Again, players like Dominik Hasek and Sergei Gonchar will not be appearing on this list since we are only taking their careers as a Senator into account.
10. Radek Bonk
1994-2004 (10 Seasons)
Stats: 689 GP, 152 G, 247 A, 399 PTS, 401 PIM
Summary: The 1994 draft held some gems in the later rounds for the Sens and plenty of other teams with players like Marty Turco, Milan Hejduk and, of course, Daniel Alfredsson going in the later rounds. The early rounds, on the other hand, were less flush with talent, with players like Jason Bonsignore and Brett Lindros achieving top 10 status. The Sens managed pretty well with their 1st rounder when they picked the tantalizing Czech with the 3rd overall pick. The following season, Bonk played 42 games in the lockout shortened year and would go on to be a skilled two-way forward for the rest of the 90s, if not inconsistent. After the turn of the millennium, Bonk truly broke onto the scene and showed why he was taken so highly in the Sens' third draft in franchise history, scoring at least 20 in four straight seasons while becoming a stalwart on the PK. At the 2004 draft, Bonk was traded to the Kings for a 3rd rounder after fizzling out a bit the previous season. All in all, Bonk's two-way play was a fundamental part of the early 2000s Senators and was a nice find in an otherwise dismal draft.
Signature Moment: Long before Bobby Ryan came in hot, Radek Bonk was the young phenom coming in to light the league ablaze. While he may never have quite lived up to the hype Bonk certainly created some buzz in Ottawa with this amazing magazine cover.
9. Patrick Lalime
1999-2004 (5 Seasons)
Stats: 283 GP, 146-100-30, 2.32 GAA, .908 SP, 30 SO
Summary: After being acquired early in the 1999 off-season via a trade with Anaheim, Lalime started 1999-2000 with Ron Tugnutt and performed admirably enough to have the Sens ship Tugnutt out to Pittsburgh and hand the reigns over to the St. Bonaventure native. Lalime would go on to play four seasons as the unquestioned starter and could always be counted on to step it up in the playoffs... most of the time.
Signature Moment: Yeah... look... About that whole playoff thing. Lalime was never really one of the top goaltenders in the league during his time with Ottawa but he received a lot of love thanks to a dominant blueline. That being said, Lalime was one of the top playoff goaltenders ever, posting a .926 save percentage, including a ridiculous .946 in 2002, and a 1.77 career GAA which shouldn't even be possible in the dead puck era. Of course, none of this matters, as he will be remembered for one game and one game only. Feel free to skip this clip.
8. Dany Heatley
2005-2009 (4 Seasons)
Stats: 317 GP, 180 G, 182 A, 362 PTS, 324 PIM
Summary: Heatley (of 'Heatley Sucks!' fame) came to Ottawa after a nightmare stint in Atlanta in exchange for Marian Hossa and Greg De Vries and quickly became the top goal scoring threat on the team. Scoring 50 goals in back to back seasons including a 22 point performance during the 2007 playoff run. While his production dipped after that along with the team, he remained a deadly weapon. After his argument with management and eventual departure in the 2009 off-season which earned the Sens Michalek, Heatley would have a few productive seasons in San Jose before dropping off in Minnesota. Despite the messy divorce, he remains the last truly elite scorer the team had had.
Signature Moment: We're cheating again on this one since it wasn't a moment he had with the Senators but it certainly summed up his career nicely. Despite being an elite player on some of the most memorable Sens teams of all-time, Heatley will forever be remembered for butting heads with new coach Cory Clouston and requesting a trade away. After turning down a trade to Edmonton, management eventually found a trade that sent him to San Jose. Upon his return as a member of the Sharks, he received a welcome that was, shall we say, less than warm
7. Marian Hossa
1997-2004 (7 Seasons)
Stats: 467 GP, 188 G, 202 A, 390 PTS, 243 PIM
Summary: The 12th overall pick in 1997, Hossa got a cup of coffee that season for the Sens before scoring 15 goals as a rookie in 1998-99 where he finished second in Calder voting to (checks results, checks again)... Chris Drury? But it was his sophomore season where Hossa would really come into his own, scoring 29 goals as a 21-year old and then developing into a consistent 30-goal threat. A top line player with a blooming defensive skill set that would not be fully exploited until later in his career, Hossa scored 45 goals for the 2003 club that won the President's Trophy before tallying 36 the following season. While losing Hossa left a hole in the roster, it was worth it as the team acquired Dany Heatley for him and, as he saw above, that ended just marvelously.
Signature Moment: Again, not a moment with the team but in 2014, after winning a second Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks after coming agonizingly close multiple times before, Hossa recorded his 1000th point as a visitor in Ottawa. Hossa was one of the rare players that left a completely positive mark on a team and was beloved even long after his departure. While it was not his first return to Ottawa, it was still a special moment to see his career come full circle.
6. Alexei Yashin
1993-2001 (7 Seasons)
Stats: 504 GP, 218 G, 273 A, 491 PTS, 222 PIM
Summary: The first ever selection in Senators history, Yashin burst onto the scene in his rookie year scoring 30 goals for a horrid second year team in 1993-94, he then scored 21 in the lockout shortened season and was well on his path to superstardom. Troubles began to arise the following year as Yashin sat out part of the next season as part of a contract dispute. Yashin returned and was his old self scoring at a rate uncommon for a player his age during the dead puck era. He was even appointed captain prior to the 1998-99 season and responded by tallying 44 goals that season. Yashin sat out the next season and his captaincy was handed on to a young Daniel Alfredsson and he never regained it. Eventually traded in the deal that brought Zdeno Chara and Jason Spezza to Ottawa, Yashin would play 5 seasons for the Islanders and he remained an elite goal scorer. His contract though was an albatross which led the Isles to buy him out after the 2006-07 season. He never returned to the NHL.
Signature Moment: While his Senators career was one marred by controversy and drama, it's important to remember what a great talent Yashin was. Looking back at 1993, the team was a disaster but Yashin was a flickering glimmer of hope for a team.
5. Wade Redden
1996-2008 (11 Seasons)
Stats: 838 GP, 108 G, 309 A, 417 PTS, 576 PIM
Summary: The original star defenseman taken from Long Island, Wade Redden became the Sens first star defenseman, always scoring around 10 goals and topping out at 17 markers in 2003-04, Redden was a powerplay quarterback for the Sens' dynastic phase. Alongside Chara and Phillips, Redden was the star of one of the most dominant bluelines of the decade. After Chara left, Redden had to adjust his game to account for the loss of the giant defender by shifting to a more stay-at-home role. It worked to perfection as in their first season without Chara the Sens finally made it to the Stanley Cup Finals that had alluded them for so long. His departure was a tough pill to swallow for the team but it was clear that it was time to move on and proved to be the right move as he never attained the success the Rangers had hoped he would.
Signature Moment: Redden was a solid puck moving defender who could always be counted on to contribute no matter what the circumstances were. Regular season or playoffs, Redden was a quiet star player. He never wavered from his model of consistency. Below is his first of many playoff goals.
4. Chris Phillips
1997-2015 (17 Seasons)
Stats: 1179 GP, 71 G, 217 A, 288 PTS, 756 PIM
Summary: While the Sens did draft well, Phillips was their third number one pick in four years and the only one who managed to stick around. The prototype stay-at-home defenseman, Phillips waited until 1997 to make his debut but after that he served nearly two decades on the blueline as a consistent force. Never a real offensive threat, topping out at 8 goals in 2006-07 and 2009-10, Phillips was, along with Alfredsson, a symbol of longevity and commitment, eventually becoming the franchise leader in games played. While there have been bigger names picked in the number one slot, very few teams can say that they found a true warrior and franchise icon like Phillips.
Signature Moment: While it would be wrong not to point out his Cup winning goal he scored against the Sens, we'll use this section to acknowledge a brighter moment in his goal scoring career. In 2003, the Devils were on the verge on making the Stanley Cup Finals. With Game 6 going to overtime both teams were searching for a hero. That's when 'The Big Rig' stepped up.
3. Jason Spezza
2002-2014 (11 Seasons)
Stats: 686 GP, 251 G, 436 A, 687 PTS, 434 PIM
Summary: The final player involved in the Yashin trade that we'll cover here. Spezza's career didn't start out the way many had hoped. He didn't make the team in 2001 and wasn't able to stick around the following year. But in 2003-04, he broke out scoring 22 goals and looking like the player the team was hoping for when they drafted him. After a year in the AHL during the lockout, Spezza returned to centre the CASH line with newcomer Dany Heatley and captain Daniel Alfredsson. Primarily a playmaker, Spezza could really put the puck in the net with four 30 goal seasons. After the departure of Alfredsson, Spezza was appointed captain. It was a role he did not fit well and asked for and was granted a trade after just one season. His departure was not met with the same venom as others were. This either signifies a maturing of the Senators fanbase or simply that we've all grown numb.
Signature Moment: Spezza was a gifted offensive player with many highlight real plays and big game goals. His 22 points in the 2007 playoffs tied his linemates Heatley and Alfredsson for the most in franchise history. So it goes without saying that this moment will be a brilliantly skilled play. Just kidding. Let's watch him get 35 minutes for slapping Patrick Sharp.
2. Erik Karlsson
2009-Present (9 Seasons)
Stats: 588 GP, 120 G, 361 A, 481 PTS, 292 PIM
Summary: After Ottawa traded up to draft him 15th overall in 2008 only to be booed by the hometown fans, it's safe to say that Karlsson came to Ottawa with high expectations. It's also safe to say that he's completely obliterated them. Karlsson has developed into one of the top offensive defenceman not just of his generation but of all-time. The should-be 4-time Norris winner is widely considered among the best players in the league. That's a title that has very seldom been bestowed on a member of the Senators. His skill and commitment led him to be named the successor to Jason Spezza's captaincy after being groomed and mentored by fellow Swede Daniel Alfredsson. With the Sens and Karlsson facing an uncertain future, it remains undeniable that he is one of the most gifted players this team has ever had.
Signature Moment: The 2017 playoff run was magical as the franchise finally had a moment to look at fondly since the 2007 run. That run was made possible largely in part to Karlsson's resilience and talent level. It's something we should've all seen coming, based on what he did in Round 1 against Boston.
1. Daniel Alfredsson
1995-2013 (17 Seasons)
Stats: 1178 GP, 426 G, 682 A, 1108 PTS, 500 PIM
Summary: After being selected as a 6th rounder in 1994, Alfredsson has come a long way since his days of Pop-Tart shopping with James Duthie. After winning the Calder in 1995-96, Alfie battled injuries before becoming captain as a 26-year old when Yashin left the role vacant. He then developed into a dominant force at both ends of the ice, earning Selke votes while topping 30-goals regularly for a team that was always in the mix for the Cup. After the lockout, Alfredsson joined forces with Spezza and Heatley and finished with a career high 43 goals. Almost every moment in Senators history flows directly through Alfredsson. He was recently ranked 25th by the NHL Network on their list of top captains but there is no number that can really shine a light on what he meant to the team, the city, and the fans. While his departure may have left many fans feeling betrayed, his legacy remains untarnished among the Sens faithful as to this day he is synonymous with the Senators.
Signature Moments: Where to start? His guarantee to win the Cup? His trolling of Mats Sundin? The endless charity work he did for the city? His brilliant Hall of Fame induction speech? (editor's note; that never happened, even though it should've) His return? His jersey retirement? No, instead, we will go with the moment when the pain of 15 long years was erased in spectacular fashion as he sends Ottawa to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Happy New Year
Shocked at the exclusion of Brad Marsh , one of the original Sens and one who probably blocked more pucks in his one year of service than Laliime did in his career !
ReplyDeleteThat's fair. I tried to reward longevity as much as possible. Marsh was good but due to factors out of his control, he falls a little short for me.
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