导出博客文章Persevering through massive injury losses, the Ottawa Senators made the playoffs
and defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Round One before losing out to the
Pittsburgh Penguins. Off-Season Game Plan looks at a suddenly promising Senators
club, that should be healthy next season, has plenty of young players who should
improve and few onerous salary commitments, leaving them with plenty of cap
room. Head coach Paul MacLean won the Jack Adams Award as the leagues best
coach, steering the Senators through choppy waters when they lost Erik Karlsson,
Jason Spezza, Milan Michalek, Craig Anderson and Jared Cowen for long stretches
of the season. Surely, credit is due MacLean for the Senators managing to reach
the playoffs despite those injuries, but credit can also go to sensational
goaltending, from Anderson and Robin Lehner (and Ben Bishop before he was traded
to Tampa Bay), and to young players who responded to being given more
responsibility. While it would be unreasonable for the Senators to expect their
goaltender to be as great as they were in 2013, there are reasons for optimism,
including the teams strong possession stats and a league-worst shooting
percentage. How does it benefit the Senators to have scored on just 7.0% of
their shots? Well, its unlikely that they will have the worst shooting
percentage again next season, particularly in a season that should include a
healthy Spezza and Karlsson. "We need to score more goals," GM Bryan Murray said
at his season-ending press conference. "We have to find a way to create a little
more offence and that may mean trying to find a player out there that will do
that. "But part of it also will be counting on a couple of the younger players
that showed they can play in the league to step up and do a little more with the
puck than they were capable of or able to do this year." Hes right, the
Senators do need to find more scoring. The good news is that they are in
position to address that need so that they are poised to be a playoff contender
for years to come. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game
statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play,
even, shorthanded) -- plus-minus, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, takeaways,
penalty differential and faceoffs. (Stats are listed in this format: G-A-PTS,
+/-, PIM, GP). Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six
forward and top four defenceman will be 70-plus, stars will be over 80 and MVP
candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013
regular season ratings with a 93.65. Salary cap information all comes from the
indispensable
www.capgeek.com. GM/COACHBryan Murray/Paul MacLean Returning
Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Cap Hit Jason Spezza 76.57 5 2 3 5 +3
$7.0M Kyle Turris 73.08 48 12 17 29 +6 $3.5M Milan Michalek 70.34 23 4 10 14 +8
$4.333M Jean-Gabriel Pageau 69.98 9 2 2 4 +3 $613K Cory Conacher 66.61 47 11 18
29 +3 $925K Mika Zibanejad 65.99 42 7 13 20 +9 $1.744M Jakob Silfverberg 65.22
48 10 9 19 +9 $900K Colin Greening 64.57 47 8 11 19 +5 $817K Chris Neil 61.10 48
4 8 12 0 $1.9M Zack Smith 59.86 48 4 11 15 -9 $1.888M Matt Kassian 57.10 15 1 0
1 0 $575K Jim OBrien 55.84 29 5 1 6 -2 $638K Free Agent Forwards Player Rating
GP G A PTS +/- Class 12-13 Cap Hit Daniel Alfredsson 71.66 47 10 16 26 +1 UFA
$4.875M Guillaume Latendresse 65.80 27 6 4 10 -2 UFA $2.0M Erik Condra 62.19 48
4 8 12 +3 RFA $625K Peter Regin 53.89 27 0 3 3 -4 UFA $800K Senators Forwards
Usage Chart from somekindofninja.com Since 2005-2006, Jason Spezza has scored
545 points in 500 games, his 1.09 points per game ranking fifth, behind
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin and Joe Thornton. Of course, a back
injury and subsequent knee injury limited him to five regular-season games and
three playoff games, so it was virtually a write-off season. When healthy, hes
one of the games best playmakers, the kind of creator that the Senators sorely
missed while he was out of the lineup. Kyle Turris opened the season with 10
points in his first 11 games, then was hot and cold the rest of the season
(three points in 14 games, nine points in eight games, two points in nine games,
five points in six games and then nine points in 10 playoff games). He scored at
a career-best rate (0.60 ppg) and played a career-high 19:38 per game but, as
the 23-year-old matures, avoiding some of the droughts would be favourable. As
it is, hes a nice fit as the Senators number two pivot. Injuries have been too
common in recent seasons for 28-year-old winger Milan Michalek, and he missed 25
games last season but, since 2006-2007, he is one of 15 wingers with 150 goals
and a cumulative plus-minus of at least plus-30. When healthy, hes still a
productive winger, even if hes coming off a season in which he had a career-low
goal-scoring rate, with four goals in 23 games (0.17 gpg). A fourth-round pick
in 2011, small and energetic centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau spent most of his first
pro season in the AHL, scoring 29 points with a plus-8 rating in 69 games, then
adding 10 points in 19 (regular season plus playoff) games for Ottawa. With that
little experience, it might be fair to leave Pageau in the prospect pool, but it
seems like a good bet that hell be part of next years team. Acquired from Tampa
Bay as part of the Ben Bishop trade, Cory Conacher got off to wonderful start
for the Lightning, scoring 12 points in the first seven games as he skated on
Steven Stamkos wing, but his production tailed off (17 points in the remaining
40 games), so its hard to know if the smallish winger, who was a healthy scratch
at times in the postseason, will score consistently enough to maintain a regular
spot in the lineup. The sixth overall pick in 2011, Mika Zibanejad showed real
promise as a rookie. His scoring was inconsistent, but he was an effective
two-way forward who earned more ice time as the season progressed. Hes already a
contributor, but if Zibanejads offence develops, hell be a big part of the
Senators success. After tearing up (54 points in 49 games in 2011-2012) the
Swedish Elite League and a solid start (29 points in 34 games) to the year in
the AHL Jakob Silfverberg didnt quite score as much as might have been expected
as a rookie, but he generated chances. Since 2000, there have been 10 first year
players to have at least 2.75 shots on goal per game and Silfverberg is one of
them. Its not unreasonable to think that he could score on a higher percentage
of his shots on goal, so there is still offensive potential to be explored. A
big winger who can chip in a little offensively, Colin Greening is a very
reasonably-priced option to take a regular turn in Ottawas top nine. 34-year-old
enforcer Chris Neil played a career-high 13:52 while dressing for every game in
2013, and had respectable puck possession stats, justifying that usage. He has
55 fights over the last five seasons and has scored at least 10 goals and 20
points five times in his career. A gritty checking centre who was pressed into a
more offensive role at times last season, Zack Smith isnt cut out for that work,
but had bad luck around the net even for a mucker. Picked up on waivers from
Minnesota, Matt Kassian has three goals and 114 penalty minutes in 43 career
games. Hes big enough to be classed with the super heavyweights of the league,
but hasnt shown any profiency otherwise to indicate hell be more than muscle.
Jim OBrien has a dozen points in 63 career games and lost his spot in the lineup
in the final month of the regular season. He may be in a battle for a roster
spot next season, but has an economical one-way deal that could work in his
favour. A sound two-way winger with good possession numbers, Erik Condra is a
low-percentage finisher (5.6% over the last two seasons), but is an effective
checker, who can add some offence from the bottom half of the depth chart. It
might have been expected that 2013 would be the final year of Daniel Alfredssons
career, but after a strong regular season, he put up 10 points in 10 playoff
games, enough to think that the 40-year-old may not be ready to walk away just
yet. At this point of his career, if Alfredsson wants to return, the Sens would
surely be able to find a spot for him, probably in their top six. With lots of
room under the salary cap, the Senators will be in position to add a top six
forward. If they dont get one via trade, they can hit the free agent market,
looking for Pascal Dupuis, Nathan Horton, Ryane Clowe or even older productive
free agents like Patrik Elias and Jarome Iginla. The Sens have the room to make
that kind of deal if thats how they want to address their need for more scoring.
Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Cap Hit Erik Karlsson 88.52 17
6 8 14 +8 $6.5M Marc Methot 69.03 47 2 9 11 +2 $3.0M Chris Phillips 68.45 48 5 9
14 -5 $3.083M Jared Cowen 66.49 7 1 0 1 +1 $1.265M Eric Gryba 63.55 33 2 4 6 -3
$563K Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS +/- Class 12-13 Cap Hit
Patrick Wiercioch 71.03 42 5 14 19 +9 RFA $875K Andre Benoit 71.00 33 3 7 10 -3
UFA $650K Mike Lundin 59.05 11 0 1 1 -2 UFA $1.15M Senators Defence Usage Chart
from somekindofninja.com The leagues most electrifying defenceman, Erik Karlsson
made a miraculously quick return from a torn Achilles to play late in the year
and in the playoffs. He wasnt quite in peak form, but he is a major
difference-maker when hes healthy. Karlsson only played 17 games last season,
but his 4.65 shots on goal per game puts him in rare company. Acquired from
Columbus, Marc Methot was a terrific fit in Ottawa, playing a career-high 22:14
per game with strong possession stats. Hes the stay-at-home complement to a
free-wheeling Karlsson. Now 35, Chris Phillips isnt the same shutdown presence
that he was in his best years but, after his ice time was reduced in 2011-2012,
he was back over 21 minutes per game in 2013. A hip injury kept Jared Cowen out
of the lineup for all but seven games at the end of the year before playing in
all 10 playoff games. Having him healthy gives the Senators some serious size on
the blueline and, since Cowen is a 22-year-old with 90 career NHL games, we dont
yet know how good he can be as a shutdown defender. While Eric Gryba is a big
and physical player who gained a measure of notoriety for his knockout hit on
Montreals Lars Eller in the first round of the playoffs, Gryba isnt a thug. He
was plus-28 in 38 AHL games last season before his promotion to Ottawa and he
played more than 20 minutes per game in the 33 games that he dressed for the
Senators. His possession numbers wers shaky, so his role could be reduced with
everyone healthy, but Gryba has made his case for a full-time NHL job.
Patrick Wiercioch had his minutes managed, but he was able to contribute
offensively, scoring 10 of his 19 points on the power play. With Sergei Gonchar
moving on to Dallas, there could be an opportunity for Wiercioch to step into a
bigger role next season. Returning Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV%
Cap Hit Craig Anderson 90.06 24 12 9 2 1.69 .941 $3.188M Robin Lehner 85.29 12 5
3 4 2.29 .936 $870K Craig Anderson has had some pretty good runs in his career
(.939 SV% in his first 18 games with the Senators in 2010-2011, .935 SV% in 17
games as a backup in Florida in 2007-2008), but they didnt compare to his 2013
season, in which he had a .941 save percentage in 24 games during a season in
which he missed six weeks with a sprained ankle. Its impossible to expect
Anderson to duplicate those numbers over a full season, but hes shown that he
can be an above-average starting goaltender. In 17 games over the last two
seasons, Robin Lehner has a .936 save percentage (and he had a .938 save
percentage in 38 AHL games last season), so the 21-year-old is ready for NHL
duty. The only question is: how long before he is Ottawas number one option? Top
Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Cody Ceci D Owen Sound (OHL) 19-45-68,
-8, 69 GP Stefan Noesen RW Plymouth (OHL) 25-28-53, +7, 51 GP Mark Stone RW
Binghamton (AHL) 15-23-38, +21, 54 GP Shane Prince LW Binghamton (AHL) 18-17-35,
+12, 65 GP Matt Puempel LW Kitchener (OHL) 35-12-47, +4, 51 GP Mark Borowiecki D
Binghamton (AHL) 4-10-14, +21, 53 GP Cole Schneider LW Binghamton (AHL)
17-18-35, +19, 60 GP Mike Hoffman LW Binghamton (AHL) 13-15-28, +9, 41 GP
Derek Grant C Binghamton (AHL) 19-9-28, +11, 63 GP Stephane Da Costa C
Binghamton (AHL) 13-25-38, +14, 57 GP The 15th overall pick last summer,
Cody Ceci is a big blueliner who is a strong skater with solid offensive
instincts who projects to be at least a top-four, potentially top pair,
defenceman. A solid, but not spectacular winger with good size, Stefan Noesen
was a first-round pick in 2011 and, if his scoring ability carries to the next
level, hell be a solid addition a couple years from now. Though skating may be a
concern with Mark Stone, he has soft hands for a big man and could be an ideal
complement to a playmaking centre that handles the puck a lot. A very skilled
winger, Shane Prince scored 178 points in his last two years of junior before
having a productive first year as a pro. Princes challenge is getting strong
enough to handle a potential jump to the next level. Another first-round pick
from 2011, Matt Puempel has three 30-goal seasons in his junior career, but
injuries have cut into his playing time over the last couple seasons, as hes
played a total of 81 games. That being the case, he could definitely use some
time in the AHL, just to show he can stay healthy and get acclimated to the
grind of pro hockey. An aggressive physical defender, Mark Borowiecki may be
ready for NHL duty, even in a depth role, after racking up 290 penalty minutes
in 135 AHL games over two-plus seasons. Cole Schneider scored better than a
point per game in two years at the University of Connecticut before solid
production in his first pro campaign. A talented player with good speed,
Mike Hoffmans chance with the Senators was cut short by a broken collarbone. As
younger players rise up through the organization, it may be tougher for Hoffman
to get a shot, but he could still be a candidate for a call-up. Derek Grant
moves well for a big guy and got called up to Ottawa for a handful of games last
season. Still needs to be more productive if hes going to have a legitimate shot
at being an NHL player. Small playmaker Stephane Da Costa has seven points in 35
games with the Senators, but has been more productive in the AHL, scoring 74
points in 103 games. DRAFT17th - Valentin Zykov, Frederik Gauthier, Andre
Burakovsky. FREE AGENCYAccording to
www.capgeek.com, the Senators have
approximately $43.5M committed to the 2013-2014 salary cap for 19 players. Check
out my possible Senators lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: One top
six forward, one top four defenceman.What I said the Senators needed last year:
One top six forward, three defencemen.They added: Mika Zibanejad,
Jakob Silfverberg, Guillaume Latendresse, Patrick Wiercioch, Marc Methot,
Andre Benoit, Mike Lundin. TRADE MARKETCory Conacher, Jim OBrien. Scott Cullen
can be reached at
Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook.
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Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for
the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in
making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre
short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1.Willie Mullins
felt Shaneshill and Nichols Canyon were feeling the effects of a long campaign
after the Graham Wylie-owned duo finished second and third respectively in the
Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle on Saturday. Though Shaneshill, the mount of
Danny Mullins, rallied strongly after the last flight, he went down by a neck to
former Irish runner Rawnaq, partnered by Emma Lavelles former stable jockey Jack
Doyle.Nichols Canyon, ridden by Ruby Walsh, was another three lengths away in
the Grade One at Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tennessee. Mullins said:
Nichols Canyon did not jump that well and maybe wasnt best suited by going
left-handed, while Shaneshill ran a big race.However, for both horses this was
probably one race too many, but we look forward to returning next year.The race
is part of the Brown Advisory Iroquois Cheltenham Challenge, which involves the
Ryanair World Hurdle and the Tennessee race.ddddddddddddIf any horse can win the
two three-mile Grade Ones within 12 months, connections would earn a US$500,000
bonus.Rawnaqs owner Irvin Naylor said afterwards that he was keen to take up the
challenge and head to Cheltenham next March.He said: There were so many good
horses in the race and our jockey rode a superb race. He was always in the right
place at the right time.The horse jumped flawlessly and the trainer had him
tuned to the highest level.It all came together for this most important race.
Rawnaq gave it all and you cannot ask for more of a horse than to give his
all.He is the best and I think he will represent the US well at Cheltenham. I
look forward to going forward with this challenge. Also See: Live results
service Full racecards Get Sky Sports ' ' '
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