SENATORS: A Week in Review is a weekly column looking back at the week in Ottawa Senators hockey written by OLMSports Dave Gross.
Feature photo Courtesy NHLI via Getty Images
School’s out – a good time to tote home those report cards to anxious parents.
For the Ottawa Senators, there’s not much anxiety involved because pretty well right across the board the marks are top-notch.
Let’s have a look at the final grades for the season, and playoffs.
GOAL
Craig Anderson (A): A heroic season saw Anderson put up 25 wins, a 2.28 goals-against average and .926 save percentage in a part-time role. He collected another 11 wins during the Senators playoff push.
Mike Condon (B+): A savvy pick-up by GM Pierre Dorion, Condon filled in admirably while Anderson was away tending to his wife and her battle with cancer.
DEFENCE:
Mark Borowiecki (B-): What you see is what you get from the 27-year-old Ottawa native – plenty of grit and gumption but not a whole heck of a lot skill-wise.
Cody Ceci (C): For a guy with this much talent, two goals in 79 games and a -11 isn’t good enough. Zero goals during a 19-game post-season didn’t help his grade either.
Fredrick Claesson (C): A bubble blueliner saw stretches of solid play wrapped around stretches that weren’t so solid.
Ben Harpur (incomplete): This former fourth-rounder will fight for a permanent spot next year. Ottawa loves his size (6-6, 225-lbs).
Erik Karlsson (A+): Now a complete player, Karlsson is in the discussion as both a league MVP and as one of the NHL’s Top-3 skaters. Period.
Marc Methot (A): One of the league’s top shut-down d-men, Methot and Karlsson were born to be a tandem.
Dion Phaneuf (B+): The former Leaf and Flame has found his game in Ottawa. One of the Sens' absolute best in the playoffs.
Chris Wideman (B): With two NHL seasons now in his back pocket, Wideman has turned into a very reliable pro.
FORWARDS
Derick Brassard (B-): A modest and sometimes disappointing regular season (14 goals in 81 games) was rescued by a very strong playoff run.
Alex Burrows (D): You have to wonder how much more the former Vancouver agitator has left in the tank. Mostly invisible after a good debut in Ottawa.
Ryan Dzingel (C): A very quiet playoff after a decent season.
Mike Hoffman (B): Despite a 26-goal year, Hoffman always leaves you thinking he could do more.
Chris Kelly (C): A true pro, Kelly supplied smarts and defence.
Clarke MacArthur (B): Another strong dressing room presence, MacArthur’s return from concussion woes gave his club some swagger.
Chris Neil (C): Hard to see Neil back with a Guy Boucher coached team. Played about 45 seconds in the entire post-season.
J-G Pageau (A-): Does what is asked of him. Need a defensive presence and checker? J-G’s your guy. Need a playoff goal? That’s him too. (Or four).
Tom Pyatt (B-): Limited in what he can bring, Pyatt remains a Boucher favourite given his heady play.
Bobby Ryan (C+): You can’t wipe clean an entire struggling regular season with a superb playoff can you? Ryan almost did.
Zack Smith (B): A commodity any team would love – tough with a dash of talent.
Viktor Stalberg (C+): Another clever pick-up from Dorion, Stalberg is a reliable depth player.
Mark Stone (A): An all-around threat – with or without the puck.
Kyle Turris (A): Turris just keeps getting better. Deceptive and hockey-smart, he was one of the organizations' top adds the past decade.
Tommy Wingels (C): Yet another decent depth addition.
COACH
Guy Boucher (A-): Might be criticized for his 1-3-1, generally dull style, but Boucher did what he was hired to do: win.
GM
Pierre Dorion (A): ‘Why not us and why not now?’ was the tune coming out of the general manager’s office. Dorion made some nice roster calls the past year.
NOTES AND NOTIONS:The NHL draft is set to go Friday, June 23 (7 pm start) then resume on Saturday, June 24 (10 am start) in Chicago . . . Nico Hischier, slated as the No. 2 prospect, skated for Guy Boucher in the Swiss pro league in 2015-16. "Under Guy Boucher, I got to see the Canadian style of practice. I remember when [Boucher] came into the locker room and asked me if I was ready because we had an injured player, and I said, 'Yes,’” Hischier told NHL.com. "I was nervous, but can remember my first shift." . . . Don't quite understand it, but everyone I run in to is cheering like hell for Nashville in the final. I get the Mike Fisher angle, but beyond that?
