It was no secret that Pierre Dorion was trying to acquire a top six forward this off season. Instead, he went out and got two: Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux. And just like that, the Senators suddenly became the talk of the offseason, and got more air time on TSN in the last few weeks than the last two years combined. With optimism at an all time high amongst the fanbase, there’s now a buzz surrounding the team that’s been missing for more than a few seasons. Heading into next year, it’s a safe bet to expect the top 6 to look like this:
Brady Tkachuk-Josh Norris-Drake Batherson
Alex DeBrincat-Tim Stutzle-Claude Giroux
The Sens have had some fantastic top 6 groups in the past, but how does this group compare to previous versions in Sens history? In my analysis, I looked at every Sens team going back to 1992-93. I identified the “top 6 players” sorted by most ice time, and then added their points per game average together. Here’s what it looks like:
2000-01 (0.89 points per game)
Alexei Yashin’s final season as a Senator was an excellent year for the team. They placed 2nd in the conference and scored a fair amount of goals (especially in the dead puck era). Marian Hossa was in his third season and showed fantastic two-way ability. He registered a then career high 75 points. Shawn McEachern, in his 5th season with the team put up a career high 72 points. Radek Bonk continued his great play as a top 2 centerman. Magnus Arvedson was a solid middle six player at this time of his career, posting 33 points in 51 games. And of course, Daniel Alfredsson put up a casual 70 points in 68 games. Unfortunately, the team saw its success end early. They were the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, going up against the Toronto Maple in the quarter finals. They struggled mightily, getting swept and scoring just 3 goals in 4 games. It was one of 3 times in a 4-year span, where the Sens would fail to get past the Leafs in the first round.
2006-07 (0.92 points per game)
In one of the wildest years in Sens history that saw them reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history, it’s easy to forget that they went 17-18-1 to start off the year. But once they got hot, they carried that momentum all the way into June. Of course, the “Pizza Line” of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley carried much of the offense for this team. Heatley notched his second 50 goal and 100+ point season. Jason Spezza, though he missed 15 games due to injury, was still on pace for 104 points. Daniel Alfredsson, 33 at the time, scored 87 points in 77 games. Even with some high-end offensive weapons, there was a good amount of secondary scoring. Mike Fisher was a great 2nd line center at the time, responsible defensively and on pace for 58 points. Peter Schaefer played his best hockey in a Sens uniform, with 46 points in 77 games. Mid-season acquisition Mike Comrie only played 41 games but put up a respectable 25 points in his half season. This was a special team but was clearly boosted by the Pizza lines elite play.
2007-08 (0.95 points per game)
Unlike 2006-07, the following campaign was different right from the start. The first half of the season saw the Sens post a record of 29-10-4, putting them on pace for a 118-point season. In the second half, they went 14-21-4, stumbling into the playoffs. This placed them in 7th in the Eastern Conference, where they would go up against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the quarterfinals. Fresh off a long playoff run, the team was swept in 4 games. This would be the beginning of the end for the “Pizza Line” unfortunately. Jason Spezza registered 92 points in 76 games, Daniel Alfredsson had 89 points in 70 games and Dany Heatley finished with 82 points in 71 games. They missed some time with injuries but carried the offense once again. This year saw the emergence of Antoine Vermette, who scored 53 points in a top 6 role. Mike Fisher was solid once again, with 47 points in 79 games. Cory Stillman was a good add at the deadline, posting 19 points in his 24 games with the Senators. They got the secondary scoring but lacked offensive skill in the bottom six.
2005-06 (1.02 points per game)
Although 2006-07 was a memorable year, this team should be regarded as one of the best rosters the Senators have ever assembled. This was the first season for the “Pizza Line,” who took the league by storm. Jason Spezza scored 90 points in 68 games, Daniel Alfredsson had 103 points in 77 games and Dany Heatley had 103 points (with 50 goals). Mike Fisher and Peter Schaefer both brought secondary scoring, performing at over a 50-point pace each. Many forget that the Senators had Martin Havlat that year, but he was limited to just 18 games due to injury. Havlat always struggled with injuries but still recorded 16 points when he was in the lineup. They cruised their way to 1st in the conference and beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 games. The great vibes ended quickly though, in 5 games to the Buffalo Sabres in the semifinals. Other than a 7-6 loss, the offense couldn’t be the difference maker in the next four games. Every single game in the series was a one goal game.
And that’s it. In the 30-year history of the Ottawa Senators, there are 4 seasons that saw better top 6 groups than today’s roster. At least on paper.
How does this year’s group fare?
This past season, the Senators had 4 legit top 6 forwards: Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, and Drake Batherson. All scored over a 60-point pace, and this summer they added Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux. Combining all 6 of their seasons, they scored at a 71-point (0.87 ppg) pace each. Other than Claude Giroux, everyone is currently under 25 years old. They’re all going to grow together, and the 34-year-old Giroux will be along for the ride and provide veteran leadership.
Most expect this group to produce well rounded scoring. While they won’t have the high end offense of the “Pizza Line,” the secondary scoring will create a dual threat offensive group. Fans trying to decipher what the team’s two powerplay units will look like, and struggling to agree on who should get bumped off the PP1 group is a good sign for this new look Sens forward group.
The Senators could vie for a playoff spot next year, and much of that progress will be because this forward group has the ability to score a lot of goals.
Ottawa Senators Top 6 Points Per Game by year:
1992-93: 0.55
1993-94: 0.715
1994-95: 0.69
1995-96: 0.67
1996-97: 0.65
1997-98: 0.6
1998-99: 0.71
1999-00: 0.74
2000-01: 0.89
2001-02: 0.72
2002-03: 0.81
2003-04: 0.72
2005-06: 1.02
2006-07: 0.92
2007-08: 0.95
2008-09: 0.64
2009-10: 0.7
2010-11: 0.6
2011-12: 0.71
2012-13: 0.51
2013-14: 0.72
2014-15: 0.67
2015-16: 0.65
2016-17: 0.63
2017-18: 0.7
2018-19: 0.8
2019-20: 0.6
2020-21: 0.61
2021-22: 0.74
2022-23: 0.87
-Damian Smith
Twitter: @Damian__Smith
Photo: Jonathan Milley. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.