Takin' a T/O with BT: The Ottawa Senators Are Sent Packin'

Well, according to Dany Heatley, "There's no need to blow this team up. This is the same core of guys that went to the Stanley Cup Finals last year." Those are pretty big words coming from a guy who (combined with Jason Spezza) netted two points and put up a healthy -9 for the series.

Yea, no changes need to be made here.

Are there talented guys on this team? Sure there are.

The strange thing is, is that no one seems to play well together. Some of the guys on this roster will go to war for the team, while guys like Jason Spezza seem to have read from the Marian Hossa Book of Playoff Underachievement, and seem to be lacking in the effort department. 

What I find really interesting is that, statistically, the top two producers on this Sens roster were Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore—the only two players to have more than one point—and both of them were mid-season acquisitions from Carolina.

But what if Senators' GM Bryan Murray (assuming he's still around by July 1st—I mean this is the same team that fired John Muckler after taking them to the Stanley Cup finals last year) heeds Heatley's advice and thinks that it's time to reshape the team, where do you start?

Well, the departure of Wade Redden might be one place.

Although Redden has gone as far as to veto a trade to stay in the city of Ottawa, his love isn't being reciprocated. Despite their inability to commit to the Saskatchewan native, the Sens best option may still be to give him a contract—that's not to say it's write, but look at the free agent market this offseason:

You either sign Brian Campbell, or you're stuck with a whole lot of mediocre guys.

Why not see if you can get Redden on the cheap and he somehow shows some of that flair he used to have? 

Isn't that the better option than Nolan Baumgartner? 

Even with guys like Anton Volchenkov and Andrej Meszaros devloping in Ottawa, losing Redden isn't something that will be easily replaced this offseason (unless via trade), and I'm not sure how willing the Sens are to deal with growing pains on the back end at this point in time from their rookies.

Up front, the Sens could address secondary scoring and add in grit—something that could ease the pressure on the top line during the playoffs.

Although the Daniel Briere-type guys aren't plentiful in this free agent crop, Brendan Morrison and Stephane Yelle could bring the right tangibles to this roster to keep it rolling for more than the first two months of the regular season. 

In net?

Well unless you want Curtis Sanford, J.S. Aubin, or Christobal Huet pushing Martin Gerber to start (Frankly, I wouldn't, but who knows?) it's time to start looking at Brian Elliott as the heir apparent as well as next year's backup, because who knows if Martin Gerber's play will transition into next season?

Sports is a "what have you done for me lately" business. Although Dany Heatley is sold on the core, there's nothing more than an illusion, a flash-in-the-pan if you will.

Whatever happens in the offseason, and whether or not the team stays together and witness success in the future, or they are disbanded and sent their separate ways, the Sens Army learned a lesson they'll take with them forever.

October only means so much. 

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