Ottawa Senators: The NHL's Biggest Wildcard

by DarrenM on Sep 15, 2009 8:00 AM EDT

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Charlie Kelly, A wildcard who is not on the Ottawa Senators' roster.

Some teams are extremely predictable: we know that the Detroit Red Wings will be a legitimate Stanley Cup threat yet again, and we know that the New York Islanders won't. You'd be hard pressed to find someone to argue otherwise.

But I'll say one thing - there isn't a person in this world who can figure out how the 2009-2010 Ottawa Senators will do.

It's not just that the team has a bunch of new faces, it's also who those faces are. The Sens have added three players who have shown brilliance in the past, but all three are coming with question marks - some bigger than others.

Alex Kovalev's history as an, ugh, "enigmatic" scorer has been written countless times over since he joined the Senators organization, but it's completely true. Now, there are those who feel he will thrive in Ottawa because he is no longer the star attraction of his team. However, others still feel as though his age and change of scenery are a bad thing - the man has been quite public with his love for Montreal, and how the Canadiens were his first choice on July 1st.

Pascal Leclaire has excelled on the international stage and his 2007-08 campaign was nothing short of phenomenal - tied for the league lead in shutouts (9), second in goals against and third in save percentage. However, this took place in Ken Hitchcock's defensive system, one that had rookie Steve Mason post such good numbers that he made Leclaire unnecessary for the Blue Jackets. Moreover, Leclaire is coming off a serious injury and surgery, which is never a good thing.

Finally, Jonathan Cheechoo's decline in points over the past few seasons is quite possibly the worst in the NHL - from 56 goals/93 points in 2005-06, to 12 goals/29 points in 2008-09. He also has a history of injuries, and though he says he's 100%, that's something that one can't be sure of until they are back into the grind of the NHL.

If these three players play to the high-end of their potential, then the Ottawa Senators are a lock for the playoffs. If a couple of them falter, then the Sens are looking like they are in position to miss the playoffs for the second year in a row.

If I were a betting man, I'd stay away from risking any money on this team.

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Comments

It's so true

But who the hell is Charlie Kelly?

www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Sep 15, 2009 1:20 PM EDT reply actions

He looks like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I want a wire story to run this photo with an article about weapons of mass destruction in Iran.

www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Sep 15, 2009 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually, he looks more like...

Billy Crystal as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As, apparently, the Ringmaster.

Man I love that tuna casserole.

by Bloggy on Sep 15, 2009 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

You gotta watch “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia,” my friend.

by DarrenM on Sep 15, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

It’s true. He gotta. I appreciated this, Darren.

by dzuunmod on Sep 16, 2009 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions

Hardest Season to Call

As far as I’m concerned, you hit the nail right on the head. It has been argued widely by some optimists on other blogs that the team is better than we think, while others like Grinder and Canucknik are convinced that the loss of Heatley is serious and that the team is built on a foundation of mediocre broken down misfits.

The truth is probably something in the middle.

The odds that all three ‘question marks’ end up a bust are as slim as all three being a big success. The most likely bright spot and probably the most important is Leclaire. How do you call it? Only time will tell.

Like you, I am hard pressed to give Ottawa much hope to make the playoffs, unless a number of younger so-called secondary players have breakout seasons and the team ends up with a bunch of 20-goal scorers. Insert names like Foligno, Campoli, Winchester, Shannon, Mickalev, here etc… Then there are so-called secondary vets, like Fisher, Kelly, Neil who could score 15 in a perfect world.

Lastly, can Clouston make them gel?

A team made up of many 20-goal scorers all towing the same line at the same time may over-acheive and can have success, even if Kovalev and Cheechoo produce only 20 goals.

by Wall Street on Sep 15, 2009 5:21 PM EDT reply actions

I wouldn’t say I don’t think they can make the playoffs – I really think they can. There’s enough talent there, without a doubt. I just think that if two of these three have terrible seasons – which is a possibility – that will greatly impact our chances. Particularly Leclaire.

by DarrenM on Sep 15, 2009 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions

There’s no doubt in my mind that this team’s fate rides on Leclaire’s shoulders. The Sens are a different team when they’re playing with confidence. Gerber’s softie habit deflated the team constantly last year. If they believe in Leclaire, it will show on the scoreboard.

by Mark Parisi on Sep 15, 2009 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions