With the NHL trade deadline less than two weeks away, we have been taking a look at the situations with each of the seven Canadian clubs. The Ottawa Senators have slipped into our hot seat on Thursday.
With the NHL trade deadline less than two weeks away, we have been taking a look at the situations with each of the seven Canadian clubs. The Ottawa Senators have slipped into our hot seat on Thursday.
The Situation: The Senators haven't won a playoff series since they lost to the Anaheim Ducks in the 2006-07 Stanley Cup final. They have missed the playoffs in two of the past three years ... Nobody picked the Senators to make the playoffs this season ... Senators general manager Bryan Murray believed he could swiftly rebuild Ottawa and the
renovations began a year ago when he moved out Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly, Alex Kovalev, Chris Campoli, Jarkko Ruutu and then flipped picks with Detroit at the draft to stockpile four choices among the first 31 selections ... The organization also benefited from a successful run to the Calder Cup championship last spring and the hiring of head coach Paul MacLean ... Are the Senators, however, ready for prime time? Should they be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline? ... With the exception of 38-year-old captain Daniel Alfredsson and defenceman Sergei Gonchar, 37, the team is young. So maybe moving out veteran defenceman Filip Kuba for another young player is the way to go. Or do the Senators feel they have enough young talent in the fold?
Playoff hopes: Seventh in the East, four points in front of eighth-place Toronto and seven points ahead of the ninth-place Capitals. But the Maple Leafs have played two fewer games and Washington has four games in hand. The Senators play the Capitals and Maple Leafs once more this season and both games will be contested at Scotiabank Place.
Schedule: 22 games remaining (12 home, 10 road).
At Home: Washington, Boston, N.Y. Islanders, Chicago, N.Y. Rangers, Buffalo, Montreal, Toronto, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Carolina, Boston.
On the Road: N.Y. Islanders, Boston, Florida, Tampa Bay, Montreal, Montreal, Winnipeg, Philadelphia, N.Y. Islanders, New Jersey.
Restricted free agents: Nick Foligno, Peter Regin, Jim O'Brien, Kaspars Daugavins, Erik Karlsson, Brian Lee.
Unrestricted free agents: Jesse Winchester, Zenon Konopka, Filip Kuba, Matt Carkner, Alex Auld.
No-trade clauses: Jason Spezza, Sergei Gonchar, Chris Phillips.
Cap space: $12.93 million US
On the farm: Senators prospect Mika Zibanejad started the season in Ottawa, but after nine games he was returned to Sweden to play for Djurgardens. The skilled 18-year-old forward also helped guide Sweden to the world junior championship in Calgary last month. He likely will be a full-time NHLer next season.
Former Ottawa Senators Alex Kovalev, centre, and Mike Fisher, left, were among the players swapped for for future prospects and picks at last year's trade deadline. (Pawel Dwulit/Canadian Press)
Tim Wharnsby
Tim's worked the sports beat at The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Sun, specializing in Canada's one true sporting obsession - hockey. He knows the players, the coaches, the backroom boys and most importantly, the fans. That's what he brings to his stories. Knowledge, fairness and understanding are trademarks of a Wharnsby story. That's what you will get here as he writes for CBCSports.ca.
