At Least The Ottawa Senators Will Get A Lottery Pi…Oh Yeah

The silver lining for missing the playoffs is usually a chance to move up in the draft and secure a top end selection that will bring a prospect that will help a team in the future.

Feb 1, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Bobby Ryan (6) looks on during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Senators 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

You can’t really blame Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray for dealing Ottawa’s first round pick this summer for Bobby Ryan at the onset of the free agency period last summer.  An injury depleted Senators lineup made the playoffs last year, and with a healthy Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza and the addition of Ryan the playoffs should have been virtually assured this year.

That hasn’t panned out, and after a 2 loss weekend any hope of clawing their way back in have been extinguished.

There is no silver lining, as the team that is going to benefit the most from the Senators missing the playoffs and having a pick that could be as high as 5 or 6 without winning the draft lottery or with some luck the first overall pick will be the Anaheim Ducks.

There is no doubt now in my mind the Senators will be in the draft lottery, and there will be a lot of second guessing of the trade, especially if Ryan walks after next year.  And the way he has been handled this season by coach Paul MacLean, that is a definite possibility.  Then the trade that was made in the wake of Daniel Alfredsson‘s defection looks that much worse.  Hindsight is 20/20 and it would look brutal if it ended up being something like 2 years of Bobby Ryan for Jakob Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen and Aaron Ekblad.