Your expectations for the 2014-2015 Ottawa Senators

[M4TR1X]

Oh lord. I think some people forget how good Phillips was for us. The Hockey News picked him to win the Norris in 07-08.

Agreed. As useless as Phillips is today for the Senators, he was valuable time after time again in his earlier years in Ottawa. Especially in 2006-07 where he played all 82 games and was a plus-36.

 

[aragorn]

While I think they will be fighting for a playoff berth, I also think they will be a better team than they were last yr. I think the addition of Legwand will be a help at both ends of the ice & on the special teams. Spezza only had 66 pts last yr & had yrs with less than 60 pts, Legwand had 51 pts last yr & when we add Chiasson, Stone, Hoffman & hopefully an improved Zibanejad I think Ottawa will score more this yr while at the same time reduce their goals against. The schedule should be a lot better for the Sens to start the yr as well, it really hurt them to start the season last yr. While I think our young defence will be better, it will likely come down to goaltending & hopefully both our goalies will be better this season too.

 

[bert]

It all depend on the D core. If they trade Methot were in big trouble. If one of Wiercioch or Cowen can handle 18 minutes a night affectively they will push for a playoff spot.

 

[DrEasy]

A lot depends on whether we'll have too many players playing through injuries or not. The two bad years we've had recently we had players coming back from injury or playing through one. Contrast that with two years ago when we had plenty of injuries, but the injured players didn't play, and the team turned out ok, with fresh and healthy replacement available from the AHL.

Just last year, consider that Karlsson and Cowen were back from big injuries, and Spezza, Methot and Ryan played through injuries for a large number of games. Getting back beast mode Karlsson, Methot, Ryan and Cowen will completely change the dynamics of this team.

 

[CanadianGuest]

Zibanejad was doubled over on the bench after a couple of windsprints the other day, puking. No one else was even sweating.

Guy's overweight, unfocused, and lacks the professionalism to step up into the role the Sens need him to play in.

As for Cowen, he is literally the Chris Phillips protoype. He'll spend ten years here, and never do anything overly positive to stand out.

This team is not a playoff team, but might make the playoffs because of the East being meh.

They were doing their dreaded endurance skate test, and it was not just Zibanejad "enjoying" the effects of it. Link

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Honestly, I have no idea.

What I want to see:

1 - The entire team tighten up defensively. We need to give our goalies more support. We have to have both the forwards and D working together in our zone, communicating, and being more aggressive after the puck.

2 - Need some upward development with the kids. I certainly don't expect guys like Cowen, Zibby, Stone, etc, to be perfect, but we need to see a learning curve (especially with Cowen). A move that constantly beats a guy in November shouldn't be a problem by February, if you know what I mean.

3 - Stamina. Turris worries me. He has worn down in the final stretch of the regular season & playoffs over the last few years. I'm hoping he can remain a steady 60+ point guy for the whole season. He's hitting his prime years now, so having an "off" month shouldn't happen. A bad week or two here and there happens to everyone, but long droughts should be in the past.

4 - Coaching to stabilize. There were a lot of odd decisions behind the bench last year. Need to iron those problems out. If a goalie is in a hot streak, leave him in the net. If a guy can't handle big minutes (Phillips), don't over-play him. Do the things that got that Jack Adams.


Where do we finish in the standings....right now, I'm not sure what I'd rather see. Making the playoffs is always great, and being able to win a round and shut up some haters would be sweet.

But finishing low and getting an elite prospect in this draft is very attractive, too. We don't have much in the way of high-end skill in our prospect stable...and this draft is soooooo good...it's so tempting to want to finish bottom 5 and grab a future star.

I guess anywhere we finish will be alright. So tempting either way.

 

[BonkTastic]

Oh lord. I think some people forget how good Phillips was for us.

Some of the most vocal anti-Phillips contingency probably weren't even old enough back then to realize how good he was. Posters who are 15 and 16 years old now were what... 8 or 9 years old back then?

It's like trying to tell a 15 year old fan in 1995 that Charlie Huddy was a good defenceman. There's just no frame of reference, and all they see with their own eyes is the "why is that old man wearing a Blues jersey?" version of Huddy.

 

[DylanSensFan]

compound word: playoffs

 

[albator71]

I think we make the playoffs, the Sens always plays better when the expectations are low. The players are aware that everybody expect them not to make the playoffs so they will want to prove the hockey world wrong.

I'm expecting the pesky Sens to be back this season, Andy and Lehner will back to form and our defensive game will be much improve, especially our PK.

So, I think the team will scratch and claw their way into the playoffs, our young guys will take a step forward and the the Sens becomes a tough team to play against once again.

 

[Xspyrit]

This team is not a playoff team, but might make the playoffs because of the East being meh.

One of the thing I enjoy the most is reading contradiction within the same sentence

How can a team making the playoffs not be a "playoffs team"? You are always compared to the actual competition, not the competition of another conference or another era.

Despite what everyone on the main boards thinks about us, we are a bubble team. The only two teams that are locks for the playoffs in the east are Boston and Pittsburgh. The only team that is a lock for the basement is Buffalo in the east. The rest of the teams in the east are just teams that can either make the playoffs or miss it.

HF is all about "name recognition". I learned with time that people in general don't know as much about hockey as I initially thought. We lost Spezza and it simply means the Sens are doomed.

I read some people say that Ottawa isn't even an "up and coming team". I mean with all players under 25 and the overall talent, they have a decent chance to become an "up and coming" team no?

I just hope we don't finish in the 10th-15th range - too good to get a top prospect, but not good enough to make the playoffs.

It's possible however with the new draft lottery, things change

Zero expectations. Miss the playoffs? Cool. Make the playoffs? Awesome.

East is wide open. Only Boston and Pittsburgh are above mediocre. Sens can finish anywhere.

100% agree with all this

This team is about to breakout. If it's next year, it means we have another great prospect to count on (top-10 pick?)

 

[Do Make Say Think]

A "safe" bubble team

We will be making the playoffs as a 7 seed and not by the skin of our teeth

 

[Tuna99]

I think the kids like Stone, Ceci, Boro and Lehner will bring a ton of energy but we are a playoff bubble team.

Not to sound the alarm but I don't think our D is much improved from last year - Karlsson will be much better but the rest I think will be roughly the same - not as much of a clown show and fewer goals but I think the D will be this teams weakness again

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

I think with all the youth on the team and them being given the chance to be the head of the franchise, we have a Colorado 2013 season and overachieve.

We'll get great goaltending from Lehner and Anderson and make the playoffs.

#They'reBringingPeskyBack

 

[NyQuil]

Bubble team.

Our young D will have to take legitimate steps forward in their development for this team to make the playoffs.

Either that, or another god-mode season from our goalies.

 

[Derivation]

Did anyone ever find out what that 'mystery deal' that was going around late July/Early August was for?

I feel we're still missing a 3-4 defenseman although Ceci and Cowen are definitely rounding into form.

Right now I'm in the 'miss playoffs' camp, but I'd love for the team to prove me wrong and have a strong start to the season and sneak in.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Rumour is that it was for Chris Stewart from Buffalo but that Tim kept asking for someone we didn't want to let go so it fell through

Thank the lord

 

[Micklebot]

My expectations are that the team plays hard, and reduces the running around, looking lost in our own end. If we can get everyone to buy in and help out at both ends of the ice, we can be a good team.

The D will look much better if the forwards ensure they are in position for outlet passes, and support them in the defensive end.

 

[cage]

I really don't know. The team just lost its most offensively gifted forward. But all the good Spezza brought came with a lot of bad, which was magnified last year when he became captain. Last years team just looked like a "Jason Spezza" team and I'm hoping his absence changes the culture and it goes back to the style it played from '11-'13. Now Spezz was huge in the 11-12 season but that was minus the added responsibility of being captain. Those teams had so much heart and that was absent last season. The team looked disinterested and was out of most games 10 minutes into the first period. The sens just never looked prepared and I doubt the coaching staff just stopped giving a damn; the players got lazy and again I'm hoping the trade of Spezza has changed that culture

The defense is worrying though. We have EK and then.... what? We're really dependent on Cowan getting better. So much was expected from this guy and he was brutal last season. The goalies are also questionable. THey bailed out the team every night in 12-13 and then killed the team many games last year...

too many question marks with this team right now. Bobby Ryan could become a distraction (knowing our media it will). If I had to bet I'd say miss playoffs but that could change

 

[SlapJack]

The big question is on D - not enough experience back there. The forward group is actually better than the one that took the Rangers to 7 games in 2012, and the goaltending is basically the same.

If the defense can grow and start becoming more dependable, and the goaltending is there, this team makes the playoffs easily.

It's a big question mark back there though.

 

[aragorn]

The Ottawa Senators defence is very difficult to figure out what to do with them. Ceci should be on the team this yr but because of the numbers will likely start the season in Bingo until something is figured out with this group. I assume Methot & Karlsson will be the top pairing but if Methot can't get a deal done could be shipped out at some point.

On the other hand, if Cowen, Wiercioch, Gryba & Boro can't take the next step & continue to play crappy defensively that could force BM to give Methot more than he wants to. That would also possibly make Wiercioch, Gryba or Cowen expendable. If they do step up then it could make Methot expendable. My guess is that BM settles with Methot around $5.75 & decides to make a deal that moves Wiercioch out for a top 9 forward. Should be very interesting to see what transpires with this group.


Methot - Karlsson
Cowen - Wiercioch/Ceci
Phillips - Gryba/Boro

 

[Hutz]

Oh lord. I think some people forget how good Phillips was for us. The Hockey News picked him to win the Norris in 07-08.

Was gonna say this. If Cowen has the same career as Phillips, that's a win.

 

[Cashin]

Was gonna say this. If Cowen has the same career as Phillips, that's a win.

I'm not holding my breath.

 

[GimmeMyJetpack]

people keep blaming our actual D core and while they weren't great it was hardly all their fault. Bad coaching contributed, and some really shotty D from our forwards contributed a ton. Neil, Greening, Spezza largely were absolute rubbish in their own end with Neil and Greening getting far too many D-zone starts. You'd be amazed how much better our D would look if they got better help. 2 guys cant cover 5 guys...it's not always their fault.

 

[bert]

people keep blaming our actual D core and while they weren't great it was hardly all their fault. Bad coaching contributed, and some really shotty D from our forwards contributed a ton. Neil, Greening, Spezza largely were absolute rubbish in their own end with Neil and Greening getting far too many D-zone starts. You'd be amazed how much better our D would look if they got better help. 2 guys cant cover 5 guys...it's not always their fault.

This is very correct, Neil and Greening should never be on the ice together at the same time you can lump hoffman into that list too. He struggles to get the puck out he blows the zone early. But neither should any combination of Cowen, Phillips, Gryba and Boro.

Realistically this team should not be dressing more than two of those players at the same time per position.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Some of the most vocal anti-Phillips contingency probably weren't even old enough back then to realize how good he was. Posters who are 15 and 16 years old now were what... 8 or 9 years old back then?

It's like trying to tell a 15 year old fan in 1995 that Charlie Huddy was a good defenceman. There's just no frame of reference, and all they see with their own eyes is the "why is that old man wearing a Blues jersey?" version of Huddy.

Phillips was quite good...in 2003 to 2007 or so. Now it's 2014-2015 and he's well past his best before date and there is no reason to keep him on outside of sentimentality or loyalty. The more Phillips is on the ice, the more our zone is in peril.