When you think about the Ottawa Senators’ blueline, it’s only natural that your mind would immediately focus in on Erik Karlsson.
The two-time Norris Trophy winner is the engine that drives this team and with the exception of perhaps Craig Anderson, is the most important player on the team’s roster. Regularly playing as many as 30 minutes a night, Karlsson is one of the top defenceman in the game right now and as the Captain, has often shown that he’s capable of putting this team on his shoulders. Yet without a competent defence partner, Karlsson has often looked almost ordinary.
And that’s why a strong season from Marc Methot is crucial to the Senators’ success this season.
Last year was sort of a strange season for Methot. He missed the first couple months with a mysterious back ailment that coincided with an awkward if not ugly contract negotiation.
Playing the final year of his contract, Methot was keen to get that contract extension done but some public back and forth between the two sides derailed the talks to the point where it looked like a trade was a legitimate possibility.
He played two games in early December and then suffered a set back and was not seen again until the start of January. Whether it was a case of the team’s training staff making a mistake, Methot pushing the injury a little too hard or maybe Methot not pushing it hard enough, it became an awkward situation for the Senators as they attempted to answer questions about exactly why the team’s second best defenceman couldn’t play on a regular basis.
He was finally able to stay healthy for about a month early in 2015 and not surprisingly. contract talks picked up once again. The two sides finally agreed to a four year, $19.6 million extension in early February. It was incredible how fast this went from the biggest story surrounding the team to a complete non-issue once they put pen to paper on a new deal.
The reality is it was Methot’s return (and the Coaching change) that seemed to light a fire under this hockey team.
It provided Karlsson with a capable defence partner which he just didn’t have on a regular basis in the first half of the year. He finally had a partner who could look after his own end when Karlsson decided to go on the attack but at the same time, handle hard passes, especially at the offensive blueline. Possession is key in today’s game and having Methot out there with Karlsson meant that the Senators were able to maintain control of the puck in a lot of situations they were losing it in the first half of the season.
Patrick Wiercioch may be an option to take some shifts with Karlsson but the reality is this hockey team needs Methot in the lineup to be successful. He’s not going to blow anybody away with his offensive abilities but he’s solid in his own end and has been a stabilizing presence for Karlsson when he’s in the line up. He’ll regularly play 20+ minutes a night including important time on the team’s penalty kill.
While Erik Karlsson will always be the first name you think of on this team’s blueline, Marc Methot’s health and overall performance will be crucial to any success the Sens are going to have in 2015/2016.
