The Ottawa Senators have a different team calling the shots this season.
General manager Bryan Murray stepped aside as he continues to battle cancer. Pierre Dorion replaced Murray as GM and quickly fired coach Dave Cameron. Many thought the Senators were waiting for the Boston Bruins to fire Claude Julien, so they could swoop in and hired the Stanley Cup-winning coach.
Boston, however, made the right decision and kept Julien in place. So, the Senators hired Guy Boucher, who returns to the NHL after three seasons coaching in Switzerland, along with associate coach Marc Crawford. Their expertise should give Ottawa a chance to return to the postseason for only the second time in four seasons. The Senators should have been a playoff team last spring but fell short down the stretch and finished in fifth place.
Best new faces
Besides the new additions to the coaching staff, the Senators acquired center Derick Brassard, and a seventh-round pick in the 2018 draft, from the New York Rangers in exchange for center Mika Zibanejad and a second-round pick in 2018. Brassard, 29, had 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 80 games for the Rangers last season.
After spending six seasons in Boston, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2011, veteran unrestricted free agent forward Chris Kelly returns to Ottawa, where he spent the first seven seasons of his career. The 35-year-old will be relied upon for his leadership and penalty-killing abilities.
Biggest unknowns
There are plenty of unknowns for the Senators. For instance, what type of season will Bobby Ryan have? He was left off the roster for Team USA at the World Cup of Hockey and has struggled in recent seasons to find consistency. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft, Ryan, now 29, needs to provide more offensive output. He did register 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 points in 81 games last season, but he struggled down the stretch and the Senators missed the playoffs.
Goaltending continues to be a dilemma for the Senators. Craig Anderson, 35, posted a 31-25-3 record in 60 games last season, including a 2.78 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. Maybe the secret to his success is cutting down his playing time, keeping him healthy and hoping for a late-season surge that could push the team in to the playoffs.
After the Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a blockbuster nine-player deal at the trade deadline in March, veteran defenseman Dion Phaneuf found himself in Ottawa. The 31-year-old blueliner played 20 games down the stretch and registered eight points. For the Senators to have success this season, they'll need a lot more from Phaneuf; and he needs to remain healthy.
Sure things
Erik Karlsson. Erik Karlsson. And, oh, Erik Karlsson. The two-time Norris Trophy winner was outstanding last season. The 26-year-old Senators captain had 16 goals and 66 assists for 82 points in 82 games. He averages close to 26 minutes of ice time per game and was only a minus-2 on a mediocre team last season. No doubt Karlsson is one of the best two-way defensemen in the league and there's no reason not to think he can't continue that dominance. He'll have to if the Senators can figure out a way to make it back to the playoffs.
Forward Mark Stone is one of the bright young talents in the league. The 24-year-old is entering his fourth season in the NHL and last season he registered 23 goals and 38 assists for 61 points in 75 games. He has been consistent, but he'll need to hit the 30-goal plateau this season to spark the offense.
Mike Hoffman, a 26-year-old forward, was one shy of reaching the 30-goal mark last season. He finished with 29 goals and 30 assists for 59 points in 78 games. He'll also need another impressive offensive output to help Ottawa return to the playoffs.
Prediction
All in all, the Senators will make it interesting again but ultimately fall short. Sixth in the Atlantic.