Senators Retrospective: Chris Kelly

by Varada on Mar 17, 2011 7:00 AM EDT in Opinion

Chris Kelly was one of the first players to go when the Senate Reform was enacted, traded to the Boston Bruins for a second round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

What many don’t know is how much Kelly epitomized the notion of the underappreciated, character guy, an ideal utility and depth player who can do a little bit of everything and a few essential but unspectacular things very well. He fit his role so perfectly--in this case, a penalty-killing third line center--that he rarely drew attention. It’s perhaps surprising to learn that Kelly was with the Senators organization for almost twelve seasons, and a regular on the big club for seven of those, including the 2007 version of the Senators who went to the Stanley Cup Final. He received some love for his role on that team, and since then solidified his place as a leader in the dressing room, but his move to Boston received nowhere near the nostalgia as the trade of Mike Fisher to Nashville. We forget how important Chris Kelly was to the club.

All time Sens stats:

	GP	G	A	P	PIM
Regular season	463	75	101	176	249
Playoffs	36	4	9	13	8

The numbers don’t tell much of a story, nor does his pedigree. Kelly was drafted 94th overall by the Ottawa Senators in 1999. There was a time, when Spezza was injured, when he centered Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson, and while his playmaking skills certainly didn’t wow anyone, he wasn’t out of place either. He could occasionally score a goal or two (or three which, ask Shane Doan, is pretty difficult to do), could grind, and was rarely a defensive liability. In later years, with the team’s offensive potency on the wane, was able to occasionally pull off something special.

And then this pretty move, showing great patience:

And then some memories about being drafted by Ottawa (in Boston, ironically enough):

While a second round pick is completely reasonable for a player like Kelly, it doesn’t really speak to the fact that there are very good reasons he was one of the first Senators players other GMs came calling about. While the stars get the attention, it’s the Chris Kellys of the league--the quality depth players--that championship teams are built on.

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Cherelli knew exactly what he was getting, thus the second round pick

by Hockey Playoff Run SensFan on Mar 17, 2011 7:44 AM EDT reply actions

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=831988

Sorry about linking to the website that shall not be named, but I do feel obliged to point out that I called the Kelly deal in October.

Now that March has rolled around and Kelly is no longer a Senator, however, I’m actually pretty emo about the whole thing. While we got a good return from Boston, and while it’s certainly best for a great guy like Kelly to be in a position to win the cup again, our bottom six freakin blows, and… I really actually miss Chris “No Finish” Kelly. Especially now that he has developed his finish, for the past year and a half or so at least.

On the bright side, we are saving a million-plus at the 3C position, and giving the young’uns a chance to be the next Kelly. Winchester, perhaps?

by LeTigre on Mar 17, 2011 8:03 AM EDT reply actions

I thought the website that shall not be named was Buzzing about Hockey

modsuperstar dot ca | SlideawayMedia

by modsuperstar on Mar 17, 2011 9:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah that one too

Sadly, I consider the former to be a guilty pleasure, because sifting through the BS to find a gem of a post/thought here and there can actually be rewarding. The latter website.. I can’t remember the last time I visited?

by LeTigre on Mar 17, 2011 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions

My dad thought the Fisher trade was reasonable, but was up in arms about Kelly’s departure.

by JonathanA on Mar 17, 2011 9:07 AM EDT reply actions

I think part of this is that Kelly is so affordable. It’s hard to get upset at him being on your roster. Even if he has a bad game, it’s not really any big deal. With Fisher, just getting out from under all of that salary was a big bonus.

by Varada on Mar 17, 2011 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions

If Kelly had linemates like Fisher did what would his offensive numbers have been. Time and again I was frustrated by Neils inability to finish as Kelly set him up nicely. Neil did all the right things like going to the net and getting shots in off some nice passes but he never finished this year. Kelly-Michalek had a Kelly-Vermette promise for short handed goals but Michalek got injured and ended that.

by Hockey Playoff Run SensFan on Mar 17, 2011 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions

Digression.

Did anyone read this article by Nicks: http://theuniversalcynic.blogspot.com/2011/03/your-march-deglaze-on-mlakar-and.html

It’s …. useless. It’s like saying "I know something you don’t know nenenenennenenne"

Sorry for posting in this and the previous story – not sure which people will read.

by The Tif on Mar 17, 2011 9:21 AM EDT reply actions

I don’t really get Universal Cynic at all. I mean, I’m a broken record here because I’ve said this before, but if a person doesn’t really want to write about a hockey team, why have their own blog?

by Varada on Mar 17, 2011 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Based on your link,

I started reading some of the Universal Cynic for the first time. Its horrendous! The combination of her holier than thou attitude and her lack of any real in-depth analysis makes the whole experience unenlightening and unpleasant.

Long story short, I wont be checking that site regularly.

by alfie4PM on Mar 17, 2011 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions

Having said that, I’m okay with that post. Was sort of interesting to get that perspective. I just find most of her “analysis” to be really lazy and uninvested.

by Varada on Mar 17, 2011 9:27 AM EDT reply actions

It's nowhere near the detail of SSS

Hell, these dudes do regular reviews of prospects and Binghamton. That’s impressive stuff.

by The Tif on Mar 17, 2011 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions

rip

by sens_24 on Mar 17, 2011 9:53 AM EDT reply actions

Kelly will be missed

Of all the changes we made so far, this was the one I regret the most… because the combination of stuff that Kelly brought is irreplaceable. I understand why they did it, but where are you going to find a guy who is perfect for killing penalties, taking faceoffs, protecting a lead, great puck cycler to waste alot of time, playing with anybody, offensive upside, leadership… and so on.

by Marvellous on Mar 17, 2011 10:06 AM EDT reply actions

they are grooming Winchester and Z.Smith for that position

Winchester is pretty good at faceoffs and is doing well at penalty kills. But the thing with Kelly and I said it in an earlier post was that he did not have hard mileage on his body and had enough years left in him to be there when the rebuild gave this team it’s competitive edge back. This was a salary dump, maybe Melnyk bought into the rumors that this town would not support a rebuild, yet they continue to fill the seats despite having no chance at a cup this year.

by Hockey Playoff Run SensFan on Mar 17, 2011 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions