With the puck dropping on a new NHL season this Saturday, TSN.ca presents '30 Teams In 30 Days,' a quick glimpse at each NHL club as the 2008-09 campaign approaches. Get the lowdown on every lineup, storylines to follow and Scott Cullen's fantasy analysis. The focus is now on Canada's six NHL teams, and it continues today with the Ottawa Senators.
For the Senators, the 2007-08 season was supposed to be their time. They were the team that would shake off the so-called "Stanley Cup Hangover" that seemed to befall the NHL's runner up each year for the past decade. They had a high octane offence, a rock solid defence, strong goaltending and an owner that was willing to pay the price to give his team the best chance to win.
So what went wrong in the Nation's Capital?
The Senators entered the season as prohibitive favourites to come out of the East and play for the Cup for the second straight year. Those expectations immediately seemed justified as Ottawa rocketed out of the gates, going 15-2-0 over the first month and a half. Suddenly, the team was drawing comparisons to the great Montreal Canadiens teams of the 1970's. The question was no longer if the Sens would win the Conference - it was by how much.
And it wasn't so much that the Sens were winning games - it was how they were demoralizing opponents in the process. The top line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley was near unstoppable. The defence, anchored by shutdown tandem Anton Volchenkov and Chris Phillips was near impenetrable, while the team was receiving better than anticipated goaltending from Martin Gerber. With Ray Emery starting the season on the IR recovering from wrist surgery, Gerber seized the number one position. By the time Emery returned, it had become clear that he was no longer the first choice in net.
Unfortunately for the Sens, that's when the season began to turn.
Instead of choosing to accept his fate, or work harder to reclaim what he believed was rightfully his, Emery sulked. Things came to a head in December when head coach John Paddock sent him home from practice. Paddock originally claimed that Emery was sick, but later admitted that the keeper was banished for showing up late.
The situation repeated itself in January, as Emery once again failed to attend the team's first practice following the All-Star break in Long Island. Emery was fined for his tardiness, donating the money to a children's hospital in Ottawa. The team hoped that the situation had resolved itself.
But the situation appeared to get even worse. Emery was caught on camera fighting with teammates Chris Neil and Brian McGrattan on separate occasions. Rumours spread about Emery's social life and his disruptive presence in the dressing room. The tension started to weigh on the team's shoulders as they began to plummet down the standings in the Eastern Conference.
Nagging injuries also plagued the team, as Alfredsson, Spezza, Heatley, Volchenkov and Mike Fisher all missed time. In an attempt to jump start the offence, the team acquired Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore from the Hurricanes in exchange for Joe Corvo and Patrick Eaves. The trade did not have the desired effect as the slide continued.
At the deadline, Ottawa picked up Martin Lapointe to bring in some veteran leadership and grit. Once again, the move didn't work out as planned and suddenly there was a risk that the team that was once considered invincible would miss the postseason all together.
By late February, management had seen enough as GM Bryan Murray fired Paddock and returned behind the bench with 18 games remaining in the season. Murray managed to get the runaway train back on the rails long enough to secure a playoff berth, but Alfredsson and Fisher both suffered significant injuries in the second-last game of the regular season against the hated Maple Leafs.
The team limped in to the playoffs on a low. Things did not get any better as the Senators were cannon fodder for the high flying Penguins in the first round. They were outscored 16-5 in a four game sweep. Stay-at-home defenceman Commodore led the team in post-season scoring while Heatley and Spezza combined for only a pair of assists. All that was left of Ottawa's playoff run was an ill-advised pre-game pep talk by an actor dressed as a Roman centurion.
What was supposed to be the Senators' crowning achievement turned into their winter of discontent. It was clear that the torch had been passed in the Eastern Conference and the Senators were on the outside looking in when it came to elite teams in the NHL.
General Manager: Bryan Murray (2nd season)
Head Coach: Craig Hartsburg (1st season)
2007-08 Record: 43-31-8 (7th in Conference)
Points Leader: Jason Spezza - 92
Goals Leader: Dany Heatley - 41
Assists Leader: Jason Spezza - 58
PIM Leader: Chris Neil - 199
Plus/Minus Leader: Dany Heatley - 33
PP Goals Leader: Dany Heatley - 13
SH Goals Leader: Daniel Alfredsson - 7
What they Did: After an embarrassing playoff exit, Murray went about dismantling a group that had been guilty of massive underachievement. Long serving defenceman Wade Redden was allowed to leave via free agency after the team had attempted to trade him multiple times the season previous. Emery was bought out by the team and ended up joining the Russian League. Deadline acquisitions Stillman, Lapointe and Commodore also departed. In an attempt to instill an atmosphere of hard work, discipline and responsibility, the organization hired Craig Hartsburg as the team's new head coach to whip what appeared to be a mentally fragile team into shape. Those characteristics carried over to player acquisitions, as the team signed former Oilers captain Jason Smith away from the Flyers. Jarkko Ruutu, who helped the Penguins eliminate the Senators, was also signed while Alex Auld was added to replace Emery as Gerber's backup. When Andrej Meszaros' contract demands got too high, the team found a willing buyer in the Tampa Bay Lightning and were able to acquire defenceman Filip Kuba, prospect Alex Picard and a first round draft pick for the disgruntled blueliner. Ottawa also re-upped Antoine Vermette and Shean Donovan, while picking up depth players such as Brad Isbister and Ryan Shannon. All in all it was a complete facelift for a team that expected to contend.
What To Watch For: The Senators compatibility will be tested immediately as they open the season in Stockholm against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Anaheim Ducks complained voraciously last year that their trip to England to open the season against the Kings affected them adversely for the first month. The Senators cannot allow that to happen to them or else they could find themselves buried deep in the Eastern conference quagmire, fighting for a playoff berth. The Senators' core is looking to rebound after an embarrassing season-ending collapse. Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson are all signed for at least the next three seasons. This group has been together for awhile, but has yet to deliver the ultimate goal to Senators fans or management; if the team struggles, expect one of them - most likely Spezza - to be traded before the end of his contract.
Ottawa continues to search for secondary scoring beyond the "Pizza Line." The hope is that players such as Fisher, Vermette, Chris Kelly and to a lesser degree Nick Foligno to pick up the offensive slack. If not, look for the team to once again attempt to acquire a Top Six forward prior to the trade deadline or perhaps bring in a low risk free agent forward such as Glen Murray or Mark Parrish. Ruutu, Chris Neil, Dean McAmmond and Shean Donovan provide ample depth on checking lines, while players such as Jesse Winchester and Cody Bass will attempt to crack the roster somewhere.
The Senators' blueline has been considered among the top unit in the league since the lockout. But there are definite question marks heading into the season. While Volchenkov and Phillips remain one of the leagues top shutdown combos, there are worries about the group's overall ability to move the puck out of their own zone. Redden will be missed for his ability to make the first pass. With the loss of Joe Corvo at the trade deadline and the departure of Meszaros, the team is without a true power play quarterback. Alfredsson will likely assume the duties, but the team hopes that Brian Lee will be able to take over that role. If not, the potential is there for the newly acquired Kuba will be able to handle the responsibility. Perhaps the team's most astute move was bringing the fiery Smith into the dressing room. He's the type of leader that is not afraid to set a teammate straight if he doesn't appear to be giving maximum effort. He is exactly the type of personality that the blueline has been missing since Zdeno Chara began collecting his checks in Boston.
After shifting between forward and defence for the past two seasons, this could be a very important year for the development of Christoph Schubert. Because of his size and skating ability, the German-born defender could be a very dangerous element of the team's once-potent power play. If he remains a full time defenceman, he should be able to flourish with the extra ice time available.
The age old question in Ottawa remains - will the goaltending be good enough to contend? While Gerber shone in the early going last year, his play began to slide when Emery re-entered the scene to challenge his No. 1 status. Emery's Russian sojourn means that Gerber is now the defacto No. 1 in Ottawa. The team's fortunes will rest on his shoulders. But which keeper will they be getting? The one who looked unbeatable in the early going, or the one that looked extremely shaky down the stretch? It appeared that another potential goaltending controversy was avoided after the Senators kicked the tires on Nikolai Khabibulin before settling on Alex Auld. If Gerber struggles, the Sens will hope that Auld plays like the goalie that won 33 games for the Canucks in 2005-06 instead of the one that was demoted by the Panthers the following season. While Jeff Glass and Brian Elliot are in the system, both appear to be at least two years away.
Parting Shot: While the expectations of fans in the Nation's Capital have been set lower than in years, the team itself is hoping that last year's results were an aberration rather than a sign of things to come. Murray locked up a core of players that he believes is good enough to challenge for the Stanley Cup, deciding to largely stand pat in the offseason. With a pair of teams that missed the playoffs (Lightning, Sabres) reloading and teams such as the Canadiens, Capitals, Flyers, Bruins and Penguins on the rise, making the postseason for a 12th straight time is not a lock. The Senators can score with any team in the league - but the key to their season will be their ability to keep pucks out of their own net. With an impatient owner and a fan base seemingly constantly on a razor's edge between elation and panic, it could become a very uncomfortable situation should the team not get out of the gate quickly. This will likely be the current core's last shot at the Cup. If the team underachieves once again, watch for either Murray or one of the Big Three to pay the price.