Ottawa Senators: Predicting the Opening Day Roster
By Daniel Bruce
With minimal moves made over the course of the offseason, the Ottawa Senators Roster should resemble last years version
As the offseason began, Senators fans expected some big moves, but fast forward 2 months and the team looks very similar, minus the additions of a couple veteran defencemen. Seeing the team thrive at the end of last season (10 wins in last 14 games) and the development of multiple key players over the course of last season there’s no reason to be sombre about the teams quiet offseason.
The two moves the team did make during the offseason were the acquisitions of Nick Holden via trade and Michael Del Zotto, the latter was signed to a two-year deal. It appears that Del Zotto will be featured in a top-4 role while Holden will most likely fit in as a depth piece, whether playing the veteran journeyman over the young, established Erik Brannstrom will pay off in the end, that remains to be seen. With all the potential issues surrounding the defence, at the forward position there is much more excitement, and there’s potential for a youthful injection for the new season as both Egor Sokolov and Ridly Greig are making their case to stick with the NHL club.
In net it seems pretty clear cut, Matt Murray will assume the role as the starting goalie for the 2nd straight season, while Anton Forsberg will play second-fiddle. If the Senators want to have a chance at their first playoff appearance in five years their goaltending position has to yield much better results. We saw what stability in net could do for a team at the end of last season (Filip Gustavsson), so whether it’s Matt Murray, Anton Forsberg, Filip Gustavsson, or even Mads Søgaard, the Senators need to keep the puck out of the net if they want the rebuild to be over.