It’s July 17th, and we’re getting closer and closer to the start of training camp. Not much has changed after last season, and while I was examining my Excel Depth Chart, if we don’t trade Heatley, this may become another non-playoff season. Here are the current starting lineups.
2009-2010 Season
Forwards
Heatley – Spezza – Kovalev
Foligno – Fisher – Alfredsson
Donovan – Kelly – Shannon
Ruutu – Winchester – Neil
Zubov
Defensemen
Kuba – Campoli
Phillips – Volchenkov
Lee – Smith
Picard
Goalies
LeClaire
Elliott?
The first two lines up front are actually pretty lethal. Spezza now has two guys that he can set up cleanly. Heatley’s got the one-timer and Kovalev has got the skills, especially his shortside snapshot. Jason showed under Cory Clouston last year that he can be creative and not make many mistakes. Anybody around El Capitano is due to be awesome, and Alfredsson shwoed great chemistry with Foligno and Fisher mid-way last year. Foligno and alfie are 2nd line players but Fisher is more suited in a 3rd line role, so you bet Murray would like to get a 2nd line centre before the season starts. The 3rd line shows promise, and suit their role, though don’t expect much scoring from them. The 4th line is all muscle, and it may be the 1st strong 4th line we’ve ever seen.
The defense is the same as last year, but expect the shutdown pair of Phillips-Volchenkov to perform better sicne they are in a 2nd pairing role. Kuba and Campoli supply the offense on the first line even though Campoli is not a Top 4 Defenseman. Lee and Smith round out the last pairing and that could be a pretty reliable one. Smith showed progress in a Sens uniform under Clouston and he could be the mentor to Lee like Lawrence Nycholat was a few years back.
Goaltending may be a strong suit for the team this year. Pascal LeClaire is coming off an inury-plagued year, so there are questions about his health. However, if he is healthy, he’s a best in net. With the Stars’ acquisition of Alex Auld, Brian Elliott should be ready for full-time backup duty, even though he hasn’t signed yet.
Reasonable Expectation: 7th to 9th
This team, even though finished strong last year even without Kovalev, still has weaknesses and there is tough competition for the last 3 spots in the East. It will be a battle between New Jersey, Buffalo, Montreal, New York Rangers, and the Sens. I think you can count Jersey in sicne their trapping method will be guaranteed in. I don’t see Montreal in, just because their defense is weak in their own zone and the tandem of Price and Halak is shaky. So the last two spots in the Eastern Conference will be between Buffalo, New York, and Ottawa, if the team’s current lineups persist.
What should they do?
To Edmonton: Dany Heatley, Jason Smith
To Ottawa: Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, Ladislav Smid
Cogliano + Penner + Smid= $6.683 million(if Smid signs for 1.3 mil/yr, as estimates say)
Heatley + Smith= $8.100 million
Salary Cap Left= $1.417 million
To Detroit: Chris Kelly
To Ottawa: Justin Abdelkader
Kelly= $2.125 million
Abdelkader= $0.825 million
Salary Cap Left= $2.617 million
To Boston: Shean Donovan
To Ottawa: 5th round pick in 2010
Donovan= $0.625 million
Salary Cap Left= $3.242 million
To Phoenix: Alexandre Picard
To Ottawa: 4th round pick in 2010
Picard= $0.800 million
Salary Cap Left= $4.042 million
Place Schubert on Waivers
Schubert= $0.883 million
Salary Cap Left= $4.925 million
Sign Elliott to a 3 year, $3 million contract
Salary Cap Left= $3.925 million
Penner – Spezza – Kovalev
Foligno – Cogliano – Alfredsson
Abdelkader – Fisher – Shannon
Ruutu – Winchester – Neil
Zubov
Kuba – Smid
Phillips – Volchenkov
Lee – Campoli
LeClaire
Elliott
Now isn’t that amazing!