Ottawa Senators All-Time Roster
The Ottawa Senators have a history of icing a fairly competitive roster, especially in the last 20 years. There have been some very good players come through Ottawa so we decided to put it all together for the Ottawa Senators All-Time Roster.
Even though it does not seem like it right now, the Ottawa Senators have historically been very competitive and have had some very good players wear their sweaters. Unfortunately, the team has never been able to piece it all together to win the Stanley Cup. I wonder if this roster would have enough to compete for the ultimate prize. I’d like to think so, especially if all these players were in their primes.
With that, for the purpose of this exercise, the players selected are selected for what they did with the Ottawa Senators. The biggest factors were the total points and the points per game. Forwards are also selected to play their natural positions, so centremen are only going to be slotted in the centre.
The Forwards
D. Heatley (180-182-362)/J. Spezza (251-436-687)/D. Alfredsson (426-682-1108)
M. Hoffman (107-123-230)/A. Yashin (218-273-491)/M. Stone (123-188-311)
S. McEachern (142-162-304)/R. Bonk (152-247-399)/M. Hossa (188-202-390)
M. Michalek (115-109-224)/K. Turris (117-157-274)/M. Havlat (105-130-235)
Extras: M. Fisher, B. Ryan, C. Neil
Considering everything that the line accomplished when they were together, separating the Pizza Line was unfathomable. Despite how Alexei Yashin left the organization, nobody can take away the success he had on the ice while he was a part of the Ottawa Senators.
You also can’t take away the pure talent that he had so he slots in perfectly as the second-line centre. The Russian centre is surrounded by two wingers that were recently on the roster.
Mike Hoffman sported a 0.67 points per game average while he was with the Senators (imagine what it would have been if Dave Cameron wouldn’t have stapled him to the fourth line and gave him no powerplay time for all those games?!) which slots him tied for second for left-wingers with Shawn McEachern.
I don’t know if there is much I have to say as to why Mark Stone would be the second-line right-winger? If Alfredsson hadn’t been on the roster Mark Stone would have run away with first-line duties. That rounds out the top-6.
The bottom-6 is also filled with skill. Radek Bonk slots in as the third line centre with Shawn McEachern and Marian Hossa as his wingers.
McEachern could have easily been the second-line left-winger, but I preferred Hoffman’s speed for the top-6, so McEachern slides down to the third line.
Again, there is no explanation need for Marian Hossa. The fourth line centre position was one where I struggled a little bit more. I went back and forth between Kyle Turris and Mike Fisher. Kyle Turris had a points per game average that was significantly higher than Fisher’s so I decided to go with Turris as the fourth-line centre.
I’ve always loved Mike Fisher, but I just think Kyle Turris was the better hockey player. Turris is then flanked by Milan Michalek and Martin Havlat on his wings.
Looking at the stats made me realize and remember that Michalek was actually a pretty productive member of this organization before the knee injuries finally caught up to him. Then there’s Martin Havlat. A player that the organization moved on from way too quickly. He obviously belongs on this roster.
The extras are pretty straight-forward. Mike Fisher almost made the roster so it makes sense he would be one of the extras.
As much as people love criticizing Bobby Ryan and his play, we can’t forget that he is sporting a 0.6 points per game average with the Ottawa Senators. Chris Neil is a Senator lifer. He defined what it meant to be an Ottawa Senator on so many nights, so its obvious that he would have a spot here too.
The Defence
The defence is a little different than the forwards. The Ottawa Senators do not have a long history of producing quality right-handed NHL defencemen. Because of that, left-handed defencemen have been slotted on the right side for this roster.
W. Redden (101-309-410)/E. Karlsson (126-392-518)
C. Phillips (71-217-288)/A. Volchenkov (16-78-94)
T. Chabot (23-57-80)/Z. Chara (51-95-146)
Extra: J. York
Before Erik Karlsson came along, Wade Redden was arguably considered the Ottawa Senators’ best defenceman. Then EK65 came along and obliterated everyone out of the water, all while arguably becoming the best player in team history.
As was the case with the Pizza Line for the forwards, anyone who watched Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov in their prime play together can easily say that those two definitely cannot be split up.
Some might raise an eyebrow or two at me including Thomas Chabot on this roster, but in such a short amount of time, we have seen what he is capable of doing in this league.
Putting him up against any other defenceman not on this roster and I couldn’t sit there and argue with a straight face that he did not belong.
Zdeno Chara also needs no introduction or explanation. The man is simply a machine and has always been one.
The fact that this organization ever let him get away (and for nothing in return I might add) is simply another reason for Ottawa Senators fans to hang their heads and cry a little. Jason York slots in as the extra defenceman because he was a fairly successful puck carrier from the back end in a time when there weren’t too many like him.
The Netminders
When it comes to goaltenders, it really isn’t that long of a list or that hard of a decision to make.
C. Anderson (191-151-44)
P. Lalime (146-100-30 ties)
Honourable Mention: R. Emery
The two winningest goaltenders in team history also happen to be the two goaltenders who have played the most for the Ottawa Senators.
Craig Anderson is the clear cut number 1 goaltender. Before he arrived in Ottawa, the Ottawa Senators were known as a goalie graveyard. He settled in nicely to the role of starting goaltender and provided goaltending that the team knew they could rely on, night in and night out.
Before Anderson came along if you stopped a fan of the Ottawa Senators and asked them who the best goaltender in team history was they would have said, Patrick Lalime. So he slots in nicely as the backup goaltender.
I must say, it was hard to pass up Dominik Hasek when making this list simply because of the pure talent that he had. But you can’t look past the fact that he only played 43 games for the organization.
Ray Emery slides in as the honourable mention because of the fact that he took the team to the Stanley Cup Final. Because of that, and because of that alone, he slots in the honourable mention position. It doesn’t hurt that he is listed fourth in wins all-time for the Ottawa Senators.