The Ottawa Senators injury luck was historically bad in 2012-13, and yet coach Paul McLean managed to make the Sens the NHL’s surprise team. Expectations were low even before Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza and Craig Anderson went down, but the young Senators refused to be pushed around in a very tough Northeast Division. With their stars healthy and joined by Bobby Ryan, the sky is the limit for the Senators in this season.
2012 Norris winner Karlsson and perennial team-scoring leader Spezza combined for just 22 regular season appearances. In their absence Anderson emerged as an elite netminder, but he was limited to just 24 games by a nagging ankle injury. Without his three best players available, Paul McLean did more to earn the Jack Adams Award than most recent recipients.
The Senators were a defensive juggernaut, allowing the second fewest goals in the NHL. They were even better on the penalty kill, managing a league-best 88% success rate. The offense was not nearly as good, but that’s to be expected when you have two point-per-game players rehabilitating injuries all season.
Spezza is a truly elite center and Karlsson is the most dynamic offensive-defenseman that the NHL has seen in years. Don’t forget the Sens leading goal-scorer from 2012, Milan Michalek, also missed the majority of last season’s games with injuries of his own.
Rest assured that there is plenty of offense in Ottawa, it just wasn’t on the ice last season. The Senators only added to their armada by dealing for Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan. The 26-year-old American has scored 30-plus goals in each full season of his career. Ryan ought to be Ottawa’s best top-line scoring winger since Dany Heatley. Coming at the relatively affordable cost of 2013 rookie Jakob Silfverberg, prospect Stefan Noesen and a first round pick, this trade could be a home run.
Sens’ GM Bryan Murray made the move just hours after their long time captain, Daniel Alfredsson, signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Ryan can easily replace Alfredsson’s scoring output, but he won’t be able to provide the same kind of leadership. It will be key for someone in Ottawa to step up and fill the locker room void.
Veteran guidance will be crucial for the Senators host of talented young players. The team’s top two returning scorers, Kyle Turris and Mika Zibanejad, are aged just 24 and 20 respectively. Turris’s 2013 numbers are identical to the set from his 49 game 2011-12 season, suggesting that he is settling into his game rather than racing towards super-stardom. Zibanejad on the other hand has a very bright future.
The Swedish forward only scratched the surface of his immense talent as a rookie. In fact, the powerful scorer bears some resemblance to a young Daniel Alfredsson. A 20-goal season is well within reach for the 2011 sixth-overall pick.
Midseason trade acquisition Corey Conacher and rapidly developing blueliner Patrick Wiercioch should have strong seasons ahead. Conacher showed a knack for goal-scoring in Tampa Bay before heading north in exchange for Ben Bishop. The pocket-sized forward already looks to be an effective top-six winger. Meanwhile, Sergei Gonchar‘s exit should benefit Wiericioch’s ice time significantly.
The Sens will have plenty of confidence in their goaltending situation. Craig Anderson led the league in both goals-against average (1.69) and save percentage (.941) in 2013. If the potential American Olympic puck-stopper gets hurt or needs a rest, the young Robin Lehner should be up to the task. The 22-year-old was very competent in 12 outings last season.
The Senators 2013 postseason was very encouraging until they ran into the Pittsburgh Penguins in the conference semifinals. After steam-rolling the division champion Canadiens, the Sens defense disappeared or was simply overpowered by Sidney Crosby and company. The Senators surrendered 13 goals in the final two games of the series.
The postseason can be a difficult animal to tame for young teams, and it should get easier with time. The Senators may yet be a year or two away from truly challenging for the first championship, but they should have a very strong regular season in store.
Following realignment, they now inhabit the Atlantic Division along with all three of the 2013 Northeast Division teams that joined them in the playoffs. In addition to the challenge posed by the Bruins, Canadiens and Maple Leafs, Ottawa must now wrestle with the Detroit Red Wings.
It will certainly be awkward to see Daniel Alfredsson take the ice at the Canadian Tire Centre in a Wings jersey, but the Senators just might get the last laugh. “Alfie” left the Sens in search of a better shot at the Cup, but now he won’t be part of arguably the best Ottawa team since the one that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2007.
The Senators love to prove people wrong, and they’ll have plenty of doubters in the brutal Atlantic this season. However, I wouldn’t be shocked if they pulled off another surprise and snapped up their first division title since 2006.
