Arriving at the top two greatest Ottawa Senators of all-time, it should be no surprise that the Erik Karlsson and Daniel Alfredsson have yet to be named. Both are Sens icons and are far and away the two greatest players in the team’s history. Although there will be many who disagree, I believe that Erik Karlsson has already done enough to be the greatest Ottawa Senator of all-time. As a result today we will look at the great Daniel Alfredsson.
Daniel Alfredsson being second to Erik Karlsson takes nothing away from how great he is. Karlsson is among the greatest defencemen to ever play in the NHL and has already won two Norris Trophies, but we’ll look at him tomorrow. Today it’s time to recognize Daniel Alfredsson as one of the best Ottawa Senators in history.
Alfredsson joined the Ottawa Senators as a sixth round pick in 1994. Although not much was known about him, he managed to make the team just one year after being drafted. Just one year removed from being drafted, he put up a phenomenal numbers and won the Calder Trophy. With 61 points in 82 games, he was quickly on his way towards stardom. Although he would struggle with injuries over the next few seasons he began to establish himself as a point per game player.
Becoming Captain
In 1999 with Yashin being stripped of the captaincy, Alfredsson was named the new captain of the Ottawa Senators. In his first year wearing the “C” he put up 59 points in 57 games. That would be the last time until the 2010-2011 season that he would finish with less than 70 points. In that time he led the team to two of its best post season finishes in history. In 2003 fresh of a President’s Trophy victory, Alfredsson led the team to a Conference Final finish. They would fall in game 7 to the future Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils. For the teams 2007 Stanley Cup Final run he led the team with 22 points in 20 games.
Although Alfredsson was more known for his consistent play over multiple seasons, he did have one especially spectacular standout season. It was the 2005-2006 season. The team had recently acquired Dany Heatley and along with Jason Spezza, Alfredsson helped form the best line in hockey at the time. That season Alfredsson put up a whopping 43 goals and 103 points.
Next: Ottawa Senators Greatest Players: Number – 3 Jason Spezza
Legacy
During his time in Ottawa, Alfredsson won the Calder Trophy, was named to six all-star games, and put up 1108 points in 1178 games. He did so while captaining the team for 14 years. Although he left to play one final season in Detroit, Alfredsson will always be remembered as a member of the Ottawa Senators. His number 11 will never again be worn by a member of the Sens. One day, he may find himself inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame.