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Over/Under – How Many 20 Goal Scorers Will The Senators Have?

By Jared Crozier

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There are certain plateaus that define a player’s season.  Many of them are used to determine the elite (50 goals, 100 points) that are rare feats in today’s NHL.

One of the levels of contribution and determination of a “good” season is the 20 goal mark,  The number of players on a team who can reach and surpass 20 goals seems to be the benchmark for the success a team will have.

Jan 24, 2013; Sunrise, FL, USA; Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) moves the puck up the ice with center Jason Spezza (19) during the second period against the Florida Panthers at the BB

So that being said, how many 20 goal men will the Senators have?

Here are the obvious contenders:

  1.  Bobby Ryan – He has scored 30 or more 4 times in his career, and last year had a 20 goal pace.  Riging shotgun with Spezza should guarantee 20, if not 30 or 40.
  2. Milan Michalek – Has scored more than 20 goals 5 times.  Had a career high 35 in 2011-12, but injuries to himself and Jason Spezza resulted in a scoring pace of under 15 goals last season.
  3. Jason Spezza – A healthy Spezza is a lock for 30 goals, and if his health is good for the season he could threaten the 40 goal mark.
  4. Erik Karlsson – Scored 19 in his Norris Trophy winning season, before his injury he was on pace for a Paul Coffey like 38 goals.
  5. Kyle Turris – He has never reached 20, but his pace last season would have surpassed 20 goals.  Having Spezza in front of him should actually help Turris avoid tough matchups.

In addition to these 5 players who should eclipse the 20 goal mark, there are a couple of others who could also break through:

  1. Clarke MacArthur – Passed 20 goals in the last 2 full seasons in Toronto.  Last season’s pace would have netted him 16 goals, but he had a tough time finding a consistent spot in the Toronto lineup.
  2. Mika Zibanejad – The young centre keeps getting better, but his run for 20 might be derailed on the third line.  If he was to play wing with Turris or Spezza, his chances would improve.

Obviously health is a major factor, with 3 of the listed player coming off injury plagued seasons.

So, take a guess-

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