Ottawa Senators: 7 Realistic Expectations for the 2011-12 NHL Season

With the NHL season starting next month, the Ottawa Senators will begin their 20th season as a reborn franchise.

After missing the playoffs in two of the past three seasons, it appears that the Stanley Cup aspirations the Senators had for 10 or so years prior have come to an end. The rebuild is officially underway in Canada's capital.

How will the remaining veterans like Daniel Alfredsson, Sergei Gonchar and Jason Spezza perform? How will the young talent like Erik Karlsson and Bobby Butler develop? How will Nikita Filatov fit into this team? Will new head coach Paul MacLean be a good fit for the team? Will there be any major trades? And perhaps most importantly, will they win many games this year?

Let's take a look at how this team will do in the upcoming NHL season.

Erik Karlsson is a reasonable expectation to represent the Ottawa Senators at the NHL All-Star Game for the second straight season. Given that Ottawa will host the All-Star Game this season, expect Daniel Alfredsson to be one of the "feel good" choices for the team.

I do not expect the league to make Alfredsson a captain like they did for Eric Staal in his home arena. To have Mr. Senator play in one last All-Star Game at home would be a great moment for fans of the team.

Trade rumours have surrounded Jason Spezza for several years, and it should be no different this year.

The one difference, though, is that one of these rumours will come true.

Spezza will be traded either sometime during the season or at the NHL Draft in June.

While Spezza's $7.5 million cap hit and drop in production make him a tough trade target, there should be no shortage of teams looking to add a first-line centre. The two biggest rumoured destinations in years past were the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings. Both of those teams found centres from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Off the top of my head, I think that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers or Winnipeg Jets could use a smooth playmaker down the middle.

This is not a knock against Craig Anderson. He played unreal after being acquired by the Colorado Avalanche in February 2011.

Anderson's 11-5-1 record with a 2.05 GAA and a .939 save percentage for the Ottawa Senators were simply amazing but are unsustainable. His numbers should come back down to earth next year and be closer to the 2.63 GAA and .917 save percentage he earned in 2009-10 with the Colorado Avalanche.

Bobby Butler, the 2010 finalist for the Hobby Baker Award, looked very good in the Binghamton Senators Calder Cup run last year and in his brief call-up last year. The American right-winger looks poised for a breakout season in 2011-12.

His 10 goals in 36 games with the Ottawa Senators were very respectable. He should see plenty of time on the top lines, and his goals should keep coming. 

If he stays healthy, there is no reason to think he should not score at least 25 goals. Not bad for an undrafted player!

Nikita Filatov has been one of the most enigmatic players in the NHL since being drafted sixth overall in 2008 by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ottawa General Manager Bryan Murray was credited with making a great trade when he acquired Filatov for a third-round pick at the 2011 NHL Draft, but I have my doubts. The media and fans alike were frustrated with Alexei Kovalev's inconsistencies for two years.

Expect a similar roller coaster from Filatov, who has only scored 13 points in 44 NHL games.

Paul MacLean is going to be in his first season as a full-time coach this year. He has spent the past several seasons as an assistant of Mike Babcock for both the Anaheim Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings. He most certainly learned some tricks from one of the best bench bosses on the planet.

Plus, his mustache is also very popular, and that can't hurt.

The Senators finished 26th in the NHL last year, and all of the teams they finished ahead of—the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and New York Islanders—look to improve this season.

Expect the Senators to be in the running for the first-overall draft pick in June 2012.

Make no mistake, the future looks bright for the Ottawa Senators. Unfortunately, the future is not now.