As we all eagerly await some updates related to any of the team’s remaining restricted free agents in Mike Hoffman, Cody Ceci and Matt Puempel, let’s briefly direct our attention towards next season.
Obviously there’s still a ways to go until the start of the 2016/2017 campaign but for the most part, the roster is set. We know the Coaching staff. And for the most part, we know what the team will look like when the games start for real in October.
While we know a lot there are still handful of unanswered questions. It’s going to be a couple months before we get answers but that shouldn’t stop us from discussing them on an otherwise quiet day in July.
Ten questions about next year’s team:
-Is this the year Mika Zibanejad finally breaks out? – This one probably sounds familiar. Zibanejad has gradually improved his production each year in the NHL yet fans are still waiting for Mika to really break out.
-Is Clarke MacArthur healthy?- The answer to this one will go a long way towards deciding if this is a playoff team next year. A healthy MacArthur gives the Sens a pretty good looking top six. Without him, the forward group looks a little thin.
-Can Guy Boucher fix the power play?- One of the huge selling points on the Boucher hire was his ability to run a power play. He likes things fast with the man advantage and that seems to suit the Sens line up. An improved power play would almost certainly put Ottawa in the playoff mix.
-Is this Mike Hoffman’s last year in Ottawa? We’ll have an answer to this one well before the season starts with an arbitration date set for August 4th. I still think they get something done long term but until the ink is dry on a new deal, this question will linger.
-Does a full year of Dion Phaneuf cure Ottawa’s defensive woes? On paper, the change from Wiercioch/Cowen to Phaneuf is a significant upgrade but is it enough the cure the blueline issues that were a problem all of last season?
-Is Cody Ceci a top four defenceman? This question comes up about 10 times a day in the comment section and it’s because the answer wil have a huge impact on next year’s team. If he’s ready to be a reliable second pairing option, the blueline is in good shape. If not, defensive woes could be an issue again this year.
-Where does Curtis Lazar fit in the line up? With the addition of Chris Kelly, it seems like the Senators have a plan for the 4th l centre position that doesn’t involve Curtis Lazar. So is he a third line RW? Or is a Binghamton stint a real possibility?
-Matt Puempel? Nick Paul? Ryan Dzingel? Of these three, which one can seperate from the pack and be an everyday an NHLer?There seems to be room for one of them right now. Important training camp and preseason for these three.
-Is Thomas Chabot ready? Management has talked about wanting to add one more defenceman but have also said their willing to hold off especially if Chabot is ready to make the jump. The league is tough for young defenceman but the brief look we got last year showed that Chabot may be up to the challenge.
-What can Erik Karlsson do for an encore? EK65 put up 82 points last season and was by far the best defenceman in the league. And then this off season he said he wanted to take his game to another level. So 100 points then er?
