It's been a tough last few seasons for the Senators, but the team is on the right rebuild track.
There is a good chance the Ottawa Senators will not make the playoffs next season.
There is an even better chance the Senators are on the right path to recovery.
The Senators ensured that Friday night when they drafted three forwards as the rebuilding of the club is now in full flight. Ottawa drafted centre Mika Zibanejad sixth overall, right winger Stefan Noesen 21st and left winger Matt Puempel 24th. All three are considered very good prospects. How soon they play in Ottawa remains to be seen.
Let's face it: Since the Senators went to the Stanley Cup final in 2006-07, losing to the Anaheim Ducks, it's pretty much been a downhill tumble. They have lost out in the first round of the playoffs twice and worse, failed to qualify twice. The Senators finished 13th in the Eastern Conference this season (26th overall) and when the year concluded, things looked pretty bleak.
Coach Cory Clouston was dismissed and it appeared general manager Bryan Murray might go with him, but sympathetic/loyal owner Eugene Melnyk not only kept his GM, he gave him a three-year deal.
Since that time, things have taken a turn for the better for the Sens. They have new coaching staff featuring head coach Paul MacLean as well as assistants Dave Cameron, who guided the St. Michael's Majors to the MasterCard Memorial Cup final, and Mark Reeds, coach of the Ontario Hockey League champion Owen Sound Attack. MacLean was an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings and was considered a hot property to fill one of the numerous coaching vacancies in the NHL. That's three very highly-regarded teachers to co-ordinate the Senators' youth movement.
Also, the Senators’ No. 1 farm team, the Binghamton Senators, won the American Hockey League championship. That doesn't always translate into immediate success for the parent club, but when you consider a number of the players who helped the Baby Sens win the Calder Cup also played well in the NHL this season, it bodes very well for Ottawa.
What is really interesting is that three players who helped Binghamton win the championship got a great taste of what it's like to be in the NHL this year with Ottawa. Ryan Potulny was pointless in 10 games with Ottawa, but led Binghamton in scoring in the playoffs with 14 goals and 26 points in 23 games. Zack Smith, a hard-nosed centre, had four goals and nine points with 120 penalty minutes in 55 games in Ottawa and managed eight goals and 20 points in the playoffs with Bingo. Bobby Butler, who appeared NHL-ready scoring 10 goals and 21 points in 36 games with Ottawa led Binghamton with 13 playoff goals to go with 17 points.
Perhaps most impressive was the fact Swedish goalie Robin Lehner, just 19, was 1-4 with Ottawa, but sparkled in the AHL playoffs going 14-4 with a 2.10 goals-against average and .939 save percentage.
Based on what the Senators did Friday night in Minnesota, it is obvious they are trying to find creative centre Jason Spezza some offensive help. Spezza has developed into a dependable two-way player, but his calling card is creating offence and he certainly needs help in that department.
Zibanejad, a 6-foot-2, 191-pounder, played with Djurgarden in the Swedish Elite League this season where he scored five goals and nine points in 25 games. He is a strong skater and a dependable hitter who likes to finish the check. Noesen, a 6-foot and 195-pounder from Plano, Texas, had 34 goals and 77 points with Plymouth of the OHL. Puempel, a 6-foot and 200-pound left winger is an intriguing player. The second-year member of the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, had back-to-back seasons of 33 and 34 goals, but cracked his hip and missed the last month of the year. That certainly hurt his draft rating, but many scouts insist he is the best pure goal-scorer in this year's draft.
It is typical this time of year to consider the glass half full rather than half empty, but when you look at the direction the Senators are moving in, can you blame people for being optimistic?
