The Questions That Surround The Senators

With the Ottawa Senators going from heroes in the beginning of the season, to zeros and being swept in the post season after squeaking in, there are many questions that surround the Sens.

First of all, what happened? The Sens were running away with the Eastern Conference after 20 games, and played decent until the all-star break, how did they come apart?

Well, it could be the fact that Ray Emery who was supposed to be the next big thing in Ottawa, had many problems this season. Starting with the constant practice brawls with fellow team-mates, which I’m sure made Emery some enemies amongst the team, and management. Then there was a few incidences where Emery got to practice late a few times and was told to go home. His excuse for being late was the fact that he pays $1000.00 a week to a private security firm which supplies a live-in and wakes emery up, along with making sure he gets the right meals, was out of town on those couple of occasions. What? Is he serious? How old is Emery, 5 years old? Get your head out of your butt buddy. Emery is supposed to be a professional, maybe he should start acting like one! And those are just a few things wrong with Emery as he pertains to the Sens.

Next you have the Wade Redden problem, last season he was asked if he wouldn’t mind lifting his no trade clause, to which he replied, yes he would mind, and since then he hasn’t played that well. Again this year he was asked if he would waive his no trade clause, to which he again replied no. Wade Redden is no doubt since last year, feeling under-appreciated, and imagine now, after being asked twice in two seasons to waive his clause. Well the Sens don’t have to worry about him this year as he becomes an unrestricted free agent, and will most certainly seek employment somewhere else. Will he get what he wants in terms of salary, not if he asks for too much, as his play has diminished over the years, and I’m sure he will ask for another no trade clause, to which I would respond a resounding no!

The Martin Gerber issue is a small one but it’s still adds up. Gerber was thinking that he would be the no.1 goalie until Emery was signed to a big contract, and felt like he was used, then he was asked during the season after the repeated Emery issues, to take over as no.1, he did what he could and played well enough to get a sinking team to the play-offs, unfortunately, he ran into Sidney Crosby, and company. Not to mention the fact that at the trade deadline, Gerber and Emery were being sent everywhere but never left, great for the confidence that one.

Anton Volchenkov didn’t play as well as he did last year, it’s o.k. though, I wouldn’t panic yet about him, he is still young and will probably bounce back next season.

Andrej Meszaros could have played better also, but the same applies to him as he is still young enough to rebound.

Luke Richardson was too slow this year, his best days are behind him, far behind, he can’t keep up to a lot of the fast players in the new NHL, hopefully the Sens will not take him back next year.

Mike Fisher was constantly injured, so was Daniel Alfredsson, that didn’t help.

The trade deadline acquisitions of Mike Commodore, and Martin Lapointe didn’t exactly pay off either, Cory Stillman was o.k. for them, but not as good as the Sens expected him to be.

Then you have Jason Spezza, and Dany Heatley. Spezza had 92 points for the Sens, 34 of those being goals, but he slowed down at the end of the season, and was invisible in the post season this year. In Heatley’s case, he had 82 points, 41 of which were goals, same thing in his case though, and he was also invisible in the post season.

Daniel Alfredsson, was injured a few times, and didn’t play much in the play-offs. But he did his share of putting points on the board as well with 89, 40 of which were goals.

More than anything besides hiring a new coach, the Sens management has to really look at their team and see what in the world happened, two 40 goal scorers, and a 35 goal scorer minus 1, wow, what happened in deed.

Look for Ray Emery to probably be bought out of his contract, as far as Lapointe goes, I wouldn’t re-sign him. Cory Stillman I would keep however as he is a good player, and has a cannon shot. Commodore I wouldn’t resign either. So to start I would be looking for a goalie, as I don’t think Gerber is the answer, a couple of defenseman to make up for the loss of Commodore and Richardson, and some more gritty, but fast puck movers to play with Shean Donovan, Fisher will have to be looked at also, as he is the type of player every team wants, but is often injured.

Yes Ottawa fans, there is a big problem with your team, maybe a few, take the fact that your team has one of the best drafting personnel in the NHL and sleep better, and that the problems should mostly be gone by the start of next season. However, Bryan Murray will have to ponder what it will take to make his team better, perhaps trading Spezza, or Heatley as a team would have to pay a steep price for one of those players as they are both signed for a while.

Lot’s of sleepless nights are ahead for Murray as he tries to keep his job, and make the Sens what they should be. Good luck, but it shouldn’t take long if the right decisions are made, it took the Montreal Canadiens 15 years to recover from the Patrick Roy trade, and Bob Gainey took his time and did it right, in five years, sure the Habs still need some things but is this an example to follow perhaps?