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Ottawa Senators Top 6 Forward Group Looks Good

By Ian Smith

Feb 16, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Mark Stone (61) skates with the puck in front of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges (4) in the second period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Mark Stone (61) skates with the puck in front of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges (4) in the second period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /
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I find myself increasingly optimistic as I look over the projected depth chart of the Ottawa Senators. Their top 6 corps of forwards is solid.

This franchise hasn’t missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons since the mid 1990s, and their top 6 forwards definitely look like a playoff caliber bunch.

Mika Zibanejad was traded for Derick Brassard this offseason, and Brassard is likely going to battle for that 1st line center position with Kyle Turris.

In a vacuum, both guys are probably ideally 2nd line centers, but each possesses a lot of offensive talent.

Brassard is a proven playoff performer, and if the Senators gain entry into the postseason, his ability to elevate his game is going to be a huge asset.

Turris is returning from a lengthy absence due to an ankle injury, but he’s a nice defensive forward and can be a great playmaker as well.

Assuming that he’s back at full strength, a team could do a lot worse with their top 2 center options being Brassard and Turris. Each can realistically net 25 goals and tally 55-60 points.

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Mike Hoffman was re-signed to a long term deal this offseason after leading the team in goals each of the past 2 seasons.

He looks poised to settle around that 35 goal mark. He’s a speedy skater with a great, and has the talent to become one of the best goal scorers in the league.

Mark Stone and Bobby Ryan are good right wingers. Stone has proven to be a reliable scorer and also has a lot of defensive ability.

He lead the NHL in takeaways by a large margin. Among players with at least 40 takeaways last year, he had 1.65 more takeaways per 60 minutes than the next highest ranking player.

Ryan’s production has dropped since his days in Anaheim, but it’ll be intriguing to see whether playing alongside Brassard gives him an offensive boost.

He’s more than capable of generating offense for the team. His assist totals have gone up in Ottawa, while his goal scoring has gone down.

Left wing seems slightly more unsettled behind Hoffman. Clarke MacArthur is returning from a very serious concussion, and Zack Smith is coming off a career best season that he’ll have to prove isn’t an anomaly.

Smith lead the league in shooting percentage last season while scoring 25 goals. Even if that rate decreases, he’s still a good defensive forward who provides physical tenacity.

MacArthur is a question mark for entirely different reasons. When healthy, he’s a gritty player who hovers in that low 20s goal scoring range.

Whichever one ends up getting the most time on the 2nd line will hopefully perform to the abilities they’ve proven capable of.

The Senators ranked 9th in goals per game last season despite the injuries to Turris and MacArthur. They look in good shape to remain in that tier.

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Even if Smith comes back down to Earth a little bit, Brassard has great shooting ability. The top 6 forwards are collectively a talented bunch, and have enough firepower to avoid missing the postseason again.

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