris Kelly (PTO, Edmonton), D Marc Methot (expansion, Vegas), F Chris Neil (free agency, unsigned), F Viktor Stalberg (free agency, Switzerland)
[Related: Pittsburgh Depth Chart From Roster Resource]
Players To Watch: D Thomas Chabot – The next wave of talent is on its way in Ottawa, and it starts with a blue chip defense prospect in Chabot. The 20-year old played one game for the Senators last season but spent most of the year dominating junior opposition and being a key part of Team Canada’s World Junior team. He’s ready to take the next step to the NHL right now, but there is no guarantee he cracks the lineup in game 1.
Ottawa’s system relies on its defensive structure to limit chances for both teams, slowing the game down in the neutral zone and especially forcing it to the left side. After losing Methot, the team had a opening for a left-handed shot to fill some of those minutes. Chabot could have been an option—though he has played both sides throughout his junior career—but the team brought in Oduya to also compete for time and Fredrik Claesson looked like he could take over in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see where Chabot could fit in, and which side they’ll align him on.
F Colin White – The other half of that youth movement is present in young centerman White, who could fill various different roles for this club if given the chance. He’s talented enough to play up in the lineup on the wing right away, but could also be given the keys to the fourth line if the team wants to keep him at his natural position. Ottawa has its three top centers locked in with Derick Brassard, Kyle Turris and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, meaning minutes would be hard to come by for White down the middle.
That means it could even be the AHL for him to really get his professional career started. Coming out of Boston College last spring he suited up for three games in the minors and three games (including one playoff contest) with Ottawa. He’ll be given the chance to impress this preseason, but Zack Smith or Nate Thompson are more well-suited to the fourth line pivot role.
Key Storyline: When Erik Karlsson returns from his lingering injury, the Senators are expected to once again to be a frustratingly effective defensive team. They suffocate rushes in the center ice area and don’t give up their blueline very easily. Even when you do beat that trapping system, the duo of Craig Anderson and Mike Condon provide some solid goaltending and can steal games if given the chance.
The question for the Senators will be can they score enough to get them back to the playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup once again. Their top few scoring forwards in Mike Hoffman, Turris and Mark Stone all registered over 20 goals and 50 points last season, but after that their offensive depth falls off a cliff. Brassard was held to just 39 points in his first year with the team, while the high-priced Bobby Ryan scored just 13 goals. While Ryan played to a higher level in the postseason, it will be imperative for him to provide some elite wing play once again if this team is to really compete.
The loss of Clarke MacArthur this training camp—the winger failed his physical and doesn’t have a clear path back to the ice—weakens their scoring depth even further to the point where they may have to rely on Alex Burrows as a top-six option. Burrows of course is a former 30-goal man, but is now 36 years old and hasn’t cracked 35 points in the last five seasons. It may be a struggle at times for the Senators on the powerplay as well, after finishing 24th in the league last season even with the elite play of Karlsson.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images