Ottawa Senators: Creating the team's all-time roster

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OTTAWA, CANADA – OCTOBER 20: Exterior view of Scotiabank Place with the team logo in the foreground, as fans start to gather in the early evening, prior of start of an NHL game between the Ottawa Senators and the Winnipeg Jets, on October 20, 2011 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) /

The Ottawa Senators have a history of icing a fairly competitive roster, especially in the last 20 years. There have been some very good players come through Ottawa so we decided to put it all together for the Ottawa Senators All-Time Roster.

Even though it does not seem like it right now, the Ottawa Senators have historically been very competitive and have had some very good players wear their sweaters. Unfortunately, the team has never been able to piece it all together to win the Stanley Cup. I wonder if this roster would have enough to compete for the ultimate prize. I’d like to think so, especially if all these players were in their primes.

With that, for the purpose of this exercise, the players selected are selected for what they did with the Ottawa Senators. The biggest factors were the total points and the points per game. Forwards are also selected to play their natural positions, so centremen are only going to be slotted in the centre.

The Forwards

D. Heatley (180-182-362)/J. Spezza (251-436-687)/D. Alfredsson (426-682-1108)

M. Hoffman (107-123-230)/A. Yashin (218-273-491)/M. Stone (123-188-311)

S. McEachern (142-162-304)/R. Bonk (152-247-399)/M. Hossa (188-202-390)

M. Michalek (115-109-224)/K. Turris (117-157-274)/M. Havlat (105-130-235)

Extras: M. Fisher, B. Ryan, C. Neil

Considering everything that the line accomplished when they were together, separating the Pizza Line was unfathomable. Despite how Alexei Yashin left the organization, nobody can take away the success he had on the ice while he was a part of the Ottawa Senators.

You also can’t take away the pure talent that he had so he slots in perfectly as the second-line centre. The Russian centre is surrounded by two wingers that were recently on the roster.

Mike Hoffman sported a 0.67 points per game average while he was with the Senators (imagine what it would have been if Dave Cameron wouldn’t have stapled him to the fourth line and gave him no powerplay time for all those games?!) which slots him tied for second for left-wingers with Shawn McEachern.

I don’t know if there is much I have to say as to why Mark Stone would be the second-line right-winger? If Alfredsson hadn’t been on the roster Mark Stone would have run away with first-line duties. That rounds out the top-6.

OTTAWA, ON – DECEMBER 29: Daniel Alfredsson is introduced during his jersey retirement ceremony prior to a game between the Ottawa Senators and the Detroit Red Wings at Canadian Tire Centre on December 29, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The bottom-6 is also filled with skill. Radek Bonk slots in as the third line centre with Shawn McEachern and Marian Hossa as his wingers.

McEachern could have easily been the second-line left-winger, but I preferred Hoffman’s speed for the top-6, so McEachern slides down to the third line.

Again, there is no explanation need for Marian Hossa. The fourth line centre position was one where I struggled a little bit more. I went back and forth between Kyle Turris and Mike Fisher. Kyle Turris had a points per game average that was significantly higher than Fisher’s so I decided to go with Turris as the fourth-line centre.

I’ve always loved Mike Fisher, but I just think Kyle Turris was the better hockey player. Turris is then flanked by Milan Michalek and Martin Havlat on his wings.

Looking at the stats made me realize and remember that Michalek was actually a pretty productive member of this organization before the knee injuries finally caught up to him. Then there’s Martin Havlat. A player that the organization moved on from way too quickly. He obviously belongs on this roster.

The extras are pretty straight-forward. Mike Fisher almost made the roster so it makes sense he would be one of the extras.

As much as people love criticizing Bobby Ryan and his play, we can’t forget that he is sporting a 0.6 points per game average with the Ottawa Senators. Chris Neil is a Senator lifer. He defined what it meant to be an Ottawa Senator on so many nights, so its obvious that he would have a spot here too.

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