Daniel Alfredsson will try to lead Ottawa back to the Stanley Cup final. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Backgrounder | 2007-08 NHL season
Ottawa Senators
Last Updated Thurs., Sept. 20, 2007
Scott Morrison , CBC Sports
2006-07 RECORD: 48-25-9 = 105 points (2nd in Northeast, 4th in Conference).
MOST IMPRESSIVE: Managed to shake a huge monkey off their backs last spring.
MUST IMPROVE: Not a lot, but they did rank 25th in shootouts.
NEW FACES: F Shean Donovan, D Luke Richardson, F Niko Dimitrakos, Coach John Paddock.
LEFT TOWN: C Mike Comrie, W Peter Schaefer, D Tom Preissing, F Oleg Saprykin.
Ray Emery appears to be the real deal in goal, according to Scott Morrison. (Dave Sandford/Getty Images)
OUTLOOK: The Senators finally found a coach to get them over the playoff hump and into the final, then moved him upstairs. Bryan Murray replaced John Muckler as general manager, with Paddock taking over as head coach.
Murray can comfortably replace Muckler, and Paddock is a fine coach who knows this team well, but sometimes coaching changes require time for adjustment.
The Senators did lose some offence, from the front and back, but they made themselves a little bigger and tougher, elements they lacked against Anaheim. There is no reason to expect the Senators will fall back in any significant way. Ray Emery appears to be the real deal in goal, the defence is good and there is plenty of firepower up front with Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson, who established his leadership skills.
A lack of balanced scoring hurt in the final, but the Sens proved a lot last spring, are hungry to finish the job and have the potential to do so.
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