2009 Ottawa Senators

The 2008-09 season was disappointing for the Ottawa Senators, who ended up in 4th place in the Northeast Division and failed to make the playoffs, but changes in the offseason bring hope for a much more successful 2009-10 season. The team was blindsided by top scorer Dany Heatley’s trade request, but GM Bryan Murray turned what could have been a negative into a positive by trading him for forwards Milan Michalek and Jonathan Cheechoo, who along with the newly acquired star winger Alexei Kovalev are expected to provide a more balanced offensive attack. The Sens also addressed their weakest link, goalie, by bringing in Pascal Leclaire. All in all, it’s looking pretty good for the Senators, and you’ll want to be at Scotiabank Place to watch it all go down live. So what are you waiting for? Get your Ottawa Senators tickets today!

The franchise had made it into nine consecutive playoffs since 1997. Always a bridesmaid, the Senators were poised to go all the way to capture the Stanley Cup, but the Anaheim Ducks only allowed Ottawa one victory, winning the finals 1 to 4. The Senators had the best regular-season record in the NHL in 2002-03, but lost in seven games to the eventual champion New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Senators seem to be running a racket, a racket that churns out dazzling young hockey players who grow into NHL stars. Almost every move works like a charm, including their rare trades: Zdeno Chara and Jason Spezza for Alexei Yashin looks odd; starting goaltender Patrick Lalime came from Anaheim for next to nothing. The organization's quiet efficiency really means numbers on the ice. Ottawa is sometimes accused of plodding through nights of dull, safe hockey. But the sensible game plan conceals an overload of speed, strength and puck handling that leaves most defenders bewildered. If they weren't so passionate about defense, the Senators could probably score at a pace to recall the NHL of the past.