SenShot
Fansided

Seven Ottawa Senators who could play in the 2022 Olympics

By Jack Baines

OTTAWA, ON - APRIL 1: Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates with Thomas Chabot #72 after scoring a first period goal on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Canadian Tire Centre on April 1, 2019 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/NHLI via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - APRIL 1: Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Ottawa Senators celebrates with Thomas Chabot #72 after scoring a first period goal on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Canadian Tire Centre on April 1, 2019 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 9
Next
OTTAWA, ON – FEBRUARY 18: Artem Anisimov #51 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the Buffalo Sabres at Canadian Tire Centre on February 18, 2020 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON – FEBRUARY 18: Artem Anisimov #51 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the Buffalo Sabres at Canadian Tire Centre on February 18, 2020 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images) /

Artem Anisimov (Russia)

Many may be surprised to see Anisimov on this list, given that he’s played mostly unremarkable bottom-six minutes for Ottawa this season, and I was certainly not expecting to be making the case for him. A quick glance at Russia’s depth chart, though, and Anisimov starts to look like he may have a legitimate shot.

While Evgeni Malkin should be a shoo-in to centre the top line, the centre position starts to look a lot dicier after that, especially since Evgeni Kuznetsov is currently ineligible due to a four-year ban for testing positive for cocaine. Options other than Anisimov include former Senator Vladislav Namestnikov, Ivan Barbashev, and Vladislav Kamenev. Pavel Datsyuk could be an option from the KHL, but he’ll be 42 come the Olympics and hasn’t necessarily been tearing it up in Russia since leaving the NHL.

Something major that is in Anisimov’s favour is that he was on Russia’s 2019 World Championship roster and, and while that isn’t a true best-on-best tournament, that’s a pretty good indication that, at least for the moment, he’s firmly part of the national team’s plans. Anisimov also represented Russia on home soil in Sochi in 2014.

Olympic Chance: 60%

Home/Ottawa Senators News