Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators forward Mika Zibanejad is going back to the Swedish Elite League.

The 18-year old forward, who was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2011 draft, much to the dismay of many Senator fans, is returning to Djurgarden to refine his skills.

As such a young player trying to crack the Senators team for playing time, some believe this is a great move while others believe that the Senators should focus on getting NHL experience for their young prospects.

Zibanejad had not been getting much ice time and has not had the chance to showcase his skills with the Senators, so it is tough to believe he would have stuck around with the big club.

It is tough for the youngster, who many believe will be the next captain of the power-play to make a name for himself when averaging just over 12 minutes a game over the past six. Not to mention, only averaging 13 seconds of power-play time over the last four games.

Zibanejad potted an assist in the season opener but did not register a point in the next eight games making his demotion an easy fit.

Brian Murray stated that he believed he was playing a little over his head. He continued: “He is going to be a legitimate first-line player for them [Djurgarden] a power play guy. He might not reach that status with our team this year."

The most positive thing is that Murray said might showing that he believes Zibanejad has great promise.

This is not out of the ordinary as once a rookie plays ten games in the NHL in his entry-level contract, the first year is used up.

Zibanejad will most likely play in the WJHC and continue to improve his game in Djurgarden. Personally, I believe that either MZ or Nikita Filatov should be on the big club.

Although this is a good decision all around, many Senators fans, who did not like the pick during the draft, will be upset that their sixth pick is in the minors while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is potting hat tricks.

The Ottawa Senators are already 1-5 and have a -14 goal differential. As it stands, through six games they have two points. Two.

If they kept up this pace they would finish with 27 points on the season. That would be an impressive feat.

As I mentioned in my previous article, I don’t see any way that the Senators can really come out of the basement of the league. The skills on this team are lacking, the goalie is playing terribly and their penalty kill is atrocious.

Their current penalty kill percentage is dead last in the league at 64.52 percent, nine percent lower than the third worst team in the league. Is there any help coming?

Moreover, the division has become much stronger. The Leafs are undefeated through four games, Buffalo leads the division at 4-1 and they still have to contend against the Stanley Cup champs and another solid team who finished with 96 points last season.

The schedule does not get better for the Senators. Daniel Alfredsson, although he is playing quite well, is getting old. Sergei Gonchar (who is known as an offensive defence and has had some atrocious +/- in his career) is injured…the problems just continue.

So what can be done to avoid a complete collapse coupled with less game attendance? Unfortunately, not much. They should bring Nikita Filatov back up and let their young players learn throughout the season. They should trade Jason Spezza and Gonchar for some draft picks and let the young nucleus grow together so they can at least see what they have to work with.

Should they trade Alfredsson at the deadline? I toyed with the idea here, and I do believe it can help the rebuilding process.

They need to focus all of their attention on rebuilding and giving the young players some PP time.

Can they creep out of this mess? I highly doubt it.

Go Sens?

Extreme Makeover: Hockey Edition has come to Ottawa to fix up the Senators during the 2011-2012 NHL season, though Ty Pennington will need more than a hideous fan-designed uniform to hide just how moribund this franchise really is.

In a move that is sure to turn off their few remaining fans, the Sens will debut their new "Heritage" jerseys tonight against the Colorado Avalanche in a game that figured to be about as unwatchable as any hockey game to begin with.

The "Heritage" design, concocted by Ottawan graphic designer and Sens devotee Jacob Barrette, is meant to invoke memories of the original Senators, one of the NHL's founding franchises, who claimed the Stanley Cup 11 times between 1903 and 1927.

The sweater itself, though, seems more to reflect the mediocrity the team has endured since it returned to the ice in 1992.

The new Sens threads, sported by oft-injured forward Daniel Alfredsson in the promotional materials, is queasily reminiscent of the proto-hipster, barbershop quartet look the team sported between 1930 and 1934.

A period during which, by the way, the team went through tremendous tumult before skipping town. The Sens finished fifth in the NHL's Canadian Division four times, the only reprieve being the team's hiatus from the league during the 1931-1932 season.

The Senators were in such bad shape financially that they had to rather blatantly sell off their players, and even attempted to merge with another struggling franchise (the New York Americans) just to stay afloat.

The Sens ultimately moved to St. Louis in 1934 and became the Eagles, leaving Canada's capital without a hockey team for 58 years.

Sens fans needn't worry about their favorite sons skating out of Ontario anytime soon, though it is rather fitting that they would sport sweaters that are so offensive both aesthetically and historically.

Like those Ottawa teams of the 1930s, the Sens of 2011 are a team in turmoil.

They finished the 2010-2011 season just two points ahead of the Florida Panthers to escape the basement of the Eastern Conference, and don't figure to fare much better this time around. Their roster is replete with aging and oft-injured stars of yesteryear, young but green talent of tomorrow and a slew of short-term signings filling the gaps in between.

What's more, in yet another feeble attempt to save his own job, general manager Bryan Murray brought in Paul MacLean, the former coach of the Quad City Mallards, to give the youngsters some life before the whole facade comes crashing down.

It's perfect, then, that the "O" for Ottawa on the front of the new sweaters is so reminiscent of a zero, correlating quite well with the Sens' chances of putting together a winning campaign this season.

I feel bad for hockey fans in Ottawa, I really do.

They've endured nearly-constant heartache from their beloved Senators after going nearly six decades without an NHL team in their midst. Now, all they get is a lousy team with an even lousier look that offends the city's sensibilities, both aesthetically and historically.

Craig Anderson was a great mid-season acquisition for the Ottawa Senators last season. In 18 games for the Sens, he posted an 11-5 record with a 2.05 GAA and a .939 save percentage. That save percentage, if kept up for the whole season, would have been tops in the league (ahead of Vezina and Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas).

Currently, through three games, Anderson has a 4.36 GAA and a .867 save percentage. These numbers aren’t very flattering, considering the Senators have only faced one team known for their offencive output (Detroit).

So what is the problem? Poor defence? Too many shorthanded opportunities?

Well, the Senators did not give up a power-play goal against the Red Wings, but followed that up by allowing two to the Leafs and one to the Wild. If it is any consolation, their own power play has been on fire, netting five goals in those three games.

But remember, it is only three games. It was clear that the Senators did not play well as a team defensively against Detroit or Toronto.

The biggest test for Anderson will be to see how he fares against his former team tonight. As Anderson states, “one door closes and another one opens.” I am sure he will be pumped this evening to face the Avalanche.

Before we get too critical of the goalie that was one of the lone bright spots last season after only three games, let us see how he does against the team he started with in 2010.

The Ottawa Senators begin their 2011-2012 campaign on a tough two-game road trip that begins Friday against the Detroit Red Wings. They will then fly to Toronto for a nationally-televised game against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first Hockey Night in Canada Saturday night game of the season.

This game on Saturday versus the hated Toronto Maple Leafs will be energy-packed in Toronto and should be a good barometer of what to expect in the Northeast Division.

What should the Senators expect from this Saturday night affair?

First, the Senators will be tired as they open their season against one of the top teams in the league and then play again the following night in Toronto. Moreover, the Leafs open their season against the Canadiens tonight, so they will have a day to rest at home as they begin their season with two home games against Canadian teams.

The kicker for the Senators is that the Leafs play these two games and then are off for a whole week.

You could also look at this game against the Leafs as their last game before their "bye" week. That being said, teams always prepare admirably and perform well the week before the bye in the NFL as they want to have a positive sentiment around the locker room for the week off.

The Senators better be ready for quite the test, come Saturday.

If the Senators have any hope of winning this road game, they must be ready to withstand the Leaf crowd and focus on ameliorating the skills and team-first attitude that Paul MacLean has instilled.

The Senators lost both preseason games to the Leafs but won both against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Giving up nine goals to the Leafs in two games won’t get it done.

The Senators need to come out with energy, not let up an early goal and take the crowd out of the game early.

If they play defensively, move the puck and play the body, they could have a chance come the third period.

The Senators had their fewest points last year since 1996 — their fourth year in the league. Sadly, it looks like the record could be short standing this time because it is not hard to imagine this team being even worse than last year.

This team was built through the draft and came as close to the pinnacle as losing the finals in 2007 to Anaheim. The window has slammed shut in recent years, though, as they failed to keep their talent on board, and they didn’t restock the cupboards effectively. The atmosphere around the team seems stale at best, and perhaps even toxic. It’s hard to be terribly optimistic—at least in the short term.

Ottawa Senators Offseason Moves

Senators management has either given up hope or they like their team more than I do. For a team that struggled like they did last year, they did surprisingly little in the offseason.

The most notable additions were two very talented but grossly underachieving forwards. Zenon Konopka, who is a guy who just can’t mentally handle playing at the highest level. In the AHL he has been very effective with 269 points in 350 games. That offensive competence totally disappears totally disappears in the NHL, though because he has only managed 22 points in 195 career games. If a coach—or maybe a shrink—could ever get through to him, he would be very valuable at a bargain price.

Nikita Filatov is even more of an enigma. He was the sixth overall pick in 2008 and has tremendous natural talent. His time in Columbus was a total disaster, though. It was so bad that they were willing to trade him away for a third rounder after just three years and 44 NHL games. He’s obviously brilliantly talented, but so disinterested in playing intensely that it’s almost as if he is mentally incompetent. Again, high upside, but a very low chance of success.

2011-12 Ottawa Senators NHL Outlook

There is undeniably talent on this team. Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Sergei Gonchar have all been truly elite players at times. They certainly didn’t show it last year, though. All three were hit hard by injuries, and Alfredsson and Gonchar in particular were just a shadow of their former selves. All three need to be much better this year to get this team back on track. Alfredsson is 38 years old and Gonchar is 37 years old, so there is no guarantee that they will be able to bounce back.

Goaltender is a position of concern this year. After acquiring him late last year from Colorado, the team will be relying heavily on Craig Anderson. Two seasons ago Anderson was brilliant for the Avs, playing 71 games and saving the team many times. While it was a great year he certainly couldn’t carry it forward. Last year with Colorado he just wasn’t very good at all. He was much better with Ottawa, but consistency is an issue with the guy, and I don’t trust him.

David Rundblad is a very interesting guy to keep an eye on. The 20-year-old defenseman, drafted 17th overall by the Blues is 2009, has spent the last three years playing against men in the Swedish Elite League. While the first two years were solid, he really exploded last year. He had 50 points in 55 games, and was reportedly very impressive. If he can make a smooth transition to the NHL this year then he could be a big boost for the defensive corps. He may have to start the season in the minors, but if he does well he’ll be back in Ottawa soon.

Another young Swede is even more exciting is forward Mika Zibanejad who was the sixth overall pick in the most recent draft. He’s just 18 years old, but he has had a very strong camp, and should get every chance to contribute this year. He’s young and will take time to grow into himself as an NHLer, but a team without a lot of expectations is a good place for a youngster to get experience and develop as a player.

2011-12 Ottawa Senators Schedule

Mike Fisher was a popular guy with the team before getting traded to Nashville — perhaps at his own urging since that’s where his wife, Carrie Underwood, lives. It was a controversial move that fired up emotions. On Feb. 9 he returns to Ottawa for the first time since the deal. The response of the crowd will be very interesting to see.

Ottawa Senators NHL Futures Odds (from Bodog)

The oddsmakers are about as optimistic about this team as I am—they are set at 75/1 for Stanley Cup odds. Only the Islanders, at 80/1, face longer NHL odds. They are 40/1 to win the Eastern Conference.

2011-12 Ottawa Senators Predictions

I’ve covered this ground already—I really don’t like the chances of this team this year. They just aren’t good.

They are in the awkward transition between an aging old guard and a reasonably promising future, and that’s not a fun place to be for fans. I don’t like the coaching, I don’t like the depth, and there are holes a mile wide. It would count as a major, major shock if they broke through and made the playoffs in the very tough Eastern Conference.

Doc’s Sports is very excited for this upcoming NHL season. Visit our home page to access all team previews, as well as more sports articles, betting odds and full coverage on the 2011-12 NHL season.

Daniel Alfredsson will finally rejoin the Ottawa Senators after a seven month layoff.

Tonight the Senators play their third preseason game at home against their long-time rival the Montreal Canadiens.

The team is elated to have their captain back in uniform after missing the final 28 games of 2010-11 season due to a back injury that forced him to have surgery in June.

According to Alfredsson, training camp has been going quite well. He said, “the scrimmages, battling drills in practice and lots of skating as we have been doing, to be able to do it two or three days in a row, that's a good sign.”

So now that Alfredsson is back, what can we expect from the Senators captain, who will be 39 years old in December? Well, it is hard to imagine that Alfredsson can return to the point-per-game form he has enjoyed his whole career (1,023 points in 1,056 games).

That being said, most of his value will come in the locker room, practice and video room. His knowledge and experience of the game will be vital to the many young budding stars on the Senators including fellow Swede Erik Karlsson.

Alfredsson still has the talent to be able to score 25 goals, which he has not done since the 2007-08 campaign, if he remains healthy. He will also always be an asset on the power-play.

He had his first season in the negatives (+/- of -19) since his rookie year of 1995-96. That doesn’t say much about his ability, but he, like most of the Senators, must focus on the defensive aspect of the game as the team will not outscore many opponents. New coach Paul MacLean will be sure to implement a much more defensive scheme.

So now that Alfie is back, Senator fans can enjoy seeing their captain lace up his skates for one more year.

If Alfie plays 70+ games I expect:

                                  22 goals 30 assists 52 points and 22 power-play points

His plus-minus won’t improve much on a team that is destined for the bottom of the standings, but if he can help the young players develop, then he has done his job as the captain of the franchise and its most beloved player of all-time.

Nikita Filatov came to the NHL with much fanfare.

Before the 2008 draft, Filatov was considered the top ranked European skater by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. He was eventually selected sixth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2008 NHL Draft.

Filatov comes with great upside and is still only 21 years old. Independent scouting service Red Line report declared that Filatov was 'the next best thing to Steven Stamkos" prior to the 2008 draft.

Many consider him to be a mix of Ilya Kovalchuk and Maxim Afinogenov, where his strengths include skating and vision.

Filatov fell out of favor with the Blue Jackets and was subsequently traded to the Senators for a third-round pick prior to the 2011 NHL Draft. For that price, it was a steal for the rebuilding Senators.

In Ottawa, Nikita will get every chance to succeed.

He never was able to play much for the Columbus Blue Jackets and at the start of the 2009-2010 season Filatov made the team out of camp but did not play in six of the first 18 games of the season.

This angered the young Filatov, and after much animosity he was transferred to the KHL, where he blossomed.

So what can the Senators expect from the young enigmatic budding star, Filatov?

Well, with his skill-set, Filatov should be a top-six forward and could even be paired with Spezza on the wing. A right-handed shot, Filatov could be put under captain Daniel Alfredsson's wing as he gets acclimated to his new team.

Alfredsson would be a perfect mentor for Filatov.

He could show him the ropes and teach him what it means to be a great NHL player both on and off the ice. You could not ask for a better role model in that regard.

Moreover, I think Paul MacLean will do a great job in teaching Filatov and putting him in a situation where he can succeed.

With a lack of scoring on the roster, Filatov should get every opportunity to put up some points.

In his first preseason game with his new club, Filatov notched two assists against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs. So far, so good, for the young forward who is looking to build confidence in the NHL.

I boldly predict that Filatov will score 20 goals and will finish with 41 points on the season (barring injury). It will be a great learning season in the NHL for both Filatov and the Senators alike.