Player Discussion Craig Anderson Appreciation Thread

[AchtzehnBaby]

I am not worried. If Craig comes back it's not for a full season...for sure. It's so he can be honoured and get his name on the wall.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I am not worried. If Craig comes back it's not for a full season...for sure. It's so he can be honoured and get his name on the wall.

Lol, honored on the wall. That would be such an Ottawa Senators thing to do.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Unless Nilsson is hurt, or the Senators plan on buying Nilsson out to make room for Anderson, I don't see how Anderson could return on anything other than a PTO, or a 1 way contract that both sides would mutually terminate if Anderson doesn't make the team and clears waivers.

I guess they could carry three goalies, but that seems dysfunctional.

I don't think any combo of Nilsson/Anderson/Hogberg would be a good enough tandem. I also think this is going to be a great summer to pick up a goalie, because there is a very strong UFA crop. Even if we cannot sign a UFA, the strong UFA crop will depress the trade market for goalies since there will be less teams that need to go that route.

 

[JD1]

Unless Nilsson is hurt, or the Senators plan on buying Nilsson out to make room for Anderson, I don't see how Anderson could return on anything other than a PTO, or a 1 way contract that both sides would mutually terminate if Anderson doesn't make the team and clears waivers.

I guess they could carry three goalies, but that seems dysfunctional.

I don't think any combo of Nilsson/Anderson/Hogberg would be a good enough tandem. I also think this is going to be a great summer to pick up a goalie, because there is a very strong UFA crop. Even if we cannot sign a UFA, the strong UFA crop will depress the trade market for goalies since there will be less teams that need to go that route.

I think a combo of a healthy Nilsson / Hogberg produces a better result than any combo featuring Anderson

 

[Crosside]

Unless Nilsson is hurt, or the Senators plan on buying Nilsson out to make room for Anderson, I don't see how Anderson could return on anything other than a PTO, or a 1 way contract that both sides would mutually terminate if Anderson doesn't make the team and clears waivers.

I guess they could carry three goalies, but that seems dysfunctional.

I don't think any combo of Nilsson/Anderson/Hogberg would be a good enough tandem. I also think this is going to be a great summer to pick up a goalie, because there is a very strong UFA crop. Even if we cannot sign a UFA, the strong UFA crop will depress the trade market for goalies since there will be less teams that need to go that route.

Ours team seem blind about goalie position. Don t seem to want to improve

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Ours team seem blind about goalie position. Don t seem to want to improve

He already got his retirement gift and we have two goalies that are clearly better at this stage.

Makes zero sense to bring him back.

This team has always seemed satisfied with mediocrity at goalie. I'd much rather keep trying to fling different shit at the wall and see if anything sticks.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

He already got his retirement gift and we have two goalies that are clearly better at this stage.

Makes zero sense to bring him back.

This team has always seemed satisfied with mediocrity at goalie. I'd much rather keep trying to fling different shit at the wall and see if anything sticks.

Mediocre? What kind of pipe are you smoking?

Anderson has proven he is well above mediocre. He carried the Sens through some great playoff runs.

He is on his way out. Relax.

 

[Micklebot]

Mediocre? What kind of pipe are you smoking?

Anderson has proven he well above mediocre. He carried the Sens through some great playoff runs.

He is on his way out. Relax.

Sure but were talking about potentially re-signing him now, not back in the day when he was capable of great playoff runs.

Today he is mediocre, time to move on regardless of whether he was once great or not. Heck there were already signs it was time to move on when he signed the last deal.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Sure but were talking about potentially re-signing him now, not back in the day when he was capable of great playoff runs.

Today he is mediocre, time to move on regardless of whether he was once great or not. Heck there were already signs it was time to move on when he signed the last deal.

So same principle as Alfie then, eh

I am sure it’s something so he gets a send off. Not playing more than 15-20 games

 

[robsenz]

He unquestionably solidified himself as the #1 Senators goalie of all time. But that time has passed, I wish him luck in his future Nascar career!

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Mediocre? What kind of pipe are you smoking?

Anderson has proven he is well above mediocre. He carried the Sens through some great playoff runs.

He is on his way out. Relax.

Mediocre, average, you pick. Andy was up and down his whole time here and has absolutely stunk 3 years in a row now. He was also injury prone and was in the rumor mill for asking for a trade even though he'd been terrible himself.

His legacy in Ottawa is pedestrian enough that he not only doesn't deserve some free gift send off (That he's already received these last couple years) while we watch him stink up the ice while potentially playing ahead of 1 or 2 better goalies, or even worse giving one of them the shaft in AHL or traded.

Mentioning his name with Alfie's is beyond absurd. Alfie is THE legend in Ottawa who was great right to the end and is the greatest Senator of all time according to most. Andy is merely the best out of a long line of average tender.

Besides, Hasek will always technically be the best goalie the Senators ever had, so he doesn't even get that title.

 

[BatherSeason]

So same principle as Alfie then, eh

I am sure it’s something so he gets a send off. Not playing more than 15-20 games

Comparing Andy to Alfie? What pipe are you smoking?

Alfie did so much for this community and for this organization. He left when he still had some hockey left, Anderson has played 3 seasons of below average hockey.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Comparing Andy to Alfie? What pipe are you smoking?

Alfie did so much for this community and for this organization. He left when he still had some hockey left, Anderson has played 3 seasons of below average hockey.

 

[JD1]

We're not a team that's ready to play high end defence yet so we're not going to get the high save percentages that we see with some of the better defensive clubs.

What is demoralizing as a hockey player is the soft goal. You know you're up against a better opponent and you're in the game and busting your balls and your guy lets in a softie. And to me that became Anderson's calling card over the last year and a half. That has to stop. I think both Hogberg and Nilsson did a better job at not giving up softies

 

[Ouroboros]

It's beyond ludicrous to even entertain the notion of bringing this guy back. So much so that I'm not even going to acknowledge it as a possibility.

 

[dumbdick]

Andy was the best. Love that guy. Wouldn't be shocked if he retires, or if he still has a season with lighter duties left in the tank somewhere. Maybe not in sens land though. We'll see I guess.

 

[JungleBeat]

He gave up on the team. I’d rather run with Hogberg who has something to prove and is hungry.

 

[aragorn]

The only way or reason I would bring Anderson back is if they have a deal in place for Nilsson. While I doubt anyone would want him either, one never knows. However since we are talking about goalies, I would love to see the Sens put a package together which would include one of their own goalies to acquire another 1st rd pick (around 10th OA) to acquire Askarov G who seems to have the potential to be a superstar goalie of the future. Maybe Anderson becomes some kind of goalie coach in future for this team or more likely the Panthers since he lives down there.

 

[trentmccleary]

Mediocre, average, you pick. Andy was up and down his whole time here and has absolutely stunk 3 years in a row now. He was also injury prone and was in the rumor mill for asking for a trade even though he'd been terrible himself.

His legacy in Ottawa is pedestrian enough that he not only doesn't deserve some free gift send off (That he's already received these last couple years) while we watch him stink up the ice while potentially playing ahead of 1 or 2 better goalies, or even worse giving one of them the shaft in AHL or traded.

Besides, Hasek will always technically be the best goalie the Senators ever had, so he doesn't even get that title.

His first 6+ years weren't pedestrian or really all that up an down, even though the team in front of him was usually pretty bad.

To put into some perspective what he did in his first 6+ years, I ran the best 6 goalie seasons in Senators history (40+ GP, 0.910+ SV%). Most of those seasons were achieved on comparative all star teams with much better defense cores and/or behind a strong defensive coach in Jacques Martin.

Ott Best 6 = Hasek ’06, Tugnutt ’99, Emery ’07, Lalime ’01, Lalime ’03, Condon ‘17

Anderson: 293, 151-99-34, 2.59, 0.920, 24so
Ott Best 6: 311, 177-89-36, 2.24, 0.917, 33so

If the Sens had an Anderson in his prime goalie from 99-07, we'd be reminiscing about Stanley Cup victories.

He may be finished now and I certainly don't want him back next year, but that doesn't change how much he did for the team or how great he was.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

He already got his retirement gift and we have two goalies that are clearly better at this stage.

Makes zero sense to bring him back.

This team has always seemed satisfied with mediocrity at goalie. I'd much rather keep trying to fling different shit at the wall and see if anything sticks.

Give him this book and wish him well

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

It's really time to invest in our younger goalies. They need reps, and the team in front of them needs to build up the trust and familiarity factors.

Nothing against Andy, but he really can't expect to get another contract after the past few seasons. His last contract was already quite generous, and was pretty much designed to be his retirement sendoff.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

We are tanking next year. The front office is telling people they expect improvement and there will be some but we are still almost assuredly going to get another top 10 pick in 2021.

Having a solid veteran for what should be the last year of being a bottom feeder is fine. Signing Anderson to an a one-year deal doesn't stop anyone from progressing and the cap/money won't be a problem for one season. It just buys our young goalies more time.

 

[Samsquanch]

Mediocre, average, you pick. Andy was up and down his whole time here and has absolutely stunk 3 years in a row now. He was also injury prone and was in the rumor mill for asking for a trade even though he'd been terrible himself.

His legacy in Ottawa is pedestrian enough that he not only doesn't deserve some free gift send off (That he's already received these last couple years) while we watch him stink up the ice while potentially playing ahead of 1 or 2 better goalies, or even worse giving one of them the shaft in AHL or traded.

Mentioning his name with Alfie's is beyond absurd. Alfie is THE legend in Ottawa who was great right to the end and is the greatest Senator of all time according to most. Andy is merely the best out of a long line of average tender.

Besides, Hasek will always technically be the best goalie the Senators ever had, so he doesn't even get that title.

I'm sure that your opinion isnt a very popular take, but I cant help but feel the same way as you do about him, in a lot of ways.

I never had full confidence in Andy unless he was white hot. I feel like he always flirted on the line of an "average" starter the vast majority of his time as a Senator - sometimes above the line, sometimes below it.

But he proved me wrong so many times it's not even funny, and Anderson had the ability to steal games, and outdueled some of the best goalies in the game at different times. So I have to give him credit as our best goalie ever.

But he was so wildly inconsistent, and somehow usually managed to let in a highly questionable goal most games, even when performing at an elite level. Errors and really bad goals were consistent for him every year, even when the good was outweighing the bad.

So I have a hard time putting him in the ring of honor myself. If your going to get into the ring of honor without being drafted by the Sens and come later in your career, you need to have stood out further as an elite player over their duration as a Senator.

Anderson is the best Senators goalie weve ever had, and I'm very appreciative of the time and work he did for the franchise. But he doesnt stand out enough to me, and I hope our first goalie to make it into the ring has a bit more of a storied career that we can celebrate unanimously on.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

His first 6+ years weren't pedestrian or really all that up an down, even though the team in front of him was usually pretty bad.

To put into some perspective what he did in his first 6+ years, I ran the best 6 goalie seasons in Senators history (40+ GP, 0.910+ SV%). Most of those seasons were achieved on comparative all star teams with much better defense cores and/or behind a strong defensive coach in Jacques Martin.

Ott Best 6 = Hasek ’06, Tugnutt ’99, Emery ’07, Lalime ’01, Lalime ’03, Condon ‘17

Anderson: 293, 151-99-34, 2.59, 0.920, 24so
Ott Best 6: 311, 177-89-36, 2.24, 0.917, 33so

If the Sens had an Anderson in his prime goalie from 99-07, we'd be reminiscing about Stanley Cup victories.

He may be finished now and I certainly don't want him back next year, but that doesn't change how much he did for the team or how great he was.

He was great for 4 of those seasons, which I give him full marks for. My knocks are primarily the one good year followed by a significantly lower quality one. That caused problems for the team moving forward from year to year not knowing if you're getting the 930 sv% guy or the 910. He has a 15-30 point drop or raise year to year for a lot of his career. He was unpredictable and it stunted the team numerous times imo. He's also been terrible the last 3 in a row.

I don't have anything against the guy, but I don't see the need to go to town celebrating a fairly average goalie with a couple of great seasons. Putting him up on some wall of honor just makes us look bad imo.

No goalie in a Sens jersey ever gave me confidence like that half year from Hasek. What a shame.

 

[tardigrade81]

I am not worried. If Craig comes back it's not for a full season...for sure. It's so he can be honoured and get his name on the wall.

Agreed!