As the season passes the half way point the Ottawa Senators find themselves in a difficult situation. A season that was once filled with promise and high expectations has become one of the most disappointing in recent memory. This leaves the Sens with the question of what to do going forward?
42 games into the season the Ottawa Senators sit eight points out of a playoff spot. They would need to make up those points and pass seven teams in the standings in order to take a playoff spot. With the odds so astronomically low of making the playoffs the Sens must reconsider their options. Right now they have three possible choices, they could stay the course, make some small moves to get younger and retool, or they could blow the team up and go for a full on rebuild.
Staying The Course
Choice number one is for the Ottawa Senators to stay the course. This may seem like an appealing option for many fans and for management. After all the Sens are half a year removed from being one goal away from the Stanley Cup Final. This run of bad luck could just be a fluke and the team will turn things around if not this year but next year. This may seem appealing, but it’s too risky an option.
The Sens were a team that had a lot go their way on their run in the playoffs last season. That’s not to say they didn’t deserve to get as far as they did because they did, but they did get a decent amount of luck. They got optimal playoff matchups in the Bruins and Rangers, as well as strong performances out of otherwise underwhelming offensive players such as Bobby Ryan. To assume this team could replicate that success with any type of consistency would be naïve. As a result, staying the course is not a viable option for the Ottawa Senators.
A Full Rebuild
Another option the Sens have is to blow up the team and commit to a full rebuild. They would do so in a similar way to the Leafs in recent seasons, trading away all players that would not fit their championship window in favour of younger players. They would be intentionally bad for a few years in order to build a strong prospect pool and build the team from the ground up. The only players that would be safe in this situation are prospects such as Chabot and White as well as a few key players, specifically Stone and Karlsson. This would allow the Sens to draft high end talent for the next few years before making a run at the cup two or three seasons down the line. This is certainly a viable option for the Sens going forward.
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Retooling
The final option for the Sens is to retool. This would involve trading away older, veteran players for prospects and draft picks. Players such as Oduya, Burrows, and Smith would have to be dealt in this scenario. Additionally, the Sens would have to try to deal the Phaneuf and Ryan contracts. This is easier said than done but in order for the Sens to be successful in the near future than they need this to happen. The Sens would also look at trading players that may begin to decline in the next few seasons, players such as Brassard who are in their prime now. This way the Sens can give ice time to their young players and prepare them for the coming seasons. Ideally this would be the course of action the Ottawa Senators take, but it’s the most difficult to execute correctly.