When goaltender Craig Anderson went down with a freak hand injury, Bryan Murray was forced to make a move to a shore up his suddenly suspect goaltending.
Murray snagged Ben Bishop from the St. Louis Blues and when Anderson returned healthy and ready to play, a perceived area of weakness for the Sens had quickly become a strength. Ottawa now has three NHL-quality goaltenders that will fight for two jobs with the big club next season.
How the Senators handle the crowded crease will be one of the many interesting storylines this off season.
While some local writers would have you believe Craig Anderson should be moved, I really can’t see it. Anderson was a rock for the Sens this season and was their best player during a first round series with the New York Rangers. It’s far more likely the Senators would entertain the idea of moving Ben Bishop or Robin Lehner.
The latter may surprise some people but I’ve heard that is at least a consideration for the organization this off season.
The 20 year old Swede is coming off a rough year in Binghamton where his focus and work ethic was called into question. Although it’s hard to blame the kid when you consider he was a Calder Cup Champion and playoff MVP at the age of 19. Lehner is a blue chip prospect and would fetch a solid return should the Senators decide to go down that path.
Moving Bishop is also an option but obviously the return wouldn’t be quite as strong.
It’s important to note that the Sens do not have to make a move here. They are more than willing to go into the season with three guys fighting for the available ice time with the big club.
How would you like to see the Sens handle the goaltending situation heading into next year?
- During his post season wrap up, Bryan Murray indicated that he would like to add a shutdown type defenceman and another goal scoring forward. Don’t be surprised if the Senators pursue defenceman Marc Methot of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Methot has three seasons left at $3 mil a year and is from the Ottawa area.
- Have had a few people ask for a recap blog from my trip to New York City for Game 7 so I'll try to have something up tomorrow. A little dated at this point but should still make for an interesting read.
