Weekly Question: A Time for Reflection

Heading into the Christmas holidays I wanted to take the opportunity to shift our collective focus from the things we want to the things we have. Trevor has already gone through the things that we as a fan base are hoping for and I think we can agree on all the obvious ones (a healthy squad, consistent goalies and a bit of luck in shooting).

Finally, even in an article like Trevor’s Burying the Things We Miss, we can see that the Ottawa Senators to do have a lot to do for them right now. We are frustrated by the team’s misfortune and shooting, and in particular save percent because They play well every night – with a lot of key players injured! Oh, and we have a young, cost-controlled squad with plenty of decent prospects still in the pipeline. It could be a lot worse.

With all of that in mind, and win-loss records notwithstanding, what are you most grateful for after 33 games (and with plenty of time to get back into the middle of the proverbial pack)?

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Captain Tkachuk

Remember when fools like me were hoping the Sens would call up Filip Zadina instead of Brady Tkachuk? Huge big hounds. Pretty much from day one, Brady has lived up to the hype. This season, however, the captain has taken it to another level. Brady doesn’t look like Keith’s son or Matthew’s brother anymore. Tkachuk has become an NHL star in his own right, and for the first time since Mark Stone left, I feel like I can point to a single forward and say, “The Sens are probably going to win this game almost entirely thanks to this guy.” I could maybe also cite Tim Stützle as an example of strikers who have played well in previous years Yes, really take off this season.

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mergers and acquisitions

I know a lot of people still want to see more individuality from Alex DeBrincat, but given the many injuries the Sens have had to work with, I’ll get a total of 61 points (24 goals and 37 assists) through 33 games from DBC and Claude Giroux . I also want to give kudos to Tyler Motte here. I felt completely indifferent to Motte’s signing when it happened, but Motte really impressed me and I feel like he represents exactly when good NHL teams need a third- or fourth-liner. He shoots the puck and gets a lot of good chances while working with a rotating cast of linemates.

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ACC

Trevor wished it and Brad reported it. We get four more years from Artem Zub. I don’t feel the need to elaborate on that. The Sens have been sorely missing Zub lately. I have nothing but gratitude for Zub. I also fully acknowledge that I basically gave GMPD no credit for it at the time, but wow what an international free agent signing.

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Rookie wrecking crew

Given the absurd depth of this year’s NHL rookie league, I won’t be looking for a Calder trophy, but that doesn’t diminish my passion when I see Jake Sanderson and Shane Pinto. While both players still have some creases in their game to iron out, both undeniably look like regular NHLers who can handle big minutes and responsibility. Not that we really doubted the long-term potential of either player, but it feels relieving to see such instant results from two blue-chip guys. Mark Kastelic also deserves some credit for fulfilling the prophecy and evolving into Zack Smith 2.0 in just under 50 games.

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Fan base restored

Even looking past the losses and injuries, we’ve enjoyed some seriously renewed vibes at Ottawa so far this season. This movement has taken off in recent years with the rebrand and some top-notch draft picks. Stupid sexy Pierre’s big off-season really just followed an established trajectory (again, You’re welcome try to overlook the losses). For the first time in a long time, even casual fans and frontier supporters in Ottawa have strong feelings for the senators. Every game day feels like an event. The mood of the summer has carried over into the regular season and this whole, you know, upcoming sale of the team may have added some fuel to the fire. Perhaps the individual bad results will feel bearable because the bigger picture for the team and its place in the city is finally looking very clear.

bonus

“But, Owen, what about you? What are you most grateful for?” Well, dear reader, I’m glad you asked. I am very grateful to my fellow writers here at Silver Seven. And if you need a reason why then look no further.

Stay healthy folks and enjoy this time spent doing the things you love with the people you love.