The best part about this time of year is every team has a shot.
Sure, some teams will be labelled as preseason favourites but really, there’s a reason they play an 82 game regular season and four rounds of playoff hockey. Being the best team on paper in the month of September certainly doesn’t equate to a shiny trophy in mid-June.
And while not all of us see this upcoming season unfolding the same way, the reality is none of us knows for sure. Whether you’re the type of fan that approaches a new season with blind enthusiasm, cautious optimism or serious concern, nobody can predict exactly how this new year will unfold.
And that’s what makes it so exciting. That’s why we’ve all been counting down the days till the start of Camp since the middle of the summer.
But looking ahead to the new year, there are plenty of reasons to believe this might be a much better season for the Ottawa Senators. Because really, can it get much worse? The Sens aren’t getting a whole lot of love in some of the early forecasts but internally, it’s clear this team expects to be back in the playoff mix in April 2017.
Here are nine reasons to believe the 2016/2017 season could be a good one in the Nation’s Capital.
Guy Boucher
I know, I know. You never really know what you’re going to get with a new Head Coach. Dave Cameron has been a Head Coach at all levels of hockey and he couldn’t get much out of this team last year. But there’s just something about Guy Boucher that has me believing the Sens are in great hands. He seems like the perfect mix of intelligent, demanding and open-minded. Three qualities you need to be a successful Head Coach in today’s game. He’s known as motivator and someone who is able to get the best out of his players. Oh and it helps that he’s been preparing for this return to the NHL for the last four years. I’m confident no Head Coach will be as well-prepared as Guy Boucher.
The Rest of the Coaching Staff
The addition of Guy Boucher occupied the majority of the off-season headlines but after Boucher, the Senators have assembled a great collection of Coaches, each with extensive experience and all eager to get a shot behind an NHL bench. Marc Crawford in particular is such a huge addition to the staff. Having a Coach with a Cup ring to his name and an extensive track record will be a bonus for the team and a big help to Boucher. And like Boucher, he’s keen to prove he can still coach in this league. Along with Boucher and Crawford, they also added experienced guys in Martin Raymond, Rob Cookson and Pierre Groulx plus the presence of Daniel Alfredsson and it’s as strong as the Senators have looked behind the bench in years.
Improved Special Teams
There are plenty of reasons the Senators struggled last year but nothing lost them more games than dreadful special teams play (26th on the power play, 29th on the penalty kill). Boucher comes in with a reputation as a power play specialist, known for playing an up-tempo pace with the man advantage. Derick Brassard was one of the best Rangers on the power play and Ottawa’s line up is already filled with high-end talent (Karlsson, Hoffman, Stone, Ryan, Turris, Phaneuf) that should be more than enough for a decent power play. Chris Kelly and Dion Phaneuf should help the penalty kill. Okay, I don’t know that they’ll be better in this area but I’m pretty confident they can’t be worse. Even a middle of the road PP and PK would push the Senators close to playoff contention.
A Healthy Kyle Turris and Clarke MacArthur
There are going to be injuries over the course of the season. It happens to everyone and it will happen to Ottawa again this season. But as of this moment, the Senators are completely healthy. And that means they’ll be adding a first line centre and top six winger to the team that stumbled for the majority of last year. Kyle Turris played through a injury for a good 20 games and it’s no coincidence that it was during that stretch that the wheels sort of fell off for the Sens. MacArthur is obviously a bit of a wild card but by all accounts he’s at 100% health heading into Camp and eager to get his career back on track. Those are pretty significant pieces to add to the line up.
The Addition of Derick Brassard
Regardless of what you think about the trade in general, there’s certainly no debating the benefit of adding Derick Brassard to Ottawa’s top six. A left-handed play-making centre is something the Senators have been missing for a long time and they were finally able to address the need this off-season. He’ll be a huge help on the power play and on paper seems like a good fit with Bobby Ryan. Ottawa’s inability to find the right fit with Ryan the last couple years has been a major issue and they hope they have that in Brassard. He led the Rangers in goals last year and finished second in points. Obviously Ottawa gave something up in the deal too but anytime you can add a playoff team’s number one centre, you’re upgrading your line up.
Another Year of Stone and Hoffman
It’s sort of scary to think where the Senators would be had they not come up with these two gems late in the Draft in 2009 and 2010. It sort of feels like Mark Stone and Mike Hoffman have been around forever already but the reality is both guys will be entering just their third full season in the NHL. Mike Hoffman finally has the security of a long-term contract and the comfort of a friendly face behind the bench. Mark Stone already looks like one of the best right wingers in the game. These two have been great early in their careers and there’s reason to believe they have another gear to reach this season.
Contract Years in the Bottom Six
This is sort of a weird one but considering how much Ottawa’s bottom six struggled last year and how often they are pointed to as a lingering issue, I take comfort in the fact that most of Ottawa’s third and fourth line are entering a contract year. Not only does it mean they can revamp there if things go poorly but it also means those players will be extremely motivated to have a good season. Pageau, Lazar, Puempel and Dzingel are all RFAs. Smith, Kelly and Neil are UFAs. While players love long term security, from an organizational stand point there’s something to be said for having players hungry to earn that next contract. This is obviously an important season for the majority of the bottom half of the forward group.
Full Year of Dion Phaneuf
This one is talked about a lot and it seriously cannot be understated. Having Dion Phaneuf, from Day One, is a massive upgrade for what was a dreadful blueline for the majority of last year. It’s not just about having Phaneuf but just as much about the players he’s replacing. Regardless of what you think about his contract, there’s just no arguing that he’s miles ahead of the left defence options from last year. Whether it was Jared Cowen, Patrick Wiercioch or Mark Borowiecki, the Senators just didn’t get enough from that side of the ice last year. Whether he’s paired with Karlsson when the Sens need offence or if he’s skating alongside Cody Ceci, Phaneuf gives Ottawa the legitimate top four option they so desperately needed.
Erik Karlsson
First off- Erik Karlsson is always motivated. I mean, anytime you can put up 82 points as a defenceman in the best league in the world, you’re clearly doing something right. Just about everyone (outside of the mainstream media I guess) agrees that he’s the best defenceman in the game. But what’s terrifying for the rest of the league is that Karlsson seems hell-bent on taking his game to another level this season. He seems completely aware of the issues he needs to address to be an even better player- including his approach to off-season training, his all-around defensive game, and his responsibilities as a leader- and is taking the steps required to make it happen. He’s going to be fun to watch this season. Well, not for the other team I suppose.
And if you’re still not convinced, the crew at Silver Seven Sens has come up with five reasons of their own!
