For the Ottawa Senators, the offseason free-agency exit of longtime captain Daniel Alfredsson is far from tantamount to other recent cases of NHL teams losing their leaders and faces to transaction.
The Senators of 2013 are not the Boston Bruins of 2000, who were in the middle of back-to-back playoff no-shows while Ray Bourque found thicker ice in Colorado. They are not the current Calgary Flames, who finally let Jarome Iginla go to a more reliable contender this past spring.
These Senators are not even the current Columbus Blue Jackets, who turned heads in 2012-13 by nearly making the playoffs in the wake of trading Rick Nash.
Ottawa has much more immediate promise than that. In fact, a combination of internal structure and external circumstances points to this team emerging as one of the premier powerhouses in the newfangled Atlantic Division this season.
Yes, that division does include Alfredsson’s new allies in Detroit, which makes it easy enough to assume the Red Wings will be effortlessly elevated by his presence. And yes, there is also the defending Eastern Conference champions from Boston and 2013 playoff entrants Montre ...
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Article written by Al Daniel
Ottawa Senators: Why They Can Contend For The NHL’s Atlantic Division Title
September 21st, 2013 by Al Daniel Leave a reply »
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