Ottawa Senators: Craig Anderson 2017-2018 Season Preview

It may just be August but the 2017-2018 NHL season will be on our hands before we know it. Training Camp will start in September and all the players will be brought together as they prepare for another season. With August as a down month in the NHL I thought this would be a great time to preview each of the players on the Ottawa Senators for next season.

We’ll start with the goalies, and who better than Craig Anderson. Andy has been the starter for the Ottawa Senators ever since he was traded here in 2011. In this time he has become the most impactful goalie in Sens’ history. This past season he had one of his best. However, it was not without struggles. Anderson only played 40 games last season as he was absent for the middle chunk of the season to be with his wife who was diagnosed with cancer. He appeared to use this as a fuel to perform at his best when was with the team however, as he posted the third best save percentage in the league at 0.926. He continued his good form in the playoffs as he posted a .922 save percentage in 19 games.

Optimism

Going into next season there is both optimism and uncertainty with Anderson. The optimism comes from his spectacular performance last year. He showed no signs of slowing down and looked like he could continue his form next season. He also has the benefit of not having to worry about his wife as much as she has gone into remission. Unfortunately, there is also uncertainty with Anderson.

Uncertainty

At the age of 36 Anderson is certainly nearing the end of his career. Despite this he has not seemed to regress. At his age there is always the question of when will he drop off? In addition, Anderson historically has struggled to string strong seasons together. Since joining the Sens he has followed up every good season with an either bad or mediocre year. If that trend continues he’s in for a less than stellar 17-18.

Next: Ottawa Senators: A Recap Of The Sens’ Month Of July

Outlook

Despite his age and troubles with consistency, Anderson has proved to be one of the most underrated goalies in the league. Never in the conversation for the best in the league despite putting up similar numbers. Anderson will be the starter for the Ottawa Senators this season and will look to post another stellar performance.