Ottawa Senators 2012-2013: A Scouting Report

Jan 19, 2006
22,961
4,659
Calgary
My scouting reports from the last five seasons seemed to be pretty well received. It's just a quick reference guide of the players on the team for those not as familar with the team as the hardcore fans, as well as a good resource in case we trade away some players at the trade deadline, so that the scouting reports fans of other teams ask for aren't colored by bad feelings or rosecolored glasses.

Here's a general outline of the players on your 2012-2013 Ottawa Senators hockey team, or at least the ones that are starting the season on the roster.

Feel free to make comments, point out errors, and help make this list as comprehensive a guide as possible. Feel free to give your own comments and opinions.

Forwards
Jason Spezza

Strengths
  • Great at faceoffs
  • Unmatched vision in the offensive zone
  • Unbelievable hands
  • Underrated shot
Weaknesses
  • Still has troubles in defensive zone at times
  • Can sometimes force plays that aren't there, which leads to turnovers in high risk areas
  • Injury Prone

General Comments: The guy is a top 10(5? 7?) center in the league. Everything you want in a franchise center. In fact, the Senators don't win very often with him out of the lineup. The success of the Senators this season will depend highly on the number of games Jason Spezza plays.

Daniel Alfredsson

Strengths
  • Great Hockey Sense
  • Great puck-handling skills
  • Great defensive awareness
Weaknesses
  • Getting up there in age.
  • Unlikely to play a full season.

General Comments: The captain, Mr. Everything on the Senators. That being said, he is starting to slow down, and can't be relied upon to be the best player on the ice every game like you could when he was younger. That being said, when the team is struggling, Alfie is often the player that steps up with a big play to turn the game around.

Milan Michalek

Strengths
  • Speed to burn. One of the fastest players in the league
  • Good two-way player.
  • Big body with the ability to play physical
Weaknesses
  • Has limited puck possession ability for top-line player. Relys on his linemates to keep possession while he gets into scoring areas
  • Inconsistent production
  • Injury-prone. Unlikely to play a full season

General Comments: A player that always leaves you wanting more. Has all the ability in the world, he often leaves the impression that he could produce more than he does. Still a top-6 player, but maybe not the star that he was drafted with the potential to be.

Kyle Turris

Strengths
  • Top-tier wrist shot
  • Good offensive vision
  • Underrated defensive awareness and decision making
Weaknesses
  • Struggles in the faceoff circle
  • Not overly physical, can be pushed off the puck too easily by the opposition

General Comments: One of the best wrist shots in the league. It remains to be seen how his off-season training has improved on his major weakness last season (his lack of upper body strength). If he was able to strengthen that area, then both the weaknesses listed above could become non-factors.

Jakob Silfverberg

Strengths
  • Great shot
  • Plays on both ends of the ice
  • Has shown the ability to raise his game in important situations
  • Underrated playmaking abilities
  • Already has a great cheer for fans to chant
Weaknesses
  • Remains to be seen how he adapts to NHL quality opposition and style of play
  • Not overly physical

General Comments: Has all the tools to be a top-line sniper for many years in the NHL, complete with the unreal snap/wrist shot that is in the net before the goalie reacts. Has succeeded in every level he's been in, including MVP and playoff MVP honours in the SEL. However, is unproven at the NHL level and will need to show he can adapt to the fast paced style of the NHL complete with players that will go out of their way to challenge him physically.

Guillaume Latendresse

Strengths
  • Big body that is not afraid to use his size to go to the front of the net
  • Good around the net, finding rebounds and finishing them off
  • Knows his role, does not try to do too much
Weaknesses
  • Injury Prone. Needs to prove he can stay healthy
  • Not a particularly good skater
  • Inconsistent offensive production

General Comments: Has never been able to put everything together to become the top-line power forward he was drafted to be. Part of the reason has been his poor conditioning levels early in his career, which lead to the injury issues he has struggled with. However, when he has been healthy and on the ice in the past couple of years, he has shown flashes of his great potential. With how long it usually takes power-forwards to develop, maybe this is the year he finally puts it all together.

Peter Regin

Strengths
  • Good offensive instincts
  • Good defensive positioning
  • Smooth Skater
  • Good shot
Weaknesses
  • Inconsistent
  • Needs to be stronger on his skates, knocked on the ice a little too easily.
  • Wonky shoulder

General Comments: When healthy, a very useful player with untapped offensive potential. However, has dealt with shoulder problems and it remains to be seen if this latest surgery will be successful enough to keep it intact. If so, he will be a very useful third line player that is capable of filling in a top-six spot in case of injury or poor production.

Zack Smith

Strengths
  • Good defensively
  • Physical
  • Good shot
  • Decent mid-weight fighter
  • Great Hockey Hair
Weaknesses
  • Not great offensively
  • Below average at faceoffs
  • Wearing Heatley's old number

General Comments: Probably tops out as a checking line center, has shown flashes of offensive potential, but has never proven to be a top point getter any time in his career at any level. Has had problems taking bad penalties in the past. Hit a wall around the All-Star break last year and his play dropped off significantly. Will need to prove that it was just fatigue from a long season the year before (Calder Cup run), instead of his play falling back down to earth.

Colin Greening

Strengths
  • Fast Skater
  • Good Defensively
  • Good along the boards
  • Versatile (Any forward position, any line)
  • Hard Shot
Weaknesses
  • Not much of a point producer

General Comments: A coach's dream, big-bodied with the enough talent and hockey sense to not look out of place on the wing of any line (1st to 4th); Can play on both wings, and does a admirable job at the center position. Unfortunately, has never produced points at any level in his career, and thus would would be more useful in a bottom-six role, with the occasional stint on a top line to do the dirty work for more skilled offensive players on the team.

Chris Neil

Strengths
  • Great at hitting without crossing the line and getting a penalty
  • Good at getting underneath opponent's skin
  • Can hold his own in fights, even against players bigger than him
  • Protects teammates
  • Makes fans from other teams angry*
Weaknesses
  • Below average hands
  • Below average offensive hockey sense
  • Can get "reputation calls" even when he didn't commit a penalty

General Comments: A player that entered the NHL as an enforcer, and reinvented himself to be a player that can play a regular shift on a checking line without looking out of place. The Senators' best player at turning momentum when the team is playing poorly, be it with a big hit, fight, or even the occassional goal.

Erik Condra

Strengths
  • Great Hockey Sense
  • Has no major weaknesses
Weaknesses
  • Has no major strengths
  • Isn't a particularly good finisher

General Comments: The type of player you love on your bottom-six set of forwards as he always is in the right positions doing the right things. However, he doesn't have any special skillsets that his superior hockey sense can exploit to become a star in the league. Good at everything, great at nothing. (Also might be interesting to note: Condra has ridiciously good Corsi stats)

Jim O'Brien

Strengths
  • Good defensively
  • Good slapshot
  • Able to play physical
Weaknesses
  • Limited offensive awareness
  • Below average at faceoffs

General Comments: Has come a long way from the player many people were calling a first-round bust before last season. While he will probably never live up to the lofty power-forward projections he was given when he was drafted, he could become a very useful bottom-six player that can play any of the forward postions if he continues to improve the way he did last season. That being said, if he wants to stay at the center position, he'll have to improve on his faceoff percentage.

Kaspars Daugavins

Strengths
  • Great penalty killer
  • Great teammate, loved in the locker room
Weaknesses
  • Questionable offensive ability at the NHL level
  • Not the greatest skater

General Comments: Has unfortunately never been able to translate the offensive production he's had at other levels of hockey to the NHL level. Good 13th forward, but unlikely to be anything else.

Defensemen
Erik Karlsson

Strengths
  • Elite ability to get point shot on net through shot blockers and create scoring chances
  • Great passer, both with breakout passes from his own zone, and cross ice passes in the offensive zone
  • Very good offensive instincts
  • Great at using his stick defensively
  • Won the Norris
  • Extremely quick, but in acceleration and top end speed
Weaknesses
  • Sometimes too casual with the puck
  • Sometimes too risky in his decision making
  • Undersized, can get outmuscled in front of own net
  • Struggles pivoting to the right, when going backwards

General Comments: Erik Karlsson doesn't play the defensive position like anyone in the league. Instead of standing opposition forwards up at the blueline, he turns and angles them down the boards with his speed and stick position, then steals the puck. Instead of staying in the shooting lane and blocking the shot, he picks off the pass and goes the other way. Creates offense from the blueline better than anybody in the league.

Marc Methot

Strengths
  • A good defensive defenseman
  • Great lateral ability
  • Knows his role, does not try to do too much
Weaknesses
  • Inaccurate point shot
  • Hasn't been a great point producer throughout NHL career

General Comments: Doesn't exactly produce the type of offensive numbers that you would expect out of a guy that is expected to play on the top-pairing, but fortunately for him, he won't need to do too much when playing with Erik Karlsson. He'll be expected to do three things this season, clear the front of the net in the defensive zone, so Karlsson won't have to, to protect Karlsson when the other team tries to run him, and pass Karlsson the puck when the guy wants the puck. I expect that all three things are well within Methot's skillset.

Chris Phillips

Strengths
  • Physical
  • Ups his game in playoffs
  • Good defensive defensemen
  • Smooth skater
Weaknesses
  • Will not produce a large amount of points

General Comments: Solid defensive defenseman. While Phillips isn't the first option shutdown defenseman anymore at this stage in his career, he's still a solid defenseman capable of playing regular minutes .

Sergei Gonchar

Strengths
  • Great offensive instincts
  • Capable PP Quarterback
  • Underrated defensive ability
Weaknesses
  • Has lost a step
  • Getting up there in age

General Comments: One of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL over the past decade, but has declined mightly from that high point as he has grown older. Was arguably better in the defensive zone than the offensive zone last season. May have been a fluke season, but showed a distressing inability to get his points shots past the first shot blocker last season.

Jared Cowen

Strengths
  • Great in the defensive zone, using his big body and long stick to eliminate both forwards and their passing lanes
  • Good skater for his size
  • Hard Slapshot
Weaknesses
  • Sometimes handles the puck like a handgrenade
  • Will probably never be a huge point producer from the backend.

General Comments: Injured. Out for the season. Has the potential to be a great top-pairing defenseman if he continues to develop.

Mike Lundin

Strengths
  • Positionally sound
  • Solid breakout pass
Weaknesses
  • Limited offensive point production

General Comments: I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about this player, but looking at his possession stats, the guys seems like the blueline version of Erik Condra (relatively good Corsi stats even while playing against pretty good quality of competition even with low zone-starts).

Patrick Wiercioch

Strengths
  • Good point shot
  • Good positionally
  • Good offensive skills
  • Good skater for his size
Weaknesses
  • Not overly physical

General Comments: While his potential to be a top-4 offensive defenseman has never been in doubt, he has struggled to put the total package together since he turned pro before this season. If he continues to develop, he will be a very useful top-4 offensive defenseman that can QB a powerplay.

Andre Benoit

Strengths
  • Good offensively
  • Solid positionally in the defensive zone
Weaknesses
  • Undersized
  • Not the greatest skater, can get caught flat-flooted by fowards on the rush in transition
  • Not great at adjusting to poor passes when attempting a one-timer

General Comments: Could definitely be a solid depth defenseman, but owing to his size and skating ability that cannot compensate for that lack of size, it's unlikely he'll be anything more than that.

Mark Borowiecki

Strengths
  • Physical
  • Willing to drop the gloves, and able to hold his own with non-heavyweights
  • Very hard worker
  • Pretty good shot blocker
Weaknesses
  • Sometimes takes too many dumb penalties
  • Limited offensive potential

General Comments: Has the potential to be a solid bottom-pairing defensive defenseman. However, needs to continue to develop.

Goaltenders
Craig Anderson

Strengths
  • Has shown the ability to steal games.
  • Able to make saves on pucks he has no business getting to
  • Good with the puck on his stick, making breakout passes from behind the net
Weaknesses
  • Can sometimes overcommit leaving himself open to pass
  • Can be guilty of flopping in his crease at times after the first save

General Comments: Has all the tools and ability to be a top goaltender in the league, has shown he can win games by himself. However, he has also shown at stages in his career of not being quite as good as he could be. Has never proven in his career that he is capable of taking a team to a championship.

Ben Bishop

Strengths
  • Is a very big guy, fills up a lot of the net
  • Very good positionally
  • Good puckhandler
Weaknesses
  • Sometimes tends to block pucks instead of making saves, leaving rebounds in dangerous areas

General Comments: A very good goaltender, just needs a chance to prove it at the NHL level over a full season.

Robin Lehner

Strengths
  • Is a very big guy, fills up a lot of the net
  • All world potential both physically and mentally
  • Big-Game Goaltender - ups his game in big games
Weaknesses
  • Needs to work on his rebound control
  • Can be taken off his game by people crashing his crease. Sometimes needs to work on his temper

General Comments: Has all the tools and the mental strength to be a franchise goaltender. Still needs to work on his consistency and the few rough edges in his game to fulfill that potential.

--
* - Very good at making borderline hits by keeping them legal, and thus has never been suspended by the NHL. This makes fans of the players that Neil destroys cry sweet delicious tears.
 

ReginKarlssonLehner

Let's Win It All
May 3, 2010
40,755
11,055
Dubai Marina
Hey guys.

Lol, in all seriousness, I just read it and it's well written, very indepth. Methot has a booming shot from the point when he does make it accurate. It's one of his best weapons from the point.

Another weakness I gotta mention for Andy is sometimes he plays too casually in net.
 

BradyTkachucky

Registered User
Jul 31, 2005
1,312
601
Ottawa
My scouting reports from the last five seasons seemed to be pretty well received. It's just a quick reference guide of the players on the team for those not as familar with the team as the hardcore fans, as well as a good resource in case we trade away some players at the trade deadline, so that the scouting reports fans of other teams ask for aren't colored by bad feelings or rosecolored glasses.

Here's a general outline of the players on your 2012-2013 Ottawa Senators hockey team, or at least the ones that are starting the season on the roster.

Feel free to make comments, point out errors, and help make this list as comprehensive a guide as possible. Feel free to give your own comments and opinions.

Forwards
Jason Spezza

Strengths
  • Great at faceoffs
  • Unmatched vision in the offensive zone
  • Unbelievable hands
  • Underrated shot
Weaknesses
  • Still has troubles in defensive zone at times
  • Can sometimes force plays that aren't there, which leads to turnovers in high risk areas
  • Injury Prone

General Comments: The guy is a top 10(5? 7?) center in the league. Everything you want in a franchise center. In fact, the Senators don't win very often with him out of the lineup. The success of the Senators this season will depend highly on the number of games Jason Spezza plays.

Daniel Alfredsson

Strengths
  • Great Hockey Sense
  • Great puck-handling skills
  • Great defensive awareness
Weaknesses
  • Getting up there in age.
  • Unlikely to play a full season.

General Comments: The captain, Mr. Everything on the Senators. That being said, he is starting to slow down, and can't be relied upon to be the best player on the ice every game like you could when he was younger. That being said, when the team is struggling, Alfie is often the player that steps up with a big play to turn the game around.

Milan Michalek

Strengths
  • Speed to burn. One of the fastest players in the league
  • Good two-way player.
  • Big body with the ability to play physical
Weaknesses
  • Has limited puck possession ability for top-line player. Relys on his linemates to keep possession while he gets into scoring areas
  • Inconsistent production
  • Injury-prone. Unlikely to play a full season

General Comments: A player that always leaves you wanting more. Has all the ability in the world, he often leaves the impression that he could produce more than he does. Still a top-6 player, but maybe not the star that he was drafted with the potential to be.

Kyle Turris

Strengths
  • Top-tier wrist shot
  • Good offensive vision
  • Underrated defensive awareness and decision making
Weaknesses
  • Struggles in the faceoff circle
  • Not overly physical, can be pushed off the puck too easily by the opposition

General Comments: One of the best wrist shots in the league. It remains to be seen how his off-season training has improved on his major weakness last season (his lack of upper body strength). If he was able to strengthen that area, then both the weaknesses listed above could become non-factors.

Jakob Silfverberg

Strengths
  • Great shot
  • Plays on both ends of the ice
  • Has shown the ability to raise his game in important situations
  • Underrated playmaking abilities
  • Already has a great cheer for fans to chant
Weaknesses
  • Remains to be seen how he adapts to NHL quality opposition and style of play
  • Not overly physical

General Comments: Has all the tools to be a top-line sniper for many years in the NHL, complete with the unreal snap/wrist shot that is in the net before the goalie reacts. Has succeeded in every level he's been in, including MVP and playoff MVP honours in the SEL. However, is unproven at the NHL level and will need to show he can adapt to the fast paced style of the NHL complete with players that will go out of their way to challenge him physically.

Guillaume Latendresse

Strengths
  • Big body that is not afraid to use his size to go to the front of the net
  • Good around the net, finding rebounds and finishing them off
  • Knows his role, does not try to do too much
Weaknesses
  • Injury Prone. Needs to prove he can stay healthy
  • Not a particularly good skater
  • Inconsistent offensive production

General Comments: Has never been able to put everything together to become the top-line power forward he was drafted to be. Part of the reason has been his poor conditioning levels early in his career, which lead to the injury issues he has struggled with. However, when he has been healthy and on the ice in the past couple of years, he has shown flashes of his great potential. With how long it usually takes power-forwards to develop, maybe this is the year he finally puts it all together.

Peter Regin

Strengths
  • Good offensive instincts
  • Good defensive positioning
  • Smooth Skater
  • Good shot
Weaknesses
  • Inconsistent
  • Needs to be stronger on his skates, knocked on the ice a little too easily.
  • Wonky shoulder

General Comments: When healthy, a very useful player with untapped offensive potential. However, has dealt with shoulder problems and it remains to be seen if this latest surgery will be successful enough to keep it intact. If so, he will be a very useful third line player that is capable of filling in a top-six spot in case of injury or poor production.

Zack Smith

Strengths
  • Good defensively
  • Physical
  • Good shot
  • Decent mid-weight fighter
  • Great Hockey Hair
Weaknesses
  • Not great offensively
  • Below average at faceoffs
  • Wearing Heatley's old number

General Comments: Probably tops out as a checking line center, has shown flashes of offensive potential, but has never proven to be a top point getter any time in his career at any level. Has had problems taking bad penalties in the past. Hit a wall around the All-Star break last year and his play dropped off significantly. Will need to prove that it was just fatigue from a long season the year before (Calder Cup run), instead of his play falling back down to earth.

Colin Greening

Strengths
  • Fast Skater
  • Good Defensively
  • Good along the boards
  • Versatile (Any forward position, any line)
  • Hard Shot
Weaknesses
  • Not much of a point producer

General Comments: A coach's dream, big-bodied with the enough talent and hockey sense to not look out of place on the wing of any line (1st to 4th); Can play on both wings, and does a admirable job at the center position. Unfortunately, has never produced points at any level in his career, and thus would would be more useful in a bottom-six role, with the occasional stint on a top line to do the dirty work for more skilled offensive players on the team.

Chris Neil

Strengths
  • Great at hitting without crossing the line and getting a penalty
  • Good at getting underneath opponent's skin
  • Can hold his own in fights, even against players bigger than him
  • Protects teammates
  • Makes fans from other teams angry*
Weaknesses
  • Below average hands
  • Below average offensive hockey sense
  • Can get "reputation calls" even when he didn't commit a penalty

General Comments: A player that entered the NHL as an enforcer, and reinvented himself to be a player that can play a regular shift on a checking line without looking out of place. The Senators' best player at turning momentum when the team is playing poorly, be it with a big hit, fight, or even the occassional goal.

Erik Condra

Strengths
  • Great Hockey Sense
  • Has no major weaknesses
  • GENERATIONAL STAMINA :yo::yo:
Weaknesses
  • Has no major strengths
  • Isn't a particularly good finisher

General Comments: The type of player you love on your bottom-six set of forwards as he always is in the right positions doing the right things. However, he doesn't have any special skillsets that his superior hockey sense can exploit to become a star in the league. Good at everything, great at nothing. (Also might be interesting to note: Condra has ridiciously good Corsi stats)

Jim O'Brien

Strengths
  • Good defensively
  • Good slapshot
  • Able to play physical
Weaknesses
  • Limited offensive awareness
  • Below average at faceoffs

General Comments: Has come a long way from the player many people were calling a first-round bust before last season. While he will probably never live up to the lofty power-forward projections he was given when he was drafted, he could become a very useful bottom-six player that can play any of the forward postions if he continues to improve the way he did last season. That being said, if he wants to stay at the center position, he'll have to improve on his faceoff percentage.

Kaspars Daugavins

Strengths
  • Great penalty killer
  • Great teammate, loved in the locker room
Weaknesses
  • Questionable offensive ability at the NHL level
  • Not the greatest skater

General Comments: Has unfortunately never been able to translate the offensive production he's had at other levels of hockey to the NHL level. Good 13th forward, but unlikely to be anything else.

Defensemen
Erik Karlsson

Strengths
  • Elite ability to get point shot on net through shot blockers and create scoring chances
  • Great passer, both with breakout passes from his own zone, and cross ice passes in the offensive zone
  • Very good offensive instincts
  • Great at using his stick defensively
  • Won the Norris
  • Extremely quick, but in acceleration and top end speed
Weaknesses
  • Sometimes too casual with the puck
  • Sometimes too risky in his decision making
  • Undersized, can get outmuscled in front of own net
  • Struggles pivoting to the right, when going backwards

General Comments: Erik Karlsson doesn't play the defensive position like anyone in the league. Instead of standing opposition forwards up at the blueline, he turns and angles them down the boards with his speed and stick position, then steals the puck. Instead of staying in the shooting lane and blocking the shot, he picks off the pass and goes the other way. Creates offense from the blueline better than anybody in the league.

Marc Methot

Strengths
  • A good defensive defenseman
  • Great lateral ability
  • Knows his role, does not try to do too much
Weaknesses
  • Inaccurate point shot
  • Hasn't been a great point producer throughout NHL career

General Comments: Doesn't exactly produce the type of offensive numbers that you would expect out of a guy that is expected to play on the top-pairing, but fortunately for him, he won't need to do too much when playing with Erik Karlsson. He'll be expected to do three things this season, clear the front of the net in the defensive zone, so Karlsson won't have to, to protect Karlsson when the other team tries to run him, and pass Karlsson the puck when the guy wants the puck. I expect that all three things are well within Methot's skillset.

Chris Phillips

Strengths
  • Physical
  • Ups his game in playoffs
  • Good defensive defensemen
  • Smooth skater
Weaknesses
  • Will not produce a large amount of points

General Comments: Solid defensive defenseman. While Phillips isn't the first option shutdown defenseman anymore at this stage in his career, he's still a solid defenseman capable of playing regular minutes .

Sergei Gonchar

Strengths
  • Great offensive instincts
  • Capable PP Quarterback
  • Underrated defensive ability
Weaknesses
  • Has lost a step
  • Getting up there in age

General Comments: One of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL over the past decade, but has declined mightly from that high point as he has grown older. Was arguably better in the defensive zone than the offensive zone last season. May have been a fluke season, but showed a distressing inability to get his points shots past the first shot blocker last season.

Jared Cowen

Strengths
  • Great in the defensive zone, using his big body and long stick to eliminate both forwards and their passing lanes
  • Good skater for his size
  • Hard Slapshot
Weaknesses
  • Sometimes handles the puck like a handgrenade
  • Will probably never be a huge point producer from the backend.

General Comments: Injured. Out for the season. Has the potential to be a great top-pairing defenseman if he continues to develop.

Mike Lundin

Strengths
  • Positionally sound
  • Solid breakout pass
Weaknesses
  • Limited offensive point production

General Comments: I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much about this player, but looking at his possession stats, the guys seems like the blueline version of Erik Condra (relatively good Corsi stats even while playing against pretty good quality of competition even with low zone-starts).

Patrick Wiercioch

Strengths
  • Good point shot
  • Good positionally
  • Good offensive skills
  • Good skater for his size
Weaknesses
  • Not overly physical

General Comments: While his potential to be a top-4 offensive defenseman has never been in doubt, he has struggled to put the total package together since he turned pro before this season. If he continues to develop, he will be a very useful top-4 offensive defenseman that can QB a powerplay.

Andre Benoit

Strengths
  • Good offensively
  • Solid positionally in the defensive zone
Weaknesses
  • Undersized
  • Not the greatest skater, can get caught flat-flooted by fowards on the rush in transition
  • Not great at adjusting to poor passes when attempting a one-timer

General Comments: Could definitely be a solid depth defenseman, but owing to his size and skating ability that cannot compensate for that lack of size, it's unlikely he'll be anything more than that.

Mark Borowiecki

Strengths
  • Physical
  • Willing to drop the gloves, and able to hold his own with non-heavyweights
  • Very hard worker
  • Pretty good shot blocker
Weaknesses
  • Sometimes takes too many dumb penalties
  • Limited offensive potential

General Comments: Has the potential to be a solid bottom-pairing defensive defenseman. However, needs to continue to develop.

Goaltenders
Craig Anderson

Strengths
  • Has shown the ability to steal games.
  • Able to make saves on pucks he has no business getting to
  • Good with the puck on his stick, making breakout passes from behind the net
Weaknesses
  • Can sometimes overcommit leaving himself open to pass
  • Can be guilty of flopping in his crease at times after the first save

General Comments: Has all the tools and ability to be a top goaltender in the league, has shown he can win games by himself. However, he has also shown at stages in his career of not being quite as good as he could be. Has never proven in his career that he is capable of taking a team to a championship.

Ben Bishop

Strengths
  • Is a very big guy, fills up a lot of the net
  • Very good positionally
  • Good puckhandler
Weaknesses
  • Sometimes tends to block pucks instead of making saves, leaving rebounds in dangerous areas

General Comments: A very good goaltender, just needs a chance to prove it at the NHL level over a full season.

Robin Lehner

Strengths
  • Is a very big guy, fills up a lot of the net
  • All world potential both physically and mentally
  • Big-Game Goaltender - ups his game in big games
Weaknesses
  • Needs to work on his rebound control
  • Can be taken off his game by people crashing his crease. Sometimes needs to work on his temper

General Comments: Has all the tools and the mental strength to be a franchise goaltender. Still needs to work on his consistency and the few rough edges in his game to fulfill that potential.

--
* - Very good at making borderline hits by keeping them legal, and thus has never been suspended by the NHL. This makes fans of the players that Neil destroys cry sweet delicious tears.

Small adjustment :sarcasm:
 

Johnny Hanson

Registered User
Jul 6, 2008
2,379
816
I'm going to be honest, I did not read the whole thing. I did read chris neils and I don't think you're giving him enough credit in his strengths column, but that's my opinion. He wasn't drafted as an enforcer, he was seen as a tough guy that could play. He also doesn't just "hold his own" in fights, he rarely loses a fight, most of the time dominating them. He's an emotional leader on the team and the poster boy for a team first, character guy. He's one of the best body checkers in the league and forces the other team to play an honest game. A leader on and off the ice.

Also a weakness for lehner is his puck control, passing, ect
 

OmniSens

@OmniSenators
Sep 22, 2008
46,200
1,516
Ottawa
Not really scouting, but here's a notable weight change for some players

Turris from 185 to 193
Karlsson from 180 to 175
Alfie from 196 to 203
 

WilderPegasus*

Guest
The Forecaster does a much better job.

Why is it the "Ottawa Senators 2012-2013: Scouting Report"? This team isn't playing any games in 2012! It's the 2013 Ottawa Senators team.
 

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