Ottawa Senators Under the Most Pressure to Perform in 2014/15

Mar 22, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Ottawa Senators right wing

(6) skates against the Dallas Stars during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeated the Senators 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Ryan:

When Bobby Ryan was brought in last off-season, Ottawa Fans and the NHL community saw a new look team.  Ryan, along with other young NHLers Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson as well as can’t miss prospects like Mika Zibanejad and Cory Conacher provided Ottawa with a young team. That along with the veteran presence of players like Jason Spezza, Marc Methot and Chris Phillips had some calling Ottawa a “contender”. It also helped that Craig Anderson was coming off a Vezina Caliber season.

Bobby Ryan was deemed as the missing piece Ottawa needed to become a contender. He came in and performed well over the first half of the season, yet when the Olympics came around and Ryan was snubbed, things fell off. It was later revealed Bobby Ryan had been dealing with a sports hernia injury since November and required surgery.

This season Ryan will be “Coming in Hot”. Sens fans will expect what they saw in the first half of the 13-14 season from Ryan and that being a respectable pace north of 30 goals. Bobby Ryan is also in a contract year. Ottawa has held talks with Ryan and his agent and things seem to be heating up as of late, Ryan has been begging for a new contract, reiterating how much he wants to stay in Ottawa.

Ryan has a chance to be Ottawa’s best forward this year and playing on a line with Kyle Turris and Clarke MacArthur may provide him the resources he needs to put up that 30 goal, 60 point season we want from him in Ottawa. Last year one of the few and only bright spots was the 16 – 7 – 6 line and it will have to be a bright spot again this year for Bobby Ryan and for the Senators.