As if one set of terrible predictions wasn’t enough, I’ve decided to try my hand at some individual player predictions.
This is a lot harder than it looks. It’s tough to balance out the excitement of a new season with the reality that not everyone on the team can score 20 goals and 50 points. Also, injuries are always tough to predict so I’ve made these predictions in a sort of dream world where nobody on the roster gets hurt. And unfortunately, we know that’s not going to happen.
Anyway, here goes nothin’…
Mark Stone- I’m doing my best to control my expectations about Stone this season but to be quite honest, it’s not working. He looked so damn good during his preseason appearances and looks ready to pick up where he left off last year. 30 goals 44 assists- 74 points
Erik Karlsson- He led the team in scoring last year and is going to be up there again this season. Everything the Senators do on offence, whether at 5 on 5 or on the power play (and 3 on 3, I suppose), will run through Karlsson. He’s going to have another big season- 22 goals 50 assists- 72 points
Kyle Turris- It’s amazing how quickly Turris went from high-risk gamble when the Senators acquired him from Phoenix to solid number one centre and locker room leader. I haven’t really figured out his offensive potential yet but something in the range of last year’s total seems possible. 21 goals 45 assists- 66 points
Mike Hoffman- Led the team in goals last year and is probably a good bet to do so again. I didn’t think it was possible but he actually looks another step faster and like his release is even quicker than last season. I’ve gone back and forth on this but I think he’s even better this year. 31 goals 30 assists- 61 points
Bobby Ryan- The great unknown in Ottawa’s top six. Came into this season in better shape and eager to put that ugly finish to last year behind him. Ottawa management keeps talking about the need for another top six but that need disappears pretty quickly if Bobby Ryan starts producing. 25 goals 35 assists- 60 points
Mika Zibanejad- Another guy who didn’t have an ideal training camp and according to rumblings around the team, really didn’t show up in good shape to start the year. Not a big deal but the Sens need a productive Zibanejad to help balance out the scoring. 24 goals 31 assists- 55 points
Clarke MacArthur- A concussion scare in preseason certainly wasn’t how he was hoping to start his year. Having MacArthur in the line up really allows Cameron to balance out the second and third lines. If he stays healthy, a 20 goal/40 point season is certainly reasonable. 20 goals 21 assists- 41 points
Milan Michalek- Any prediction for Michalek has to come with the “if he stays healthy” disclaimer. Michalek was playing some of his best hockey down the stretch last year before an injury forced him to miss a bunch of games. He’s no longer a top six lock but it looks like he’ll still get time on the power play. If he stays healthy… 16 goals 22 assists- 38 points
Patrick Wiercioch- In and out of the line up under Paul MacLean, Wiercioch is finally going to be a regular this year. And he’ll be relied on heavily to provide some offensive support to Erik Karlsson. He’s going to get a ton of power play time and really seems ready for a breakout season. 9 goals 28 assists- 37 points
Jean Gabriel Pageau- I find this one especially difficult. We’ve always seen flashes of what Pageau can do when given the chance but this will be our first chance to see him for a full season. He’s not going to get much, if any power play time but he should be a staple on that third line. This one really depends on whether or not that new third line finds the same chemistry as the old one. 14 goals 22 assists- 36 points
Curtis Lazar- Still having a hard time determining exactly what Lazar’s offensive potential really is. He played such a “safe” game in his first year in the NHL that I don’t think we really had much of a chance to see what he can do with the puck on his stick. I think we’ll see a little more of that this year. And if he gets a chance to play in the top six from time to time, he could produce a little more than expected. 13 goals 20 assists- 33 points
Alex Chiasson- His first season in Ottawa wasn’t exactly what he was hoping for and neither was that off season arbitration award. Chiasson will want to cash in a little bit on his next deal so he should be a motivated player this year. He’s been getting the odd chance on the power play too. 12 goals 18 assists- 30 points
Cody Ceci- Another defenceman who will be expected to take a step forward this season. He’s going to play big minutes on that second pairing and looks ready for the increased responsibility. His offensive ceiling is probably pretty limited but he’ll improve on last year’s numbers- 6 goals 23 assists- 29 points
Marc Methot- Playing alongside Erik Karlsson most of the year, Methot is bound to pick up a few points. Was watching him a little bit in the preseason and he actually seems to be shooting a bit more than usual. Will give Karlsson a little more room and mean a few more points for Methot- 4 goals 25 assists- 29 points
Shane Prince- Prince seems like the 13th forward at this stage but he should still get a chance to play up the line up from time to time, including on that third line with Pageau and Lazar. He obviously has great offensive instincts but it’s just not clear how much ice time he’ll get in year one. 8 goals 18 assists- 26 points
Chris Wideman- Wideman is going to be expected to provide a little bit of offence from the back end but to start the season anyway, he looks like he’s 7th on the depth chart. It won’t take Wideman long to get into the line up though and when he plays, he should be able to put up points. 6 goals 18 assists- 24 points
Zack Smith- He’s the fourth line centre to start the season and actually had a pretty solid camp. His offensive upside is pretty limited but he showed flashes of being a more confident player during the preseason. 9 goals 13 assists- 21 points
Chris Neil- Looked a step faster in the preseason but is still a 12th or 13th forward at this stage of his career. He’ll be in and out of the line up most of the season but should be slightly more productive than what we saw last season. 9 goals 6 assists- 15 points
Jared Cowen- Offensive upside is pretty limited obviously and looks like he’ll be playing a decreased role on the third pairing this year. Cowen’s success this year won’t be measure by his ability to put up points but rather his play in his own end of the rink. 4 goals 10 assists- 14 points
Mark Borowiecki- Another player who’s primarily going to be judged by how he performs in his own end of the rink. Again, pretty limited offensive upside. Quite confident he’ll finish the season with more fights than goals. 3 goals 10 assists- 13 points
I look forward to revisiting these wildly inaccurate predictions at the end of the season. Feel free to leave your own in the comment section below.
Also….
ONE MORE DAY!
