Senators Ups and Downs: Trade Week edition

Wow, are there any players left to trade?  This week saw the exodus of Jarkko Ruutu, Chris Kelly and Brian Elliott.  It also saw them lose to the Islanders (in overtime) and Bruins before finally beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 in a shootout.  Wonder what kind of arrow Craig Anderson is going to get?  It's not a mystery, so let's get right into it.

Biggest Gains: Craig Anderson
We had Bobby Butler here pretty much all week, right up until Anderson's 47- (50 if you count the skills competition) save masterpiece against Toronto on Saturday night.  In one game he energized both players and fans, beat the team's most hated rival in his debut, and gave us all hope that the dark days of Senate Reform won't be as long as we first thought.  Not bad for his first day on the job.  Can you think of another player who's had that kind of performance all year?  Didn't think so.

Biggest Losses: Brian Elliott
Hate to pile on him, but when Ottawa no longer thinks you can play goal for them, you're in trouble.  Elliott had played well enough (relatively -- a .833 save percentage isn't going to impress many) in the win against the Oilers to earn a consecutive start against the Islanders.  That game was lost in a shootout and clearly GM Bryan Murray had seen enough.  Elliott had lost his confidence and the team was too fragile to play in front of a shaken goalie.  It's disappointing to see him leave on those terms, since we were fans of how he worked his way up from his draft position, and we wish him luck in Colorado.


(read on for the full rundown...)

Goalies	Trend	Notes
Brian Elliott		See "Biggest Losses."
Pascal Leclaire		Reportedly close to playing a real live game, but that was before Anderson burst on the scene.  Now you have to wonder why the team would make room for him to play a game?
Robin Lehner		Lehner played well against the Bruins, but the Sens still lost the game.  He can't be faulted, but you can see his rough edges every time he plays.
Craig Anderson		See "Biggest Gains."
Defensemen
Filip Kuba		Kuba's play has improved as the trade deadline approaches.  We're not sayin', we're just sayin'...
Chris Phillips		In his last seven games, Phillips is actually a plus-1.  Also stated he wants to help the Senate Reform, and you have to respect that.  Cutting and running would be the easier path.
Sergei Gonchar		Gonchar missed most of this week with injury, and the powerplay looked awful.
Brian Lee		In three games this week, Lee's numbers: Plus-2, four hits, four blocked shots, and one shot on goal.  Those are actual NHL defenseman numbers, folks.
Erik Karlsson		Meanwhile, King K went minus-5 with four PIMs, three hits, two blocked shots, and five shots on goal, and no points.  He's supposed to be running the powerplay with Gonchar out, but he didn't do a very good job this week.
Chris Campoli		Injured early in the loss against the Islanders.
Matt Carkner		Carkner returned to play against Boston, but was pretty unremarkable.  He was pretty excited to watch the Lessard-Rosehill fight, though.
Andre Benoit		He may be excelling in the AHL, but he doesn't look like a quality NHL player.
Forwards
Jason Spezza		Spezza had a three-game points streak snapped against Toronto, although he did score the game-winner in the shootout.  Also showed good chemistry with Bobby Butler.  This has been a frustrating season, but Spezza looks like a leader.
Alex Kovalev		Another goal this week, on the powerplay against Boston.  For those keeping track, nine of his 27 -- or 33% (!) -- points this year have come in the month of February.  It sure looks like he's showcasing himself.
Daniel Alfredsson		Out indefinitely with a back injury.
Milan Michalek		Three points in three games this week.  Tied with Alex Kovalev, Daniel Alfredsson (sigh) and Mike Fisher (sigh) for the team lead in goals.  Continues to be a shorthanded threat.  He's a real asset to the team right now, and one that should be built around, but he was awarded the 'A' OF DOOM after Kelly was traded.
Nick Foligno		Foligno went pointless this week and has to contribute more if he wants to play on the second line.
Chris Kelly		His reward for doing his job well was to get traded.  Good luck in Boston!
Chris Neil		Thirteen hits, including eight against Toronto, this week.  That's the Chris Neil this team needs.
Jarkko Ruutu		Also traded this week, thanks to his pending UFA status and invisible stat lines.  It should be noted that he scored a goal in his debut with Anaheim and was also plus-1 in a 9-3 loss.  A change of scenery seems to be what he needed.
Peter Regin		Had continued to look good as the center for Foligno and Kovalev before suffering what looked to be a pretty bad shoulder injury against Toronto.
Jesse Winchester		Still out with a lower body injury.  The Sens could use his play right now.
Ryan Shannon		Very good week for Shannon.  He scored a goal against the Islanders and has taken up penalty killing duties admirably.
Zack Smith		Now centering Chris Neil and Colin Greening on the third line, he's putting together a much more physical game than his predecessor did -- 11 hits this week.
Bobby Butler		Going back to the Edmonton game, has five points (3G, 2A) in four games.  Looks like he's got some chemistry with Jason Spezza, which is a really good thing.  Would have been the team's biggest gainer easily if it hadn't been for an epic performance by Craig Anderson.  His improved play this week is very promising considering the scoring he was doing at the AHL level.
Colin Greening		Kid's got some grit to him.  He may be part of a good third line before too long.
Erik Condra		Already the owner of an awesome nickname, he played well enough to displace Bobby Butler from Jason Spezza's wing during Saturday's game against Toronto.  That might have been a little premature, but it's a good sign for his development.
Francis Lessard		If he was brought up to fight Jay Rosehill, he accomplished the task well.  Not sure what else is expected of him.