Ottawa Senators

Daniel Alfredsson has spent each of his first 16 seasons with the Ottawa Senators. Tuesday, he announced that he will return for a 17th.

Alfredsson has spent the offseason at home in Sweden but had been in contact with the Senators throughout the summer months. The Swede said that this was the right time to make the decision.

"I could probably have made my mind up a little quicker if I felt the team needed to know for whatever reason, but I also feel this is a good time. The training the last two weeks has gone into another phase, more heavy lifting, and that's gone well. I probably could have waited for another month [to decide], but this feels right," Alfredsson said in his interview with NHL.com.

The 39-year-old winger also told the Senators he could be coming into camp stronger than last season.

"My body feels a lot further ahead of where it was last year at this point," he said. "I expect to come into camp fitter and stronger than I did last year."

Obviously, the Sens are pleased to have their captain back for another year, especially if he can compete at a high level.

"I'm very, very excited," said Senators general manager Bryan Murray. "We hoped for this all along but to get it confirmed, I think, is great for the franchise and great for the city. Certainly, I know it’s going to be great for our young players because he’s a leader and a mentor for a number of them. If they’ll follow his work ethic, we know we’ll be a competitive team."

The Senators have some very talented young players, including Norris Trophy winner, Erik Karlsson.

Alfredsson will captain the team that finished eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Sens took the New York Rangers to seven games before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

With an improved roster and the return of Alfredsson, are the Senators the favorite in the Northeast Division?

The Senators haven't won the Northeast Division since the 2005-06 season, when they finished with 113 points.

The Boston Bruins have laid claim to the top spot in the division but will be without star goaltender Tim Thomas next season.

Still, the Bruins pack a talented front line with guns like Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic and David Krejci.

Couple that front line with a sturdy blue line anchored by Zdeno Chara and you've got a talented team in Boston.

Sens/B's Story Lines

Goaltending:

Can Tuukka Rask be the every day goaltender the Bruins want him to be?

Who will be the better goaltender in Ottawa? Ben Bishop or Craig Anderson?

Offense:

Does Alfredsson have what it takes to lead the Senator offense?

Can Jason Spezza stay hot (84 points in 2011-12)?

Who will be the break out guy for Boston? Seguin? Lucic? Brad Marchand? Nathan Horton?

Defense:

Can Erik Karlsson earn his big contract in 2012-13?

How will the Bruins defense handle not having one of the best goaltenders in the league behind them?

And, the biggest question: Is this the year the Senators get back to the top of the Northeast Division?

There were minor rumblings a while back that the Ottawa Senators were making a very strong pitch to Scott Howson and the Columbus Blue Jackets to gain the services of winger Rick Nash.

That has slowly died down, but with the Nash sweepstakes always on the go you never know what might happen.

At the moment, it seems like the Ottawa Senators have left that alone and have turned their attention to other players throughout the league.

One of these players is Anaheim Ducks winger, Bobby Ryan.

He has been the subject of trade rumours all the way back into last year and has since asked for a trade out of Anaheim—and out of the surrounding trade controversy involving him.

Ryan told Randy Miller of Courier Post Online that:

"I take things personally. Anaheim to me has been a team over the past year that really has shown me nothing to prove that they want me here, unfortunately. Obviously, it's not the ideal situation. I gotta be honest with you. At this point, I don't care. Move me ... because it's just tough going to the rink every day knowing that if something goes wrong, you're going to be the guy moved."

With these comments made just over two weeks ago, it seems like a deal has to be done in the somewhat near future. The Senators are now a team that is rumoured to be interested in the disgruntled Duck.

As Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reported:

"While the Senators believe top prospects Jacob Silfverberg and Mark Stone and newly-signed winger Guillaume Latendresse are going to battle for spots, don't be surprised if Ottawa is in the Ryan sweepstakes."

Garrioch also noted that sources believe Ottawa is one of the teams thought to make an offer to the Ducks for Ryan, who may be looking for a defenceman after losing Justin Schultz.

The Senators are still under the cap floor and will need to find someone to get them there. Picking up Ryan's $5.1 million contract will help them do that.

It will also benefit the Anaheim Ducks, who will eventually need extra cap space to sign Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf to new contracts.

With the Senators' previous interest in Rick Nash, it comes as no surprise that they are in the market to acquire a top level player at the forward position.

With that in mind, there is also talk that the Senators could be one of the teams that make the gamble on former Washington Capital Alexander Semin.

Semin is considered the top free agent left to be signed after making $6.7 million last year in Washington. Amid speculation that he may have been leaving North America for the KHL, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period tweeted the following:

CSKA (KHL team) has an offer on the table for Semin, but so do several NHL clubs. Told by very reliable source, Semin wants to be in NHL.

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 5, 2012

It seems that if teams do not step up to the plate, Semin may have no choice but to take the deal in Russia. The Senators, however, do seem to be one of those teams that could be interested.

Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun relays part of a message that was received from Semin's agent, Mark Gandler:

"In an email to the Sun Friday, Gandler stated that he thinks Semin 'would fit very nicely in Ottawa' and would 'want to play there under the right circumstances.' He refused to comment as to whether or not the Senators had contacted him about Semin."

Brennan also believes, just as the Bobby Ryan trade would accomplish, that Semin can fill the gap the Ottawa Senators have to hit the cap floor:

"All Semin would really cost them is money they need to spend."

Semin has shown to be an offensive force in the league, putting up 90 points in the 2006-07 season. He has yet to play in a full season–with the most games being played set at 77– putting him in the category of being an injury-prone player.

Having the likes of Chris Neal in the lineup may take out the chance of opponents taking unnecessary shots at him, however.

There is no denying that Semin has talent; he has scored 30 or more goals three times already in his short career. If he and Jason Spezza could find chemistry together it could be dangerous, and it would be a very welcome addition to any Senators fan.

Although the Senators are not the only team interested in each of these players, they will likely make a strong push if they consider the price too high on Nash or if they do not see themselves as a fit for him.

Bobby Ryan provides size and strength coupled with very good offensive skills. A player like him would be a welcome addition on any team. He is tough to play against when he is on his game.

As for Semin, he would be a good fit for the team if they can get a fair price for him in a short-term deal. If they can make sure that he stays focused on the game, he can be as dangerous as anybody when it comes to scoring goals and providing offence.

Each of these players would add to the Ottawa Senators team and it should be expected that they will make a push for one or the other. There is too much noise surrounding the team recently that they are likely to stay put until the start of the year.

When the Phoenix Coyotes drafted Kyle Turris number three overall in 2007, the team had high hopes that by 2012 he'd be a point-per-game player centering the team's top line.

Alas, that isn't the case.

Despite boasting a wicked snap shot and fantastic hockey awareness along with good two-way prowess, Turris never clicked in Arizona, only scoring 46 points in 134 games with the Coyotes.

A dispute over a new contract proved to be the last straw for Phoenix, and on the 17th December, 2011, he was sent to Ottawa in exchange for prospect David Rundblad and a second round pick.

However, ever since arriving in the Canadian capital, Turris' fortunes have taken a turn for the better.

Finding his niche as Ottawa's second line centre, Turris played 49 games for the Senators last season, putting up 29 points in 49 games whilst having a plus-12 plus/minus rating.

He also contributed three points during Ottawa's seven game play-off run.

Year one in Ontario was a good start for the 22-year-old, but next year Turris has to step up his game even more.

Despite being seen as being in the midst of a rebuild, the Senators surprised many last year by finishing the season eighth in the Eastern conference and taking the number one seeded New York Rangers to seven games in late April.

Behind resurgent years from Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek and a breakout one from Erik Karlsson, the Senators showed they're back to being a tough team to play against.

But the team's growth is nowhere near complete as the team is still only a young team hanging around as a low play-off seed. Next season, Kyle Turris needs to make an even bigger contribution to his team.

With the talents that made him be picked number three overall five years ago, Turris needs to turn into a big complimentary piece to Spezza, Karlsson and the Sens' other stars. 

From the second line center position, Turris will look to progress upon the year he had in '11-'12 by adding to his goal scoring tallies as well as helping his teammates out both on offence and defence with his exceptional two-way play potential.

With the depth around him in Ottawa, Turris can really start to use his potential and look to put up at least a 20-goal, 50-point season.

Had he kept up his scoring pace from last year and played a full year with Ottawa, Turris would have put up 48 points in 82 games, so we know he has the ability to produce.

With another year in the system along with his continued growth as a player, Turris is capable of putting those numbers up and providing a good amount of secondary scoring to stop teams keying in on Spezza and Michalek on the top line.

However, Turris doesn't need to step up only to help the Senators score more goals.

Heading into next season, Ottawa has some questions regarding it's top six forwards.

With Nick Foligno shipped out to Columbus this offseason, the Senators, with no decision yet from Daniel Alfredsson on his retirement, only have three legitimate top-six forwards (Spezza, Michalek and Turris).

Prospects Jakob Silfverberg and Mika Zibanejad are expected to compete for the vacant positions in Ottawa's top-six, and with deals for other top-six forwards like Rick Nash or Bobby Ryan looking unlikely, the Senators are in somewhat of a difficult situation.

What this team needs is for Turris to step up, mature and not only become a key player on the ice, considering the team will need to replace Foligno's 47-point production as a secondary scorer from somewhere, but also keep his head down and not become a distraction like he did in Glendale.

Turris is extremely talented and showed a good amount of promise in Ottawa last year, but this year is the year where he needs to take the next step as a player; he needs to continue to develop his game, live up to his potential as a scorer and two-way center and cement himself as a key part of Ottawa's progress as a team.

Lewis Hughes should have been born in Canada. Still, he tweets from his home in the UK usually about hockey. Follow him at https://twitter.com/lah_8

Position: C

Height/Weight: 6'2"/174 lbs.

Shoots: Right

DOB: 3/4/1994

Youth Team: Hamilton Junior Bulldogs

Current Team: Owen Sound (OHL)

Sometimes, there are extenuating circumstances that prevent a player from being taken as early as he should in the NHL draft, and Owen Sound forward Jarrod Maidens appears to be a prime example of that. The promising pivot missed 20 games due to a hip injury in his first season with the Attack and played in just 28 games this past season due to a suspected concussion that also prevented him from competing in the top prospects game and scouting combine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZQdcFA1eIY

Despite the concerns regarding his injury, Maidens has a bright future provided he can move past the ailments that have plagued him. Maidens had some great moments last year, as he racked up 21 points in 47 games for Owen Sound and was a hero during its improbable run to the OHL championship. Maidens scored two goals in Game 7 of the championship series, including the overtime winner against Mississauga.

Maidens was off to a red-hot start this season with 23 points in 28 games before the concussion cost him the rest of the year. When Maidens is healthy, he has the type of skill set that scouts salivate over. He could afford to bulk up a bit, but he has a good frame and uses it to his advantage by going to the high-traffic areas. Maidens also has one of the most lethal shots in this year's draft, as he can pick corners with relative ease.

None of that will matter if Maidens is unable to get on the ice, though. Concussions have derailed the careers of many great players in the NHL, so for Maidens to already have a strike against him is disconcerting. On top of that, Maidens could afford to work harder along the boards and will need to put in a more consistent effort at the NHL level. Unfair or not, he has been labeled as a floater by some due to his inconsistency.

Maidens' NHL success is pretty much contingent upon his health at this point. If he proves that his injuries were nothing more than a fluke, he could be one of the biggest steals in the draft. If not, though, he will be an albatross that will go down as a wasted selection.

Position: D

Height/Weight: 6'1", 209 lbs

Shoots: Right

DOB: 12/21/1993

Youth Team: Peterborough M.H.A.

Current Team: Ottawa (OHL)

In a draft class that is stacked with defensive talent, there is no question that Cody Ceci stands out as one of the best. The 18-year-old rearguard for the OHL's Ottawa 67's is unquestionably one of the most dynamic offensive defensemen in the entire draft, and that is likely what caused so many teams to be interested throughout the draft process.

This past season, Ceci racked up an impressive 60 points in 64 regular-season games and added another 15 points in 18 playoff tilts. Ceci was absolutely dominant in that regard in Canada's top junior league, so the sky is the limit in terms of his NHL potential. He is truly capable of doing a little bit of everything on the offensive end.

Ceci is probably one of the best all-around skaters in the draft, and that is something that is integral for a defenseman at the NHL level. On top of that, he has a huge shot, which contributed to many of his points in juniors and makes him a big asset on the power play. Additionally, he is a crisp passer who can outlet as well as anyone available in the draft.

If Ceci is going to be a complete player in the NHL, however, there is no doubt that he has to work on his defensive game.

He has good size and should get bigger, but he doesn't always use it to his advantage in his own zone. Ceci could stand to be more physical with opposing players, and he also needs to learn to sacrifice his body more often in the form of blocking shots.

With that said, Ceci has the frame and the skill to do all of those things, so with another year in juniors he should be a very well-developed prospect by the time he is ready to make the jump to the NHL.

Perhaps he isn't yet as polished as guys like Mathew Dumba, Ryan Murray and Jacob Trouba, but there is a real chance that Ceci could be the best defenseman from this draft when it's all said and done.

Overwhelmed and humbled.

After winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman, Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators had difficulty to grasp nearly every word. Repeating several times “this is a special moment,” Karlsson capped two days of achievements with this often used but clearly necessary phrase.

On Tuesday, the 22-year-old native of Landsbro, Sweden inked a seven-year deal for a reported $6.5 million per year. On the next day, he collected the first Norris Trophy awarded to a member of the Ottawa Senators.

Karlsson’s award broke a near-stranglehold for the recently retired Nicklas Lidstrom of Detroit on the Norris. Since his first Norris in 2001, only three others captured the award than Lidstrom from that time.

Given his age and contribution to the Senators playoff run, Karlsson can be expected to carry much of the load at the blue line.

“After this, I want to go back and continue to work on my game,” he said. “This is a great honor and I would like to be up there for many years to come.”

Karlsson, who topped all NHL defenseman in scoring, also came in with a plus-16 rating. At 6'0", 170 pounds, he averaged 25 minutes, 17 seconds of ice time in anchoring the Ottawa defense.

“I’ve never been part of an honor this big,” he added. “You never know when you might get here again, and, right now, I just wanted to get better and work on every aspect of my game.”

Shea Weber of Nashville (1,057) finished second in a close balloting to Karlsson‘s 10.69 votes.

In the process, Karlsson became the youngest defenseman to score as many as 78 points in a season—since the Oilers‘ Paul Coffey (96) with Edmonton during the 1982-83 season.

Behind Karlsson and Weber, the Bruins’ Zdeno Chara finished third, Alex Pietrangelo of the Blues was fourth and Lidstrom placed fifth in the 2012 voting.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Mark Brown is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.com. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.



Most of the NHL superstars will have to wait until tomorrow's 2012 NHL Awards to receive their gifts, but Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson got a gift a little bit early and it wasn't the Norris Trophy. It was much bigger.

According to The Associated Press (h/t USA Today), Karlsson and the Sens came to terms on a seven-year deal worth $45.5 million and just in time. Karlsson is in Las Vegas for the 2012 NHL Awards, but the timing is even better for another reason.

The 22-year-old defenseman is getting married soon, like in-less-than-three-weeks type of soon. The contract, and the marriage for that matter, are well-deserved for the NHL's top producing defenseman.

Karlsson notched 78 points (19 goals, 59 assists) last season. His 78 points were 25 points more than any other defenseman in the league.

This is an absolutely monstrous signing for the Senators. Much like the signing of current captain and fellow Swede Daniel Alfredsson, the Senators will have a player they can continue to build a franchise around for at least the next seven years.

The Senators went back to the playoffs last year and took the New York Rangers to seven games before bowing out. Karlsson will have to stay hungry and develop into the leader that his contract wants him to be. 

So far, so good. Karlsson is taking the new contract in stride, probably due to the outstanding leadership of his captain.

Alfredsson, who could be a finalist for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy on a yearly basis, has signed a few multi-million dollar per-year deals in his decorated career, but nothing like Karlsson's. 

Still, the captain has a lot he can teach Karlsson. Alfredsson is regarded as one of the hardest working and best two-way players in the game, Karlsson has seen firsthand what strong leadership can do.

Alfredsson may be training his replacement, as well. Alfredsson has been playing for over two decades and the number of years he has left in him is dwindling.

Karlsson, meanwhile, was drafted in 2008 and has developed into arguably the best defenseman in the league (we will find out tonight). I wouldn't be surprised to see him wear the "C" on his sweater in the next couple of seasons.

With the new deal comes added pressure, Karlsson knows that. He answered all the questions correctly in his interview with Dan Rosen of NHL.com after news of the deal broke.

This is a huge signing for the Senators, as well. Well timed, too. With the NHL draft this week, the Sens know exactly what they have or don't have in cap room to deal with this offseason.

Congratulations to the Sens and to Karlsson on a deal well done. And congrats to the Swede on his upcoming marriage. May there be many successful years for you on and off the ice. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets knew if they waited for the offseason, the amount of teams looking to trade for Rick Nash would be through the roof.

They were right.

They are fielding offers from all over the NHL, and now a perfect match has emerged in the Ottawa Senators.

According to Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun, multiple sources can confirm that Ottawa is interested in the 28-year-old scoring machine.

Nash has registered at least 40 goals in two seasons and is coming off a 2011-12 season where he scored 30 goals and 29 assists for a Blue Jackets team that was by far the worst in the league.

The price tag is going to be high, but that’s why Ottawa is the perfect fit.

The report states the Senators are prepared to offer their 2011 first-round pick Mika Zibanejad, winger Nick Foligno and goalie Ben Bishop. A steep price tag, surely, but it’s the going rate for an experienced scorer still currently in his prime.

The Columbus Dispatch has reported that 11 teams have inquired about Nash’s services in the last month, and a trade around the NHL draft later this month seems likely.

Ottawa surely will be giving up a lot for Nash’s services, but this team is on the cusp of making a serious run in a rather wide-open Eastern Conference. The difference between the Senators and the New Jersey Devils is certainly rather slim, and adding another weapon to an already potent offense will make Ottawa one of the top three teams in the conference.

With plenty of other teams with valuable assets like the New York Rangers making a run at Nash as well, there is plenty of competition. But this deal is certainly strong, and it is one of the more realistic options on the table for the Blue Jackets.

The next few days could really put a drastically different spin on the outlook of the 2012-13 season for the Ottawa Senators. 

Entering the 2011-12 season, many were predicting the Ottawa Senators to be one of the worst teams in the league. 

With the help of Norris candidate Erik Karlsson, the newfound touch of Jason Spezza and the newfound health of Daniel Alfredsson, the team defied all odds and made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs.   

At first, they were simply finding end-of-game offense that got them back into a game, but it wouldn't last. Yet, the pattern kept up. The Senators kept trailing by one, two or three goals and winning games.  

As the season went on, the Senators kept on picking up points, and eventually they actually started leading games from the start.  

Once the All-Star game came around, the team was no longer having a lucky season; they were a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.  

Down the final stretch, Ottawa ranked as high as fourth, but fell into eighth place on the last day of the season, paving the way for a first-round matchup against the East-leading New York Rangers.  

Once again, the Senators surprised the hockey world as they took a 3-2 series lead. After wins in Games 6 and 7, the Rangers prevailed.  

It's hard to imagine the feeling in the locker room after being eliminated from the playoffs. But in the case of the Ottawa Senators, that feeling is not necessary.  

This is a team right in the middle of a rebuild who managed to become the fourth-highest scoring team in the league and reach the Stanley Cup playoffs. A team that was supposed to be one of the worst in the league putting the Eastern Conference regular-season champions on the brink of an upset. 

Instead of the disappointment of a playoff loss, this team should be proud that they gave themselves a shot. They should be proud that they helped a 21-year-old lead all defenders in points by 25 and earn a Norris Trophy nomination. They should be proud they gave one of the classiest players in the league, Daniel Alfredsson, one last postseason (at least). 

Despite the earlier-than-liked playoff exit, the Ottawa Senators have been one of the most impressive and inspirational teams in the NHL in some time. And rather than look at this season as a failure, the team should look at it as a means of gaining valuable playoff experience for a young team that will find themselves in the postseason year after year into the future.